5 Years in Iraq

Five years ago today, President Bush lied to the nation and sent our troops to invade Iraq on the basis of that lie. Five years later, and what do we have to show for it?

• More than 1 million Iraqis dead
• Nearly 4,000 U.S. service people killed
• 2 million Iraqis living as refugees in other countries
• 2.5 million displaced within Iraq
• More than 1 trillion dollars spent

A new poll shows that seven out of ten Iraqis want foreign forces out of their country. Although some areas are indeed less violent since the surge in troop levels (certainly a larger number of troops has successfully overpowered the insurgents — but is this really a long-term solution?), the reality of life for most Iraqis is bleak, to say the least:

A quarter of those surveyed said they had lost a family member to murder. In Baghdad, that figure rose to nearly half (45 percent).

Some 81 percent had suffered power cuts and 43 percent had experienced drinking water shortages. In the last month, more than a quarter (28 percent) had been short of food.

You can make a difference. Call your Representatives and Senators, contact your candidate of choice for President — be it Clinton, Obama, McCain, or Cynthia McKinney and — insist that the Iraq War be addressed.

If ever there was a time for us to come together and unite behind one cause, folks, this is it.