Anti-War Americans for Edwards

Senator John Edwards calls on Congress to cap funding and end the war by 2008
Edwards believes Bush is acting without authorization
Senator John Edwards believes that every day this war goes on it is worse for Iraq, worse for our troops and worse for our country. We cannot wait for the next president to end the war in 2009, we must act today.
Edwards vision to end the war?
Edwards has issued a comprehensive proposal to end the war in Iraq—starting today: It calls on Congress to use its funding power to block President Bush's escalation, immediately begin withdrawing troops by capping funding and requiring complete withdrawal of all combat troops in 12 to 18 months.
Edwards believes that the only solution to the situation in Iraq is a political solution, which requires all the parties in Iraq to take responsibility for the future of their country. Only when American combat troops leave Iraq will the Iraqi people, regional powers, and the entire international community be forced to find an inclusive political solution to end the sectarian violence and stabilize the nation.
Edwards' plan for Iraq calls for Congress to:
Cap Funds: Cap funding for the troops in Iraq at 100,000 troops to stop the surge and implement an immediate drawdown of 40-50,000 combat troops. Any troops beyond that level should be redeployed immediately.
Support the Troops: Prohibit funding to deploy any new troops to Iraq that do not meet real readiness standards and that have not been properly trained and equipped, so American tax dollars are used to train and equip our troops, instead of escalating the war.
Require Authorization: Make it clear that President Bush is conducting this war without authorization. The 2002 authorization did not give President Bush the power to use U.S. troops to police a civil war. President Bush exceeded his authority long ago, and now needs to end the war and ask Congress for new authority to manage the withdrawal of the U.S. military presence and to help Iraq achieve stability.
End the War: Require a complete withdrawal of combat troops in Iraq in 12 to 18 months without leaving behind any permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq. In addition, Edwards believes stabilizing Iraq requires a major diplomatic effort to:
- Engage in direct talks with all the nations in the region, including Iran and Syria
- Support a political solution to the sectarian violence inside Iraq, including through convening a multi-party peace conference.
Edwards also believes the United States must intensify its efforts to train the Iraqi security forces.