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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The United States of America was the victim of a
3 massive and unprovoked terrorist attack on September 11, 2001;
4 and
 
5     WHEREAS, The terrorist attack of September 11, 2001 was
6 orchestrated by Osama bin Laden and the al Qaeda terrorist
7 network; and
 
8     WHEREAS, Osama bin Laden and the al Qaeda terrorist network
9 are also responsible for horrible acts of treachery and murder
10 against American citizens in Yemen, Tanzania, and Kenya; and
 
11      WHEREAS, The oppressive Taliban regime of Afghanistan
12 harbored Osama bin Laden and the leadership of the al Qaeda
13 terrorist network, and the Taliban regime of Afghanistan
14 refused to disavow and turn over to the United States
15 government Osama bin Laden and the leadership of the al Qaeda
16 terrorist network responsible for the September 11, 2001
17 attack; and
 
18     WHEREAS, With the strong support of the people of the
19 United States, including the people of Illinois, the United
20 States Armed Forces pursued Osama bin Laden and the al Qaeda
21 terrorist network in Afghanistan and toppled the Taliban

 

 

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1 regime; and
 
2     WHEREAS, Through the dedicated efforts of the United States
3 Armed Forces and as a direct result of the fall of the Taliban
4 regime, a democratically elected government emerged in
5 Afghanistan; and
 
6     WHEREAS, The President of the United States and members of
7 the United States government, utilizing faulty and unreliable
8 intelligence, redirected United States military resources from
9 pursuing Osama bin Laden and the leaders of the al Qaeda
10 terrorist network in Afghanistan to an invasion of the country
11 of Iraq, though the government of Iraq had no responsibility
12 for the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and harbored
13 neither Osama bin Laden nor the leadership of the al Qaeda
14 terrorist network; and
 
15     WHEREAS, The United States Armed Forces are now engaged in
16 a protracted occupation of the country of Iraq that began in
17 2003; and
 
18     WHEREAS, More than 137,000 American military personnel are
19 serving in Iraq, and thousands more have served since March of
20 2003, with the bravery and professionalism consistent with the
21 finest traditions of the United States Armed Forces; and
 

 

 

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1     WHEREAS, Thousands of American military personnel serving
2 in Iraq, including members of the Illinois National Guard, are
3 past and present residents of the State of Illinois; and
 
4     WHEREAS, All United States military personnel deserve the
5 support of the American people, and the people of Illinois; and
 
6     WHEREAS, The war and occupation of Iraq have resulted in
7 the deaths of more than 3,000 United States military personnel,
8 and the wounding and disabling of more than 22,000 United
9 States military personnel, among them past and present
10 residents of the State of Illinois; and
 
11     WHEREAS, On January 10, 2007, President George W. Bush
12 announced the escalation of United States military involvement
13 in Iraq by proposing the deployment of more than 21,000
14 additional United States military personnel, who are likely to
15 include many past and present residents of the State of
16 Illinois; and
 
17     WHEREAS, The proposed escalation could further extend the
18 tours of duty of members of the Illinois National Guard; and
 
19     WHEREAS, The cost of deployment to Iraq of members of the
20 Illinois National Guard has been significant, as reckoned in
21 lost lives; combat injuries; disruption of family life;

 

 

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1 financial hardship for individuals, families, and businesses;
2 interruption of careers; and damage to the fabric of civic life
3 in our communities; and
 
4     WHEREAS, An escalated, open-ended commitment of United
5 States military forces in Iraq is unsustainable and serves as a
6 deterrent to the government of Iraq exercising political and
7 military leadership and providing Iraqi personnel and
8 resources required to end sectarian violence; and
 
9     WHEREAS, The continued redirection of United States
10 military resources away from the pursuit of Osama bin Laden and
11 the leadership of the al Qaeda terrorist network in Afghanistan
12 has led to a resurgence of Taliban forces, which could lead to
13 the destabilization of the democratically elected government
14 of Afghanistan; and
 
15     WHEREAS, United States military experts, including past
16 and present members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have stated
17 their opposition to an escalation of United States military
18 personnel in Iraq; and
 
19     WHEREAS, More than $357 billion has been appropriated by
20 the United States Congress to fund military and reconstruction
21 efforts in Iraq to date, money that could be utilized for
22 education, health care, housing, nutrition, and other domestic

 

 

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1 social services, along with international humanitarian aid;
2 and
 
3     WHEREAS, Prior appropriations made by the United States
4 Congress have prioritized operations in Iraq, resulting in cuts
5 to critical financial assistance to states, including the State
6 of Illinois, and have increased the gross debt and compounded
7 interest of the United States, which leads to additional cuts
8 in funding for critical needs in the states; and
 
9     WHEREAS, The United States Congress has broad authority and
10 a long tradition of limiting military escalation by placing
11 budgetary limitations on such escalation, utilizing power
12 granted by the Constitution of the United States of America;
13 therefore, be it
 
14     RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL
15 ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, That the State of Illinois,
16 on behalf of its citizens, salutes and supports the dedicated
17 service of the members of the United States Armed Forces,
18 including members of the Illinois National Guard; and be it
19 further
 
20     RESOLVED, That the American people, including the people of
21 Illinois, with unbounded determination, support the efforts of
22 the United States Armed Forces to pursue and defeat the

 

 

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1 terrorist forces responsible for the September 11, 2001 attack
2 and make certain this form of treachery will never endanger the
3 American people again; and be it further
 
4     RESOLVED, That the State of Illinois, on behalf of its
5 citizens, urges that the United States government should not
6 put more members of the United States Armed Forces in harm's
7 way by escalating our involvement in Iraq through an increase
8 in troop levels; and be it further
 
9     RESOLVED, That the President of the United States should
10 obtain explicit approval from the United States Congress before
11 the deployment of additional United States military personnel
12 to Iraq; and be it further
 
13     RESOLVED, That the United States Congress should pass
14 legislation prohibiting the President of the United States from
15 spending additional taxpayer money to fund an escalation of
16 troop levels in Iraq unless the President seeks and receives
17 congressional approval; and be it further
 
18     RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution shall be
19 sent to President of the United States George W. Bush, each
20 member of the Illinois congressional delegation, the Speaker of
21 the United States House of Representatives, the Minority Leader
22 of the United States House of Representatives, the President

 

 

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1 Pro Tempore of the United States Senate, and the Minority
2 Leader of the United States Senate.