End the War in Iraq – Texans Demand Change

AUSTIN, TX (PRWEB) March 18, 2006 –

On the third anniversary of the start of the current war in Iraq, Texans for Peace reminds the President that he has been wrong from the beginning and “We have been consistent in our position about the events in Iraq, based on first-hand knowledge of the situation there,” said Charlie Jackson who has traveled to Iraq three times during this war.

As evidence of their position, versus that of the Administration, Texans for Peace provided the following excerpts from earlier reports:

•     “Having walked the land, I was very surprised to learn that many of the assumptions and stereotypes that I had about Iraq turned out to be untrue.” – Texas Congressional Leaders Challenged to Visit Iraq, February 11, 2003.
•     “If the U.S. launches a war it can be expected that things may not go according to plans drawn up thousands of miles away from the sands of Iraq.” – The Road to Disaster, March 30, 2003
•     “If we continue to ignore the evidence that is provided by those who truly understand the preeminent issues of the day we will continue to be blindsided by events.” – Washington Turns a Blind Eye to Facts About Iraq, July 4, 2003
•     “Meanwhile, in the sterile corridors of the Pentagon the triumph of victory is heard, drowning out the din of escalating insurgency, continuing horror, and worsening crisis. Despite the fact that the army is stretched razor-thin, the service's top general takes time to find silver in the dross of bloodshed.” – An Appetite for Hell, February 30, 2004
•     “Reconstruction has almost ground to a halt due to increasing violence and daily attacks on soldiers and Iraqis. Security spending is eating into rebuilding budgets and many contractors are afraid to continue their work.” – Winning the Battle but Losing the War, June, 20, 2004.
•     “General consensus is US OUT NOW! Situation continues to get worse here and folks know U.S. could solve things but aren't. They think they could do better and want the US OUT NOW.” Blog from Baghdad, September 24, 2005
•     "No wonder Iraq is such a mess," said my friend Mahmoud as we sat in the family room of his home in Baghdad. "America seems to have few plans for its own people and much less for us." – Progress Slow Coming to Iraq, October 16, 2005

Texans for Peace is demanding an change in the direction of the war in Iraq, including replacement of those who have been in charge with admittedly wrong strategies and tactics. “The only thing that doesn’t make sense is keeping those in charge who made such great mistakes in the past,” says Mr. Jackson.

Texans for Peace has active in the issue of the war in Iraq since Mr. Jackson’s first visit in 2002. They are currently planning a statewide “End the War in Iraq” petition drive in addition to a host of other activities to bring an end to the occupation and return Texas soldiers to their families. More about their activities can be found at http://www.texansforpeace.org and http://www.texansforpeace.org/endthewar    

About Texans for Peace

Texans for Peace (http://www.texansforpeace.org) is the state’s largest peace organization “for Texans who believe in peace and social justice.” Headquartered in Austin, Texans for Peace provides programs, education, and action on a wide range of issues while at the same time working to strengthen peace and nonviolence throughout the state. Although the organization primarily focuses on local issues, Texans for Peace also represents the face of “friendship” (the state motto of Texas) throughout the U.S. and the world.

About Charlie Jackson

Charlie Jackson is a sixth-generation Texan and international technology consultant. He recently returned from his third peace delegation to Iraq with the Christian Peacemaker Teams (http://www.cpt.org), a multi-religious peace organization headquartered in Chicago. He is the founder of Texans for Peace, and supports other national and regional peace organizations.

###