US anti-war activist visits region

By Gaith S

When the war against Iraq started in March 2003, a minority often labeled unpatriotic, sprouted throughout the US. But with the war stretching into its 4th year, the US public’s rejection of war and its support of anti-war activism have been on the rise, according to retired US Colonel Ann Wright.

 “With the US death toll in Iraq in the raise and the raise of cost of the war –over $300 billion- the public in the US is with us” Said Wright in a press conference held in Amman last Saturday. She added “when the war started in the US media the voice of those who against the war was marginalized, despite the propaganda by the Bush administration, now the mood has changed in favor of ending the occupation.”

 Geoffery Millard a US soldier who is a member of Iraq Veterans Against the War a US organization said “ this was in Iraq is not popular with the American soldier, 8,000 from national Guard deserted, and 15,000 from active duty deserted,” according to him a pull done by Zoughbi institute showed that 70% of US soldiers in Iraq want the war to end before the end of the year.

 Wright and Millard is part of a group of Americans representing anti war US NGOs who visited Jordan during their regional visit that also includes Syria and Lebanon, they met earlier with Iraqi delegation in Jordan including 7 Iraqi parliament representatives where they explored ways to end the occupation of Iraq.

 Medea Benjamin a founding director of human rights organization Global Exchange said “we need to get a proposal for reconciliation in Iraq, which we need to push with the congress, and put a schedule for US to leave Iraq, with no US bases, and to make the US pay for reconstruction.”

The groups of anti war Americans met with Iraq delegations in Jordan not in Iraq because it is according to Benjamin “it is too dangerous in Iraq.”

 Dr. Jabor Habeb Jaber Iraqi Parliament member from Al Etelaf  board قائمة الأتلاف--said” we had meetings with anti war NGOs representative and some anti-war congressmen from the Democrat party where we discussed with them that all US soldiers need to

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