USLAW protest US attack on Iraq Freedom Congress

Dear Ambassador Khalizad, and Secretaries Rice and Rumsfeld:

On September 7 and 8, 2006, members of the U.S. military participated
in an aggressive armed raid on the offices of the Iraq Freedom
Congress in Baghdad. During that raid, U.S. military personnel and
others operating with them or at their direction ransacked the
office, destroyed furniture and equipment, and confiscated records
and documents.

The Iraq Freedom Congress is a respected popular civil society
organization that is committed to non-violent methods in support of a
united democratic secular Iraq in which Iraqis can exercise their
sovereignty free of violence, militarism, ethnic and religious
intolerance, and all foreign interference. The IFC includes
participants from across Iraq's civil society, including members from
a number of Iraqi unions, women's organizations, and distinguished
academics and professionals.

This raid is an affront to all those who cherish peace and democracy
for Iraq. It makes a mockery of the stated goal of the United States
to foster and promote democracy and freedom in Iraq.

U.S. Labor Against the War, a network of more than 140 unions, labor
councils, state federations, and other labor organizations with
millions of members vigorously protests this violation of the rights
of Iraqis. We demand that commanding officers and all others
responsible for this outrage against peace, democracy and freedom be
held to account, that a public apology be issued to the IFC, all
records and other property be promptly returned, and compensation be
paid for all damages the IFC suffered.

Democracy will never be established in Iraq at the barrel of a U.S.
gun. Real security for the Iraqis and for the rest of the world can
not be established by military means. We join with the majority of
the people of the U.S., the more than 80% of Iraqis, and 72% of U.S.
troops in Iraq who, when polled, call for the U.S. and all other
foreign troops to be withdrawn from Iraq. All U.S. bases and other
military facilities should be dismantled and abandoned. All U.S.
troops should be immediately returned to their families, homes and
jobs in the U.S. The national treasure now being squandered on the
military occupation of Iraq should be redirected to reparations to
the Iraqis for the destruction our military has wrought and to
meeting the human needs of the people of the U.S. and the world.

Yours truly,
/s/
Gene Bruskin, Maria Guillen, Fred Mason, Bob Muehlenkamp, Nancy Wohlforth
Co-Convenors