New Broom Coalition

17 Million Reasons Why Judy Biggert and the Majority of Congress Just Signed another Blank Check for Bush's Illegal Occupation

For Immediate Release:
Friday, June 20, 2008

Contact:
Patrick Kelly
Steve Alesch for Congress Campaign Director
773-203-9631
campaign.director@votesteve.org

AJ Segneri
Steve Alesch for Congress Media Director
media.director@votesteve.org

Warrenville, IL – Illinois 13th Congressional Green Party candidate
Steve Alesch denounced his opponent, Judy Biggert, today for voting to
continue to fund the illegal occupation and pillaging of Iraq.

"Unfortunately, there are 17 million reasons why this illegal occupation
continues and both Democrats and Republicans in Congress today
overwhelmingly voted to give President Bush yet another $162 billion, to
perpetuate the carnage indefinitely in Iraq and Afghanistan, without any
requirements to ever end the illegal occupation in Iraq.", said Mr. Alesch.

"$17 million dollars is the amount of legal bribes handed over to the US
Congress by corporations every day. In exchange, along with this bill,
HR 2642, Congress has now provided President Bush with over 650 billion
dollars of taxpayers' money to fund the illegal occupation. Who
benefits? Those same corporations...

The oil and mercenary industries along with the entire military
industrial complex are enjoying record profits when at the same time:
- Over 4,100 US soldiers are dead
- Over 29,900 US Soldiers are wounded
- Over 1.2 million Iraqis are dead
- The Red Cross announced Monday, March 17, 2008 that the humanitarian
situation in Iraq is among the most critical in the world:
+ Over 4.7 million Iraqi refugees have fled their homes and are afraid
or unable to return (the US has accepted only about 100 into our country)
+ Over 1.6 million Iraqi children abandoned
+ Over 20 million Iraqis are without functioning water or sanitary
facilities
+ Iraq's healthcare is the worst that it has EVER been
- Over $529 billion already squandered, wasted, and war profiteered in
Iraq - which is equivalent to the cost of over 21.4 million American
College educations
- And Congressperson Biggert (Mr. Alesch's Republican opponent) and
President Bush's fiscal irresponsibility is driving the country into a
deep recession"

Alesch also remarked, "Considering the recent report from the Senate
Intelligence Committee that shows how the Bush Administration used
misleading, even fabricated, intelligence to justify the invasion of
Iraq, it borders on a war crime to continue to fund the illegal occupation."

Congressional Candidate Alesch said what he and the Green Party would do
different from the two corporate controlled parties and their
candidates, including McCain, Obama, and Biggert is:
- We accept NO corporate campaign contributions, allowing us to work
full time for "we the people"
- Opposed illegally and immorally invading Iraq over 5 years ago, prior
to the invasion
- Oppose continuing to fund the illegal occupation
- Oppose pillaging Iraq by attempting to force the Iraqi government to
pass so called "oil sharing" laws that would guarantee US and British
oil companies obscene profits for the next 30 years amounting to 70% of
all Iraqi oil profits, which is unprecedented throughout the rest of the
Middle East
- Support closing the over 30 permanent military bases that are next to
the major oil wells
- Support closing the green zone
- Support closing the Iraqi embassy, the largest embassy in the world,
larger than Vatican City and large enough to provide residence for
30,000 people. We would replace it with an appropriately sized embassy,
if the US is welcomed by the Iraqi people.
- Support bringing home, in addition to the over 140,000 US troops, also
the over 180,000 US contractors, like Halliburton, and mercenaries, like
Blackwater

Candidate Alesch further said, "I and other Greens recognize that this
illegal occupation and pillaging of Iraq is generating more terrorism in
the world and has done tremendous harm to the world's goodwill towards
the US."

Alesch stated "As soon as I am elected I will draft legislation to begin
the end of the illegal occupation and pillaging of Iraq immediately
- I support giving Iraqis their country back within 3 to 6 months
- After 3 to 6 months all troops, contractors, and mercenaries will be
out of Iraq
- All 30 or more military bases, green zone, and the obscene 30,000
person embassy will be closed
- Iraqi's would own 100% of their oil indefinitely
- I would support the US apologizing and providing reparations to the
people of Iraq for the illegal and immoral invasion, occupation, and
pillaging of their sovereign country"

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Steve Alesch for Congress (IL 13)
http://www.votesteve.org

Senate Intelligence Committee Unveils Final Phase II Reports on Prewar
Iraq Intelligence
http://intelligence.senate.gov/press/record.cfm?id=298775

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