Iraq and Iran Resolutions

WHEREAS, there is remarkable bipartisan agreement, that the Bush Administration’s war in Iraq and current occupation strategy has been a political and military failure that has increased tensions in the Middle East and has isolated the U.S. internationally.
WHEREAS, the overwhelming majority of Americans are dissatisfied with the war and, according to a 2006 Zogby poll, over 70% of US troops in Iraq believe they should exit within a year.
WHEREAS, in a recent World Public Opinion poll, 7 out of 10 Iraqis said that they want U.S.-led forces to withdraw and that an overwhelming majority believes that the U.S. military presence in Iraq is provoking more conflict than it is preventing.
WHEREAS, over 650,000 Iraqis, mostly innocent civilians, have been killed in this war and over 3300 Americans have died, with thousands more wounded and every day more people are dying as a result of the occupation and continued sectarian violence and civil war that has been fueled by the U.S. presence.
WHEREAS, the Bush administration is now escalating the conflict by sending in thousands of more troops, that will only bring more deaths to American soldiers, more civilian casualties, more anger toward the U.S., more support for the insurgency, and more instability to Iraq and the region.
WHEREAS, the ending of the U.S. presence in Iraq will allow the Iraqis to make the hard decisions to achieve national unity and stability and to undertake the necessary tasks of controlling and governing their own country.
WHEREAS, the Arizona Democratic Party fully supports our military service personnel and salute their courage and dedication.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that:
The Arizona Democratic Party calls upon its Arizona U.S. Senators and Representatives to vote for all resolutions and bills consistent with the overall purpose of opposing any escalation of the war and limiting war funding to ending the occupation and starting the orderly redeployment and withdrawal of all U.S. troops and military contractors from Iraq, while providing funding to assist the Iraqi government in recovery from damages inflicted by this war and assuring funding for the long term needs of all military personnel injured in the course of their service in the Middle East.
Be it further resolved that:

Officers of the Arizona Democratic Party are hereby directed to within 7 days of the passage of this resolution convey this resolution in writing to the leadership of the U.S. House and Senate and to all Arizona U.S. Representatives and Senators and will provide the authors of this resolution verification that this was done.
Officers of the Arizona Democratic Party are hereby directed to within 7 days of the passage of this resolution send a press release announcing the resolution to statewide news media and will provide authors of this resolution verification that this was done.
Officers of the Arizona Democratic Party are hereby directed to within 7 days of the passage of this resolution place a copy of the resolution (for no less then 14 days) on the front page of the Arizona Democratic Party=s public web site http://www.azdem.org and that after 14 days provide a front page link to this resolution to be kept on the Democratic Party web site until all our troops are redeployed home from Iraq.

WHEREAS, the Bush administration continues to increase the threats against Iran in an apparent attempt to provoke a conflict by deploying in March of 2007 in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Iran two aircraft carriers, 15 warships and more than a hundred planes and conducting simulated aerial attacks.
WHEREAS, any U.S. strike against Iran would likely result in the deaths of multitudes of civilians, cementing continued hostility toward the U.S. in the Middle East, and further destabilizing the region;
WHEREAS, the 160,000 U.S. troops currently in Iraq would be placed in added danger resulting in more deaths and casualties of our service men and women due to the proximity of Iranian forces.
WHEREAS, numerous bi-partisan commissions, including the Iraq Study Group, have called for the opening of diplomatic dialogue and the fostering of greater understanding with Iran, as the way to advance foreign policy objectives in the region;
WHEREAS, the Middle East is already highly destabilized as a result of actions of the United States in Iraq and elsewhere in the region and any preemptive attack on Iran would be a violation of international law, unlikely to be supported by a multi-national coalition and further isolating the U.S. in the world community;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that:

The Arizona Democratic Party calls upon its Arizona U.S. Senators and Representatives to vote for any bill or resolution that prohibits the use of funds to carry out any covert action for the purpose of causing regime change in Iran or to carry out any military action against Iran in the absence of an imminent threat, in accordance with international law and constitutional and statutory requirements for congressional authorization.
Be it further resolved that:

Officers of the Arizona Democratic Party are hereby directed to within seven days of the passage of this resolution convey this resolution in writing to the leadership of the U.S. House and Senate, to all Arizona U.S. Representatives and Senators and will provide the authors of this resolution verification that this was done.
Officers of the Arizona Democratic Party are hereby directed to within seven days of the passage of this resolution send a press release announcing the resolution to statewide news media and will provide authors of this resolution verification that this was done.
Leadership of the Arizona Democratic Party are hereby directed to within seven days of the passage of this resolution place a copy of the resolution (for no less then 14 days) on the front page of the Arizona Democratic Party’s public web site www.azdem.org. and that after 14 days provide a front page link to the resolution until the crisis with the Bush administration and Iran ends.