U.S. soldiers petition for withdrawal

WASHINGTON — Several hundred U.S. soldiers have signed a petition appealing for a withdrawal from Iraq, which will be presented to Congress in January, campaign organizers announced on Monday, November 6.

“As a patriotic American proud to serve the nation in uniform, I respectfully urge my political leaders in Congress to support the prompt withdrawal of all American military forces and bases from Iraq. Staying in Iraq will not work and is not worth the price. It is time for U.S. troops to come home,” reads the text, published on the website www.appealforredress.org.

The campaign was launched on the initiative of active-duty soldiers based in Norfolk, Virginia, and the petition is sponsored by anti-war organizations such as Iraq Veterans Against the War, Veterans for Peace and Military Families Speak Out, according to the website.

The petition is receiving media coverage at a time when the war is the top issue on the minds of U.S. citizens leading up to mid-term elections on Thursday. The Republican Party of President George W. Bush could lose its majority in Congress.