Summer 2014
Washington, DC – The Jewish War Veterans of the USA
(JWV) demands that no troops be put on the ground in Iraq to combat its
widening civil war. We are not Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s private
army to be turned on and off when Iraqi troops desert the defense of
their own nation.
Militant forces of the Islamic State of Iraq and the
Levant (ISIS), an offshoot of al-Qaeda which has been exerting influence
and have been victorious in the ongoing conflicts in Iraq, Syria, and
Lebanon, by driving Iraq into sectarian chaos and war based on religious
differences. This week, they took over Mosul, the second largest city
in Iraq, with minimal opposition and have now set their sights on the
capital of Baghdad.
JWV fully supports the Obama Administration’s decision
to provide assistance to Iraq’s government as they work to stop the
insurgency, but that support must not include sending our servicemembers
back on the ground into Iraq. We must also evaluate and possibly
enhance the Kurds or other possible potential allies in stabilizing the
Middle East.
Of equal and sometimes even more prominent concern must
be Pakistan with its nuclear capability. At this point, the entire
Middle East is in a state of flux, not just Iraq, and our reaction must
be reevaluated to encompass that concern.
When the U.S. left the region in 2011, it was clear that
the Iraqis had no political interest in maintaining an American
presence in the region. Now is definitely not the time to reenter the
fray. If the Iraqi people won’t defend themselves, then we must consider
the needs and the results of any intervention and the how and where of
it. We must act with responsibility to America’s global security
interests.
Further, given the problems currently facing the
Department of Veterans Affairs it is clear that our government is and
has not been prepared to properly aid the men and women who risk their
lives in service to our nation, and instead lets them return to a nation
which unintentionally or otherwise is unwilling to heal their wounds.
As Secretary of State John Kerry said back in January,
“this is a fight that belongs to the Iraqis.” The United States should
fully support any military aid that can help the Iraqis fight off ISIS,
but ultimately and actually it is their fight to maintain control over
their country.
About Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America
Founded in 1896, the Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America
is one of oldest active veterans’ organizations in America. JWV is
dedicated to upholding America’s democratic traditions and fighting
bigotry, prejudice, injustice, and discrimination of all kinds. As a
national organization, JWV represents the voice of America’s Jewish
veterans on issues related to veterans’ benefits, foreign policy, and
national security. JWV also commits itself to the assistance of
oppressed Jews worldwide.
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