Jan. 7: U.S. Out of Iraq

U.S. Rep. Murtha says he wouldn't join military now

WASHINGTON, Jan 2 - Rep. John Murtha, a key Democratic voice who favors pulling U.S. troops from Iraq, said in remarks airing on Monday that he would not join the U.S. military today.

A decorated Vietnam combat veteran who retired as a colonel after 37 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, Murtha told ABC News' "Nightline" program that Iraq "absolutely" was a wrong war for President George W. Bush to have launched.

"Would you join (the military) today?," he was asked in an interview taped on Friday.

"No," replied Murtha of Pennsylvania, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives subcommittee that oversees defense spending and one of his party's leading spokesmen on military issues.

Source: Reuters

Out of Iraq Events Planned Nationwide on January 7th

Contact: Bob Fertik 718-242-7772, David Swanson 202-329-7847, Tim Carpenter 413-320-2015

Web: afterdowningstreet.org

Jan. 7: Out of Iraq Events Planned Nationwide
Jan. 9: National Call-In Day on Accountability
Jan. 9: International Commission Taking "Indictments" to White House

Jan. 7:
Local organizations have planned over 70 Out of Iraq events around the country on or about Jan. 7. Most of the events are town hall forums, and several will feature members of Congress, including Bobby Scott, Diane Watson, Jim McDermott, Adam Smith, Bob Filner, Martin Sabo, Jim Moran, and John Murtha. Several other events will feature congressional staff, congressional and senatorial candidates, local elected officials, and leaders of the peace movement, including Gold Star Families for Peace founder Cindy Sheehan, and After Downing Street Co-Founder John Bonifaz.

While all of these events will focus on ending the war, many of them will also address Congressman John Conyers' new resolutions to censure President Bush and Vice President Cheney and to create a select committee to investigate and make recommendations on impeachment.

Tim Carpenter, Director of Progressive Democrats of America and Co-Founder of After Downing Street, said: "Progressive Democrats of America is proud to be working with grassroots organizations across the country to mobilize and organize a broad-based coalition to call for an end to the Occupation of Iraq and demand action from Congress to investigate the lies of the Bush administration and their conduct regarding the Iraq War."

Jan. 9:
National Call-In Day on Accountability
Tens of thousands of members of Progressive Democrats of America and other organizational members of the After Downing Street Coalition will phone Members of Congress in their district offices on Jan. 9, urging them to cosponsor three bills: H.Res.635 to create a select committee to investigate and to make recommendations on grounds for impeachment, H.Res.636 to censure Bush, and H.Res.637 to censure Cheney.

More about these bills
Congress Members' phone numbers

Jan. 9:
International Commission Taking "Indictments" to White House
On Jan. 9, the International Commission of Inquiry on Crimes Against Humanity By the Bush Administration will serve indictments on the White House for its wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, its actions and policies on torture and illegal detention, its promotion of abstinence-only in the midst of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, its fueling of global warming, and its response to Hurricane Katrina. This is in preparation for its Jan. 20-22 hearings at Riverside Church and Columbia Law School in New York City (where the Administration will be invited to present a defense). See here for details.

Sponsored by: Backbone Campaign, Progressive Democrats of America, After Downing Street, Democracy Cell Project, Cities for Peace, MilitaryFreeZone.Org, Operation Ceasefire, United for Peace and Justice, U.S. Tour of Duty, Hip Hop Caucus, Democracy Rising, World Can't Wait, Gold Star Families for Peace, Peace Majority Report, Global Exchange, Bring Them Home Campaign, UP (United Progressives) for Democracy, 20 20 Vision, Impeach Bush Coalition, and Peace Action.