Stop the Back Door Draft

November 9th: Action at the Pentagon to Deliver Petitions to Donald Rumsfeld to end the Backdoor Draft.

In July, 2006, 3,500 members of the 172nd Stryker Brigade, poised to return home after a year long deployment, were extended an additional 4 months. In August, 2006, the Marine Corps announced it would be recalling 2,500 inactive reservists to active duty. And in September, 2006, 4,000 soldiers with the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division were extended in Ramadi.

The continuing pattern of extending troops in Iraq; re-deploying troops for second, third, fourth and fifth deployments; stop-lossing servicemen and women who have served their time; and recalling the IRR -- a force that is supposed to be used in times of national emergency, not wars of choice based on lies -- is taking a huge toll on our troops and their families. As the violence continues to escalate, fueled by the on-going U.S. military occupation, the burden of the failures of this Administration is again falling on the troops who have given so much and the families back home who love them.

November 10th: Delivery of petitions to Congress.

We are calling on Congress to show some leadership, take a stand and bring our troops home now. Congress is responsible for allowing the president to take the nation to war, Congress continues to fund the war, and Congress has failed to show leadership and take action to bring the war to an end. Although it is true that the president ordered the troops into Iraq, Congress voted to allow this to happen, and Congress, in the majority, has continued to be complicit with George Bush’s war plan. They have consistently failed to challenge and question his actions, and they have continued to fund a war that needs to end. It is past time for all in Congress to show some courage, speak out and bring our troops home now.