CPT Net – 2005-12-17 11:27:43

(December 17, 2005) — Background: President Bush will be making a rare address from the Oval Office this Sunday at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time to address the nation about how the US war effort should proceed in Iraq.

Based on CPT’s on-the-ground work in Iraq, the Iraq team would like the President to know what team members have observed and the appropriate steps they and the CPT constituency think he should take toward ending violence and human rights abuses in Iraq.

The Iraq team has observed the following with respect to the presence of US and Multinational Forces in Iraq:

· Loss of faith and trust in the United States government by both Iraqis and Americans

• Absence of security

• Iraqi and American injuries and deaths

• Lack of basic services

• Limited reconstruction

• Continued bombing of civilians

• Kidnapping, torture and extrajudicial deaths

• Continued illegal detentions

• Continued mass arrests, house raids and theft of personal property

• Alienation of Iraqi people and of the Muslim world

• Growing number of people in the international community who perceive the United States as the enemy because of our policies and actions in Iraq

• Please e-mail President George W. Bush at
comments@whitehouse.gov
• Please e-mail Vice-President Richard Cheney at
vice_president@whitehouse.gov

• Please copy your members of congress by going to
http://capwiz.com/fconl/home and entering your zip code.

• For those of you outside the US, please e-mail your US embassy
(http://usembassy.state.gov/)

The following is a sample of text you might use:

“Based on reports from Christian Peacemaker Teams in Iraq, I know that you have failed in your stated goals of bringing peace and true democracy to Iraq. In light of your upcoming speech Sunday, December 18, I make the following recommendations:

1. Clearly state your intention to withdraw all US troops and military bases promptly

2. Recognize the human rights of all people of Iraq by:

• Withdrawing US troops from urban areas immediately

• Stopping US bombing

• Providing sufficient funds to the Iraqi people to rebuild basic infrastructure

• Ending illegal detentions and torture in US detention facilities both in Iraq and in locations outside Iraq

• Ensuring a fair and speedy judicial process for detainees held in US facilities

• Using diplomatic means to pressure the Iraqi government to take corresponding actions regarding detainees held in Iraqi detention facilities

• Using diplomatic means to pressure the Iraqi Ministry of Interior to end the use of government sponsored commando units and extrajudicial killings

Although this post does not mention the four Christian Peace Team captives in Iraq, who may still be alive, please ask Bush to pray for their safety in his speech tonight. He does not love the Christian Peace Teams, as they are so critical of his policies, but surely, if he is at all a Christian as he claims, Bush must recognize that they are following the Prince of Peace, and deserve his prayers.