SACRAMENTO CITY COUNCIL RAYMOND L. TRETHEWAY, III COUNCILMEMBER DISTRICT ONE
CITY OF SACRAMENTO
CALIFORNIA
CITY HALL 915 I STREET SACRAMENTO, CA 95814-2672 District One PH 916-808-7001 FAX 916-264-7680
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 1, 2005
CONTACT: Daniel Roth (916) 808-7339
SACRAMENTO CITY COUNCIL CALLS FOR WITHDRAWAL OF AMERICAN TROOPS FROM IRAQ
SACRAMENTO—Joining over 100 American cities, Sacramento passed a resolution Tuesday night urging President Bush and the United States Congress to commence a humane, orderly, rapid and comprehensive withdrawal of United States military personnel and bases from Iraq. In addition, the resolution called on President Bush and Congress to provide promised veterans’ health, education, disability, and rehabilitation benefits, and otherwise meet the needs of returning veterans. The resolution, sponsored by Councilmembers Ray Tretheway and Lauren Hammond, passed the council on an 8 to 1 vote. “As a Vietnam Veteran I strongly admire the courage of the over 1 million American military personnel, including Sacramento city staff and residents, who have served in the war in Iraq,” said Councilmember Tretheway. “They have faced extraordinary danger, and four soldiers from our city have made the ultimate sacrifice in this war. However, we have waged this war for three years without an exit strategy, and we must not continue to fight with no end in sight. The council tonight joined voices with leaders from throughout the United States and the world to send a message that the killing in Iraq must stop, and our troops must return home.” According to the Department of Defense, the war and military occupation of Iraq have cost the lives of over 2,000 U.S. soldiers, as well as wounding and disabling over 15,000 troops. The United States government estimates over 25,000 Iraqi civilians have died since the war began. “The White House should follow this sound advice: Victory means exit strategy, and it's important for the president to explain to us what the exit strategy is,” Tretheway continued. “That's not the statement of a Democratic Senator or prominent Iraq war opponent. It was said in April 1999, in reference to President Clinton's military intervention in Kosovo, by a Republican governor named George W. Bush.” ###