ABC-KGO
By Lyanne Melendez
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Mar. 19 - KGO - Four years ago today, the U.S.-led coalition invaded Iraq. Some 200,000 American troops are still there.
Today, the president issued a plea for patience.
President George W. Bush: “It can be tempting to look at the challenges in Iraq and conclude our best option is to pack up and go home. That may be satisfying in the short run, but I believe the consequences for American security would be devastating.”
President Bush contends if American forces were to step back from Baghdad now, violence could spread across the rest of the country, eventually leaving Iraq as a safe haven for terrorists to plan more attacks against the United States.
Of course, many others see the situation differently, and today’s anniversary is bringing out war activists on both sides.
A cross-covered hillside in Lafayette has become a flashpoint for the war debate. Tonight, war protesters will gather for a candlelight vigil at the crosses, while right across the street, a “Support the Troops” counter-protest will take place — and there are others.
In the past four years we’ve seen a number of demonstrations in the Bay Area. Today’s protests, especially the ones in San Francisco, were intended to send a message to California Democrats, especially House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The message is — we supported you, we elected you, now get us out of this mess.
About 200 people demonstrated against the Iraq War in front of San Francisco’s Federal Building. Among the speakers is Daniel Ellsberg, a former military analyst. In 1971, Ellsberg released the Pentagon Papers to The New York Times, documenting the U.S. military’s activities in Vietnam.
Ellsberg talked to us about the similarities and differences he sees between Vietnam and Iraq.
Daniel Ellsberg, Former Military Analyst: “It’s an un-winnable war. It’s a war we were lied into, that’s exactly like Vietnam. It’s a war of ambushes. The ambushes are in the cities instead of the jungles, that’s a difference. There is a civil war going on much more seriously than was true in Vietnam.”
Anne Roesler’s son fought in Iraq for two years. She wants Congress to vote against the emergency spending bill to cover the cost of the war. President Bush is asking for $93.4 billion dollars.
Anne Roesler, Military Families Speak Out: “They’ve got to stop funding the war. It’s the only power that the Congress has, the power of the purse, they need to use it.”
The Democrats’ war spending bill includes a troop withdrawal deadline of September 1, 2008.
This afternoon, Anne and other military families took their message to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. They were arrested outside Pelosi’s San Francisco office for refusing to leave. Cell phone pictures were given to ABC7 News by one of those being taken away.
There were more arrests. This time in front of the building where Senator Dianne Feinstein has her office.
So far in the last four years, the Pentagon says 3,197 U.S. soldiers have been killed in Iraq. The Defense Department does not release the number of Iraqis killed, but an independent London-based group called Iraq Body Count puts the number of Iraqi civilians killed between 59,000 and 65,000.
Copyright 2007, ABC7/KGO-TV/DT.