global texts
Wednesday, April 02, 2003
KUCINICH: "STOP THIS WAR NOW."
The following is a speech delivered on April 1, 2003, in the U.S. House of Representatives, by Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH). Kucinich has opposed the US/UK invasion of Iraq war more vigorously than the vast majority of his Democratic colleagues in the House. (Indeed, his web site describes the Congressman as "lead[ing the] opposition to the War in Iraq within the House.") He has declared his candidacy for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination. Among those Democrats currently seeking their party's presidential nomination, Kucinich would seem to be the one most opposed to the invasion. In the speech, which is on the web site of his presidential campaign, Kucinich calls for an immediate end to the war. FWIW, I think it's an excellent idea.
"Stop the war now. As Baghdad will be encircled, this is the time to get the UN back in to inspect Baghdad and the rest of Iraq for biological and chemical weapons. Our troops should not have to be the ones who will find out, in combat, whether Iraq has such weapons. Why put our troops at greater risk? We could get the United Nations inspectors back in.
"Stop the war now. Before we send our troops into house-to-house combat in Baghdad, a city of five million people. Before we ask our troops to take up the burden of shooting innocent civilians in the fog of war.
"Stop the war now. This war has been advanced on lie upon lie. Iraq was not responsible for 9/11. Iraq was not responsible for any role al-Qaeda may have had in 9/11. Iraq was not responsible for the anthrax attacks on this country. Iraq did not tried to acquire nuclear weapons technology from Niger. This war is built on falsehood.
"Stop the war now. We are not defending America in Iraq. Iraq did not attack this nation. Iraq has no ability to attack this nation. Each innocent civilian casualty represents a threat to America for years to come and will end up making our nation less safe. The seventy-five billion dollar supplemental needs to be challenged because each dime we spend on this war makes America less safe. Only international cooperation will help us meet the challenge of terrorism. After 9/11 all Americans remember we had the support and the sympathy of the world. Every nation was ready to be of assistance to the United States in meeting the challenge of terrorism. And yet, with this war, we have squandered the sympathy of the world. We have brought upon this nation the anger of the world. We need the cooperation of the world, to find the terrorists before they come to our shores.
"Stop this war now. Seventy-five billion dollars more for war. Three-quarters of a trillion dollars for tax cuts, but no money for veterans ' benefits. Money for war. No money for health care in America, but money for war. No money for social security, but money for war. We have money to blow up bridges over the Tigris and the Euphrates, but no money to build bridges in our own cities. We have money to ruin the health of the Iraqi children, but no money to repair the health of our own children and our educational programs.
"Stop this war now. It is wrong. It is illegal. It is unjust and it will come to no good for this country.
"Stop this war now. Show our wisdom and our humanity, to be able to stop it, to bring back the United Nations into the process. Rescue this moment. Rescue this nation from a war that is wrong, that is unjust, that is immoral.
"Stop this war now".
