Greens Criticize Democrats on Iraq

WASHINGTON, DC -- Green Party leaders reaffirmed the party's support for impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney and demand for immediate withdrawal of US forces from Iraq, and sharply criticized Democratic Party leaders for retreating on impeachment and troop withdrawal.

Greens also demanded that Congress act to repeal President Bush's July 17 executive order titled "Blocking Property of Certain Persons Who Threaten Stabilization Efforts in Iraq," which effectively outlaws antiwar protest by allowing the White House to confiscate the financial assets of anyone who openly opposes the war.

• Carl Romanelli, Pennsylvania Green candidate for the US Senate in 2006: "Democrats are pretending to be the party of opposition to the Bush agenda. They have pretended to oppose the war, while joining Republicans in Congress to pass recent legislation for renewed war funding. They refuse to consider impeachment for the Bush Administration's numerous high crimes and misdemeanors. Much of the Bush agenda will remain in place even if Democrats retake the White House and prevail again in Congress in 2008. The only hope for changing the political direction of our country is for the Green Party to advance, with a few Green victories for congressional seats. Voters who support troop withdrawal and impeachment are throwing away their votes if they vote Democrat in 2008."

• Daniel Brezenoff, Green candidate for Congress in California's 37th District : "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other top Democrats have opposed the Iraq War only in their rhetoric. They've ignored widespread public demands for a rapid pullout of US troops, and only favor bills for delayed withdrawal plans and leaving some troops in Iraq to protect US interests. Democratic leaders have endorsed benchmarks like passage of the Iraqi oil law, which would place 2/3 of Iraq's oil resources under the control of ExxonMobil, ChevronTexaco, BP, and other western corporations. Rep. Pelosi and her fellow Dems know that these companies will need a strong US military presence in Iraq as they plunder Iraq's oil reserves. Greens have declared their support for Iraqi labor unions and the tens of thousands of Iraqis calling for defeat of the oil law and an end to the US occupation."

• Sedinam Kinamo Christin Moyowasifza-Curry, Green vice presidential hopeful for 2008: "Despite direct entreaties by Cindy Sheehan, Greens, and other antiwar Americans, Rep. John Conyers [Mich.], Rep. Nancy Pelosi [Calif.], and other Democratic leaders are refusing to initiate impeachment proceedings against President Bush and Vice President Cheney. Democrats are rebuffing the call to hold Bush and Cheney accountable for some of the most worst abuses of power in US history. The Democrats' refusal to impeach can only mean acquiescence to the Bush-Cheney-Rove crimes. That's why we Greens have taken the lead, on projects like the opening of the National Impeachment Center in Los Angeles , to ensure the American people have a place, program, and plan to get heard. Some Green Party members have joined Cindy Sheehan in peaceful civil disobedience, for which they were arrested on Monday. In December, 2006, the Green Party endorsed an impeachment motion introduced in the House by Rep. Cynthia McKinney [D-Ga.] ."

• Peter L. Thottam, Executive Director of the Los Angeles National Impeachment Center , former Green candidate for the California Assembly: "The National Impeachment Center is appalled by Speaker Pelosi's and Congressman Conyers' categorical rejection of a growing majority of American voters, a majority of whom are now insisting that Congress fulfill its constitutional oversight responsibilities and begin immediate hearings on impeaching Bush and Cheney. We are now calling upon American citizens everywhere not to fund or support any elected officials who do not endorse HR 333 and/or the impeachment of Bush and Cheney."

• Kristen Olson, co-chair of the Green Party of the United States: "Why have Congress members who claim to oppose the Iraq War remained silent on President Bush's July 17 executive order giving the White House the authority to confiscate the assets of whoever engages in antiwar activity? The order potentially criminalizes anyone who protests the war. For instance, language targeting of persons who undermine "efforts to promote economic reconstruction" can be used against anyone who criticizes the Iraq oil law, enabling the pillage of Iraqi oil by US and UK oil companies. The executive order is a vicious assault on the US Constitution. We demand that Congress act to overturn the order immediately."

MORE INFORMATION

Green Party of the United States
http://www.gp.org
202-319-7191, 866-41GREEN
Fax 202-319-7193
• Green Party News Center http://www.gp.org/newscenter.shtml
• Green Party Speakers Bureau http://www.gp.org/speakers
• 2007 national Green Party meeting in Reading, Pa.: video footage, blog and media coverage http://www.gp.org/meeting2007/

Green Party Peace Action Committee (GPAX)
http://www.gp.org/committees/peace/

Presidential Executive Order: Blocking Property of Certain Persons Who Threaten Stabilization Efforts in Iraq
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/07/20070717-3.html
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/07/20070717-4.html

"Iraq War is Impeachable, Not Just a 'Strategic Blunder'"
Green Party press release, February 20, 2007
http://www.gp.org/press/pr_2007_02_20.shtml

Impeachment resolution passed at Green Party National Meeting, July 2003
http://www.gp.org/position/st_2003_07_impeach.shtml

"Impeachment now -- as a defensive tactic"
By Alan Kobrin [Florida Green Party], OpEdNews.com, July 19, 200
http://www.opednews.com

"Bush Executive Order: Criminalizing the Antiwar Movement"
By Prof. Michel Chossudovsky, Global Research, July 20, 2007
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=6377