CONG. PETER ROSKAM'S FEBRUARY, 2009 REPORT CARD ON MIDDLE EAST WARS

March 7, 2009

Congressman Peter Roskam
150 S. Bloomingdale Road, Suite 200
Bloomingdale, IL 60108

Dear Congressman Roskam,

Does the four hundred millions of dollars you support and authorize spending daily on our military conquests of Iraq and Afghanistan do anything to reverse the downward slide of America into economic chaos? We know that money gets tens of thousands of American soldiers temporary employment till they are killed, wounded, injured or mentally broken in spirit. That is not the employment we need to reverse our descent to becoming a third rate economic power, Congressman.

Do you know that the 143 military suicides last year represent the highest rate ever? Could it be that this escalating suicide rate has to do with the inevitable realization by these mostly young, impressionable and wonderful men and women that they were lied to and manipulated by their government into being a pre-emptive invading force on a mission of conquest? How many of your friends, family, neighbors and constituents have you urged to sign up to serve as canon-fodder for these missions launched largely by your party when in power, with sadly, sufficient support from my party to pull them off?

I ask these questions, Congressman, because a monthly review of your website: www.roskam.house.gov is utterly and bizarrely silent on this issue which must be addressed as it is part of our ongoing economic meltdown. There is no issue on the Iraq war. There is no issue on the Afghanistan war. But there is an issue entitled: War on Terror. Sir, haven’t you heard yet, that most of the world has dropped that slogan invented by the Bush administration after 911 to gear up for their pre-emptive wars, as being utterly irrelevant to achieving real security from extremism? Any what exactly does your web page for War on Terror offer your constituents?

Let’s take a peek.

War on TerrorRelated Documents:

Article - Vietnam War Hero Gets Dog Tags Back After 40 Years 9.23.2008 Article - Vet Gets Dog Tags Back 40 Years Later 9.23.2008 Press Release - CONGRESSMAN ROSKAM STATEMENT ON 7th ANNIVERSARY OF THE ATTACKS OF 9/11 9.11.2008 Press Release - ROSKAM & KIRK CALL ON BLAGOJEVICH TO END ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION OPEN DOOR POLICY IN IL 7.31.2008 Article - Roskam visits Mexican border, holds 'Tele-Town Hall' meeting 7.31.2008 More Documents...
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Is that all we get from you for the four hundred million dollars you authorize daily for these self destructive wars? If so, you should be ashamed.

Sir, until you address this catastrophic waste of money in which the American death toll is approaching 5,000 and the Middle East death toll in Iraq, Afghanistan and now Pakistan is over a million, your call for spending restraint in the re-building of America rings hollow. You’ve got a good paying job for life which allows you to preach pro-life and fiscally conservative policies. You’ve got the best health care our tax dollars can buy while hundreds of thousands of your fellow citizens are losing theirs every month.

Just about all that is left for them is to sign up with Uncle Sam and see the Middle East.

Respectfully yours,



Walt Zlotow
IL Sixth District Resident

THREE LITTLE WORDS

"Mr. President, do you know of any country in the Middle East that has nuclear weopons?"

"With respect to nuclear weapons, I don't want to speculate."

Helen Thomas, the 88 year old legendary reporter who asked the question, knew full well the answer was yes and that the caretaker of those 150 or so WMD is Israel.

Barack Obama, the 47 year old charismatic President who responded, also knew full well the answer. What the President did was lie in accordance with US policy with respect to Israel's nuclear arsenal. This governmental policy lie is needed to circumvent the Symington Amendment (1976) to the Arms Export Control Act which forbids most military and economic assistance to countries trafficing in nuclear enrichment equipment or technology outside of international safeguards. Israel was able to develop nuclear weapons because it has never signed or cooperated with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Israel is the largest recipient of American aid, some of which they used to reign down on a million and a half Palestinians packed into the Gaza Strip, in their frightful bombardment which killed and wounded thousands of the folks the world has forgot.

While the rest of the world views our self serving denial of Israel's nuclear weapons with puzzlement, it took another octogenarian, 84 year old former President Jimmy Carter, to be the highest profile American to openly admit knowledge of Israel's nuclear arsenal at a public policy conference nine months ago.

the current Oval Office occupant has also made a pact with the Devil when it comes to our needless and self destructive Middle East wars. He is considering two options to extend the illegal Iraq occupation beyond the 16 months he promised during the campaign. He is nearly ferocious in this desire to funnel tens of thousands more cannon fodder in the graveyard of empires known as Afghanistan.

Admittedly, Obama has a full plate fending off the No Investment-Tax Cut Only crowd to get a desperately needed stimulus package pumping life support into our collapsing economy. Taking on the Military-Industrial Complex and the Israel Lobby may to too much reality and truth to expect from him this early on. Hopefully, he won't wait till he's safely in his eighties to begin telling the truth about what really ails America.

To those of us who need one word to describe our pre-emptive wars and one-sided backing of a nation gobbling up Palestinian land: madness; the Military-Industrial Complex and the Israel Lobby require three: business as usual.

Originally published in the Daily Herald, March 5, 2009

EIGHT IS ENOUGH

Former Vice President Dick Cheney apparently believes the best defense is a good offence.

That defense is needed because humanitarians and believers in international law in the US and around the world would like to see Mr. Cheney brought to justice for launching criminal, pre-emptive war against Iraq and implementing a policy of kidnapping, secret rendition and torture against folks his administration believed to be enemies of the state.

Rather than lay low as might be expected, Cheney has doubled down on his wrongdoing by not only publicly defending his actions, but actually warning that the Obama administration's move away from such repulsive tactics will make it more likely terrorists will again strike America. One can almost see Cheney's thought process at work: "If America is attacked, all my criminal conduct will be overshadowed by my foresight in championing extra-legal tactics."

The simple truth is Mr. Cheney should look in a mirror if he wants to view the primary official responsible for the only foreign terrorist attack on America in this century. In his first year in office, Cheney oversaw a foreign policy that sidetracked the focus on al Qaeda which may well have led to success of the 911 attacks. To cover up his negligence Cheney was probably the strongest proponent of pre-emptive war, which besides squandering over three trillion dollars when the final bill is paid and killing upwards of a million people, has arguably made America less safe.

If America doesn't have the moral courage to bring Mr. Cheney and his war party of Donald Rumsfeld, Condoleezza Rice and President Bush to account for their criminality, the least it should do is ignore him.