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Announcement :: Peace

Five Years Into The War In , Military Families Say: "Funding This War Is Killing Our Troops!"

WASHINGTON, DC - March 12 - With the war in Iraq about to enter its sixth year, members of Military Families Speak Out, the largest organization of military families to speak out against a war in this country’s history, are calling on Senators and Representatives -- including those seeking to be president of the United States in 2009 -- to take immediate action to cut off funding for the war.
Diane Santoriello of Verona, PA, a member of Military Families Speak Out and its national chapter Gold Star Families Speak Out, is the mother of a soldier killed in , and she has a clear message for Senators Barak Obama, Hillary Clinton and John McCain:

"I would like to see the presidential candidates utilize the leadership that they each claim to have. With each funding bill that the President signs, he is actually signing the death warrant for more soldiers and more Iraqi civilians. The Senate has the power to stop that death warrant from reaching his desk.

" I challenge each presidential candidate to meet us at our son’s grave in section 60 of Arlington Cemetery. I want them to stand at his grave and face the Memorial Bridge. I want them to see how many more soldiers have been laid to rest since he was buried in 2004. He was the 930th soldier killed. How many more rows need to be created before they say enough?"

Diane Santoriello’s son, 1st Lt. Neil Santoriello, served in the Army’s 1 Division 34th Armored A company and was killed in action near Fallujah, on August 13, 2004. He was 24 years old.

Cathy Smith, a member of Military Families Speak Out from Liberty, MO, wants Congressional leaders to uphold their promise to end the war in .

"As the mother of a soldier currently serving in Iraq on his second deployment caused by stop loss, and another son that was paralyzed during his tour in Iraq, I feel our family has upheld our end of the contract," she said, "It is our hope that the Congress that we elected to change the course of the war in Iraq will uphold their end of the bargain by defunding the war and bringing our troops home now. We don't want to see Bush handed another blank check -- that money is better spent on our veterans who have come home and are not getting the treatment that they deserve."

On April 4, 2004, in Sadr City, Smith's son, eldest son, Tomas Young, was shot just above the left collarbone and paralyzed from the neck down while serving with the Army’s 1st Cavalry Division. His story is featured in the documentary "Body of War," produced by Phil Donahue, which will be showing in cities around the country in the coming months. One of Smith's youngest sons is currently serving in the Army in .

Military Families Speak Out member Paula Rogovin, of Teaneck, NJ, whose Marine son is about to be sent to on his second deployment, added,

"There is no more honorable way to support the men and women serving in the armed forces than to bring all of them home immediately and to take care of them when they get here! We don’t want promises from candidates and elected officials. We want each of you to take leadership NOW in Congress to prevent any more spending on this war."

"We want to make it clear to the people of this country that this Administration is not seeking more funding for the troops – it is seeking funding from Congress to continue the war. What we as military families know is that funding this war is killing our troops".

Members of Military Families Speak Out are available for interview -- including families with loved ones currently serving in Iraq, families whose loved ones have died as a result of this war, families of troops who have suffered physical and psychological injuries, and families of those awaiting deployment or re-deployment.

Military Families Speak Out (MFSO) is a national organization of over 3,800 families who are opposed to the war in and have loved ones who serve or have served in the military since the fall of 2002. Gold Star Families Speak Out is a national chapter of MFSO with families whose loved ones died as a result of the war.

For more information about Military Families Speak Out, please visit www.mfso.org ; for more information about the chapter Gold Star Families Speak Out see www.gsfso.org
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