The AFL-CIO officially calls for American Defeat in Iraq. After a few rounds of drinks in comfortable Las Vegas suites, the Executive Council goes on record calling for the cut and run gambit as a way to honor our soldiers.
End Our Military Involvement in Iraq: The president insists we must succeed militarily to establish the conditions for a political settlement. In fact, the reverse is true: Unless there is the political will to stop the violence, there can be no military solution. As such, the U.S. presence only encourages the factions to continue their warfare and serves as a magnet for foreign interference. What is needed is courageous political leadership from the Iraqi government and from the governments of neighboring countries, in a concerted effort to surmount their own considerable differences and to avoid a growing, destructive war which threatens lives and interests across the region.
The union bosses demand the removal of our military from “harm’s way”, which simultaneously concedes there are dangerous warriors in Iraq and denies that the true job of a soldier is precisely to block the efforts of the violent. Good speeches and meetings with the neighbors – yeah, that’s the ticket. Political courage is all that is needed against suicidal killers. Those big bosses sure must believe their bank accounts are safe even if Iran takes over the region.
