"Do we really want to occupy Iraq for the next 30
years?...In Japan, American occupation forces quickly
became 50,000 friends. In Iraq, they would quickly
become 50,000 terrorist targets.... Nations such as
China can only view the prospect of an American
military consumed for the next generation by the
turmoil of the Middle East as a glorious windfall.”
-James Webb, former Sec. of Navy under Ronald Reagan,
Decorated Marine Veteran - Navy Cross, Silver Star,
and Purple Heart.


“...a growing number of military officers,
intelligence professionals and diplomats ... privately
have deep misgivings about the administration's
double-time march toward war...”Analysts at the
working level in the intelligence community are
feeling very strong pressure from the Pentagon to cook
the intelligence books," said one official, speaking
on condition of anonymity. A dozen other officials
echoed his views .... No one who was interviewed
disagreed.”
Philadelphia Inquirer, October 28, 2002


"If we go in (to Iraq) unilaterally, or without the
full weight of international organizations behind us,
if we go in with a very sparse number of allies, if we
go in without an effective information operation
...we're liable to supercharge recruiting for al-Qaida"
Gen. Wesley Clark, former NATO Supreme Commander



"It's pretty interesting that all the generals see it
the same way, and all the others who have never fired
a shot, and are hot to go to war, see it another,...We
are about to do something that will ignite a fuse in
this region that we will rue the day we ever
started..” Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni, former Head of
Central Command for U.S.Forces in the Middle East



“Should the president decide to stay the war course,
hopefully at least a few of our serving topuniformed
leaders – those who are now covertly leaking that war
with Iraq will be an unparalleled disaster – will do what many Vietnam-era generals wish they would have done: stand tall and publicly tell the America people the truth about another bad war that could well lead to another died-in-vain
black wall. Or even worse.”
Col. David Hackworth (ret), America’s most highly decorated soldier.


"Baghdad for now appears to be drawing a line short of
conducting terrorist attacks with conventional
or CBW (Chemical and Biological Weapons) against the
United States. Should Saddam conclude that
a U.S.-led attack could no longer be deterred he
probably would become much less constrained in
adopting terrorist actions."
Central Intelligence Agency Director George Tenet
October 2002


“Mr. President, ...The candidate we supported in 2000
promised a more humble nation in our dealings
with the world. We gave him our votes and our campaign
contributions. That candidate was you. We feel
betrayed. We want our money back. We want our country
back.... A Billion Bitter enemies will rise out of this war.”
“A Republican Dissent on Iraq”,
Full page ad in Wall Street Journal by major GOP
contributors Wall Street Journal, January 13, 2003

“..analysts at the Central Intelligence Agency have
complained that senior administration officials
have exaggerated the significance of some intelligence
reports about Iraq, particularly about its possible
links to terrorism, in order to strengthen their political argument for war...At the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, some investigators said they were
baffled by the Bush administration's insistence on a
solid link between Iraq and Osama bin Laden's network.
"We've been looking at this hard for more than a year and you know what, we just don't think it's there," a government official said.”
The New York Times, Feb. 2, 2003


Initial deployment of troops: $9 billion to $13 billion
Conducting the war: $6 billion to $9 billion per month
Returning forces to US: $5 billion to $7 billion
Temporary occupation of Iraq: $1 billion to $4 billion
per month
Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimates


The United State’s catastrophic failure in Vietnam
took place when political aims superceded the counsel
of military and intelligence professionals.
Is History now repeating itself? We are Midland
citizens who support our military personnel, and
believe that we must not abuse their trust by sending
them to an unjustified war. If you, too, have doubts about our rush to war in Iraq, join us in silent vigil on February 13, 5 pm, at the Midland County Courthouse.