Week 10: The Petraeus Report and 'Vets on the Hill'

WEEK 10: The Petraeus Report and 'Vets on the Hill'
Here we are - the final week of our "Ten Weeks to Testimony" campaign - and General Petraeus spent all day Monday and Tuesday testifying before committees in the House and Senate. By all accounts, General Petraeus laid out an informed, measured, and professional assessment of the situation in Iraq.

Said Petraeus, "The military objective of the surge are, in large measure, being met" and Ambassador Ryan Crocker added that "a secure, stable democratic Iraq at peace with its neighbors is attainable." General Petraeus also stated that civilian deaths in all categories have declined 45% since December and that sectarian deaths in Baghdad have declined by 80% since December.

However some, namely MoveOn.org, have decided to ignore General Petraeus's testimony, and instead, try to shamefully attack his credibility. On Monday, MoveOn.org ran a full page ad in the New York Times calling General Petraeus a traitor. Vets for Freedom was the first group to respond, and we did so strongly and forcefully.

Since then, most Republicans, and some Democrats (even John Kerry), have repudiated MoveOn's despicable ad. However, there are still many - namely Democratic leadership in Congress - that have not denounced the ad.

In response, Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and Representative John Boehner (R-OH), have introduced resolutions in the Senate and House, reaffirming support for General Petraeus and condemning the slanderous MoveOn.org ad.

What You Can Do This Week!
Once again, we need our members to hit the phones in support of General Petraeus and his mission. Call your member of Congress and tell them to support House Resolution 644 and Senate Resolution 315.

It's very easy, and will take only 5 minutes:

1. Call 1-888-362-2813 (a toll-free number) and you will be connected with the Senators and Congressman from your state.
   
   Ask your member of Congress to a) Support General Petraeus and the troops in Iraq; b) Denounce the personal attacks being made by anti-war groups like MoveOn.org; and c) House Resolution 644 and Senate resolution 315
   
   
2. The second thing you can do this week is sign our petition supporting General Petreaus and our soldiers in harms way. If you believe that a premature withdraw from Iraq would be disastrous for the United States, then go to our website to sign up.

What Else Can You Do This Week?
Support our Allies. While we are America's largest pro-mission Iraq and Afghanistan veterans organization, we are not the only ones working to make sure Congress supports General Petraeus and the troops in the field. Take the time to check out the great work being done by our friends:

• Donate. This event costs us a great deal, and your generous support would be greatly appreciated. Hundreds of small donations enabled us to pay the bills on our July event, and we'd love to do that again.
  
  
• Gathering of Eagle's September 15th Pro-Troop Rally in Washington, DC. Anti-war groups will be protesting en-masse on September 15 (including a disgusting "Die In,") and the Gathering of Eagles is organizing a huge rally on September to counter them. If you're available, go to their website to find out how to join them on the 15th!

Congress begins the debate on Iraq next week and hundreds of our veterans will be talking to their senators and representatives to make sure that our voice is heard. If you will not be in Washington this week or next - call your elected leaders to make sure they hear from you!

Move out and draw fire!

Regards,



Pete Hegseth
Iraq War Veteran 2005-2006
Executive Director, Vets for Freedom

Click here for more information on Vets for Freedom's "10 Weeks to Testimony."