At the Duluth City Council meeting on Monday, Feb. 26, councilors will discuss a resolution calling for American troops to be brought home from Iraq. Anti-war activists from the Twin Ports area will hold a rally in front of City Hall at 6:30 p.m. calling on councilors to pass the resolution.

If the resolution passes, the City of Duluth will go on record as opposed to the indefinite deployment of hundreds of thousands of men and women currently serving in Iraq. The resolution also opposes further troop deployments. The resolution, which will be introduced by Councilor Russ Stewart, reads in part:

“[M]any members of the Armed Forces are entering into their third and fourth deployments to Iraq;… the war in Iraq, now in its fourth year, has caused the deaths of more than 3,140 American soldiers and tens of thousands of Iraqis, the physical and psychological wounding and disabling of more than 22,000 American soldiers and of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, and the destruction of the homes, communities, and livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis.”

The resolution “honors the memory of those who have lost their lives in the war” while urging the federal government to “commence planning an orderly and comprehensive withdrawal of United States military personnel from Iraq” and “support our troops by ensuring that returning veterans receive compensation and care.” It also calls for sending non-military aid to Iraq for reconstruction and pursuing stability in the region through diplomacy.

If approved, copies of the resolution will be sent to President Bush, Senators Norm Coleman and Amy Klobuchar, Representative Jim Oberstar and the Duluth members of the Minnesota legislature. Duluth citizens are urged to be part of the political process by attending the rally and meeting on Feb. 26 and voicing their opinions.