By Ann Wright, Colonel, US Army Reserves (retired)
US Congressman John Conyers said in Pontiac, Michigan, on August 28, 2007 that, while Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi may have impeachment off her table, he has NOT put impeachment off HIS table!
At a gathering of over 500 citizens of the Detroit and Pontiac, Michigan area gathered to “Take a Stand” against the war on Iraq sponsored by Iraq Summer, Conyers, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said that citizens must bring to an end “sad and tragic war.”
Conyers said that citizens must reject the “imperial” government of the Bush administration. Conyers listed torture, Geneva Convention violations, abuse of national security letters, and voters’ rights violations as parts of the “imperial system,” and that members of the administration have “inherent contempt” for the Congress. Conyers said he has no reticence or reluctance to “use the tool of impeachment,” when he “feels it is appropriate.”
I spoke to the gathering prior to Congressman Conyers. I called for accountability for the invasion and occupation of an Arab, Muslim, oil-rich country that had not attacked the United States and for other Bush crimes such as torture, kidnapping, illegal detention and warrant less wiretapping. I said accountability for illegal actions is critically important to our country as if the Bush administration escapes accountability, future administrations will attempt to do the same.
I asked Congressman Conyers to “Take a Stand” for accountability for the deaths of 3760 US military and 1000 US civilian contractors killed in Iraq, for the 700,000 Iraqis killed in the US occupation of Iraq and for the 770 persons imprisoned for almost 6 years in Guantanamo with only one charged and convicted by the US military commission.
I emphasized that investigations of allegations of criminal actions by President Bush and Vice-President Cheney were the right of citizens, that investigations that could lead to impeachment, were a part of the US Constitution that could not be taken away by individual Congressmen or women.
And, I reminded Congressman Conyers that I was one of 400 persons who came to his office on July 23 and one of 47 who were arrested in his office when he would not agree to consider initiating investigations on articles of impeachment. Conyers has said frequently that “we don’t want to jeopardize the 2008 elections with impeachment” and “we don’t have time before the 2008 for impeachment.”
I also promised to organize the “protection of the House Judiciary committee” if Nancy Pelosi attempted to take the chairmanship of the Judiciary committee from Conyers if he initiated investigations for possible impeachment.
The 500 citizens in the audience were committed to putting further pressure on the Congress for ending the war on Iraq and were enthusiastic about holding the Bush administration accountable for its crimes through impeachment.
September is a critical month for ending the war. We need as many people as can come to Washington to put pressure on the Congress to end the war and to impeach those in high offices who have broken domestic and international law. The Petraus/Crocker/White House report will be presented in mid-September, marches will be on September 15 and 29. The Iraq Moratorium Day is September 21. Come help in DC!!!
STOP THE WAR and Demand Accountability through IMPEACHMENT!
About the Author: Ann Wright is a retired US Army Reserves Colonel and a US diplomat who resigned in March, 2003 in opposition to the war on Iraq. She served in US Embassies Nicaragua, Grenada, Somalia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Sierra Leone, Micronesia and Mongolia. She was on the team that reopened the US Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan in December, 2001. She is the co-author of “Dissent: Voices of Conscience” which will be published in October, 2007.