The Cost of Defeat in IRaq

Iraq Veterans, Families of Soldiers Focus on Cost of Defeat in Iraq
Organize National Response to MoveOn.org Bullying Tactics

Tuesday, August 14, 2007 – Veterans of the Iraq war have joined with families of those serving and sacrificing in Iraq to focus on the cost of a U.S. defeat in Iraq . On Thursday, August 16, they will fight back against efforts by MoveOn.org to bully the American people into ending the mission just as it is showing significant signs of progress.

“As families of those who are serving or have made the ultimate sacrifice, we must educate our fellow Americans about the need to continue the mission and the terrible price we will pay if we retreat now,” said Merrilee Carlson, the president of Families United for Our Troops and Their Mission.

Added Pete Hegseth , executive director of Vets for Freedom: “Moveon.org will talk a lot about the money we are spending. But what they won’t discuss – and what in truth they just don’t care about – is the overwhelming cost of U.S. and Iraqi lives and security if we give up too soon and lose this war. As veterans of Iraq who have served on the ground, we understand the progress that is being made and we know the consequences if we were to pack up and leave without defeating al-Qaeda.”

They noted that possible outcomes of defeat include:

A bloodbath in Iraq , costing hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi lives and possibly destabilizing the entire Middle East region.

A failed state in Iraq and a safe haven for Al Qaeda to plan future attacks against America and her allies.

An emboldened Iran in pursuit of nuclear weapons and a victorious Al Qaeda in pursuit of new ways to kill Americans at home and around the world.

Both organizations are urging Americans who support the mission to use August 16, 2007 to educate their members of Congress about the cost of defeat, to write to their local newspapers explaining the consequences of a precipitous withdrawal, and to engage their fellow citizens to discuss the issues at stake.

With more than 7,000 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan , Vets for Freedom is a leading voice representing troops and veterans. Its mission is to educate the American public about the importance of achieving success in these conflicts by applying its members first-hand knowledge to issues of American strategy and tactics—namely "the surge" in Iraq . It supports policymakers from both sides of the aisle who stand behind the great generation of American warriors on the battlefield, and who have put long-term national security before short-term partisan political gain.

Families United for Our Troops and Their Mission is a non-partisan, non-profit coalition of Gold Star and Blue Star families, including some with loved ones in harm's way, veterans, and Americans who share a deep appreciation for our men and women in uniform and support them in their efforts to make America safer by allowing them to complete their mission.