HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.R. NO.	149
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008
STATE OF HAWAII

HOUSE RESOLUTION

Urging the Executive and legislative leadership In the State of Hawaii to support the iraq study group findings and to implement the Iraq study group recommendations.

     WHEREAS, both the House of Representatives and the Senate of the State of Hawaii support the men and women deployed to Iraq and honor the memory of those who have lost their lives during the war; and

     WHEREAS, the Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan coalition created to study the situation in Iraq, ultimately concluded that:

(1)  More than $400,000,000,000 has been spent on the war in Iraq, not including the ensuing "tail costs" expected for care of veterans and replacement of equipment;

(2)  Despite the massive effort on military and political levels, stability in Iraq remains elusive and the situation is deteriorating;

(3)  The Iraqi government now depends on the United States and the Iraqi people are unconvinced that they must take responsibility for their own future; and

(4)  The international community, including Iraq's neighbor countries, have not been persuaded to take on an active role in supporting the rebuilding and stabilization efforts in Iraq; and

     WHEREAS, most significantly, the Iraq Study Group analysis established that the justifications for the United States invasion of Iraq were not true, Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction, and Saddam Hussein was not involved in the September 11 terrorist attacks.

     WHEREAS, the material and nonmaterial costs and sacrifices of deploying Hawaii National Guard members to Iraq have been significant, as evidenced by lost lives, combat injuries, psychic traumas, disruption of family lives, financial hardships for individuals, families, and businesses, interruptions of careers, and damages to the fabric of life in many Hawaii communities; and

     WHEREAS, more than three thousand United States military service members have been killed in the war in Iraq, fourteen of whom were from Hawaii, and countless others have been maimed and wounded; in addition, several hundred thousand Iraqis have been killed; and

     WHEREAS, the majority of Americans would like to see withdrawal of United States troops from Iraq, but there is, to date, no exit strategy; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2008, that Hawaii's congressional delegation, the Governor, and all elected officials in the State of Hawaii are urged to support the implementation of the Iraq Study Group's recommendations, including:

(1)  The President and the United States Congress are requested not to make an open-ended commitment to keep large numbers of American troops deployed to Iraq;

(2)  The President and the United States Congress are requested to change the nation's military priorities in Iraq from active combat to missions involving volunteer service training, equipping, advice, and support;

(3)  The President and the United States Congress are requested to seek to complete all missions in Iraq by the end of the first quarter of 2009; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the President and the United States Congress are requested to redirect the financial resources used to prosecute the war on Iraq to address urgent needs of the most vulnerable sectors in the United States, including those of education and health care, in particular, appropriate health care and support; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the members of Hawaii's congressional delegation, and the Governor.

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Urging Hawaii's leadership to implement the Iraq Study Group recommendations