Governor, Defederalize the state National Guard - 2002 authorization has expired.
Read two stories this morning that prompt me to post to Washblog. One story is titled 'New York State Senators Call For Defederalizing The National Guard' (link) and (link). The other story, more local, Centralia, Lewis County, WA is titled 'Heading Out'(link) citing account at Centralia Armory of Washington state National Guard heading out for Iraq.
Other states that are moving to defederalize National Guard troops include New Jersey, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, CA, MD, ME, MI, MN, NH.
Did you notice that Washington is not on that list? Perhaps you'll agree that the 2002 authorization that allowed state national guards to be federalized has expired? So why is Washington state National Guard shipping out to Iraq?
NEW YORK - On Sunday, August 17, 2008, a press conference was held to announce the joint cooperation of State Senators Eric Adams (D-Brooklyn, 20th Dist.) and Bill Perkins (D-Manhattan, 30th Dist.), to introduce in the upcoming January 2009 State Legislative session, a resolution to stop the federalization of the New York State National Guard. Note: I was made aware of the effort in New York and asked to participate in a part of the phone conference planning, given that in Washington state in 2005, we had presented to Governor Gregoire's office the Resolution to Bring Home the Washington state National Guard. Short end of the story, I wasn't able to participate in the planning conference calls, but I was able to provide the planning committee the information from the campaign we conducted in Washington state in 2005.
Background: Started this year in Vermont by a local state legislator Representative Fisher of Lincoln, working directly with attorneys from The Liberty Tree Foundation for Democracy, the campaign picked up nationally. Argument: The campaign is based upon the legal authority that the "2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force" or (AUMF) issued by Congress, based on UN resolutions, has expired. The conditions set forth in this AUMF stipulated that;
(1) "Iraq poses an imminent threat to the security of the United States by having weapons of mass destruction; and,
These conditions have been met, there is no "national emergency" allowing the use of our state militia any longer, so therefore it should cease and desist. The governor has the power to decide if our National Guard troops are to be used on a federal level. Governor Gregoire was last challenged in early 2005, when she won a hard-fought election and was the newly elected governor. It was also at a time when the political climate in our country was one that refused to challenge this President's Administration on much of anything, let alone the patriotism of war fervor. It is election time again - today, in fact - another of those 'sensitive' times. I got the robocalls from Governor Gregoire last week reminding me to vote on Tuesday, and another from Senator Patty Murray over the weekend reminding me to vote on Tuesday. Actually, I was glad to get a reminder call to vote, because I had laid my mail in ballot aside, had out of town company and forgot about my ballot. I completed it, and have no problem acknowledging that I voted for Christine Gregoire - again. We'll know soon enough who will be governing Washington state. I hope other citizens will join the efforts to encourage our Washington state governor to challenge the continued need to federalize our state citizen soldiers for deployment to Iraq.
A shout out - for a comprehensive review, take at look at Mark Jensen's review; Redeployment to Iraq is misuse of Washington National Guard (link)
Archival; Families want Guard excused from Iraq at Tacoma News Tribune, March 8, 2005 (link) 'Group looks to bring National Guard home' at WSU Daily Evergreen newspaper, April 4, 2005. (link) The March 2005 article at the Daily Olympian by Brad Shannon is no longer online. Copy at the Washington state Military Families Speak Out website - website since retired: Monday, March 7, 2005 Action: Delegation from Military Families Speak Out, Gold Star Families for Peace, Veterans for Peace traveled to Olympia State Capitol Monday, March 7, to meet with Governor's Office and present the Resolution compelling Governor Gregoire to call home the National Guard troops. Meeting was with Executive Policy Advisor, Antonio Ginatta, of the Governor's Executive Policy Office. Antonio Ginatta was receptive, attentive and encouraging in listening to the delegations concerns, as well as receiving the Resolution. he indicated there will be continued meetings. Resolution presented to Washington State Governor, Christine Gregoire Washington State Citizens' Call Upon Governor Christine Gregoire to Affirmatively Act to Seek Withdrawal of National Guard Troops from Iraq: Comments from Executive Policy Advisor, Antonio Ginatta, as reported in the Daily Olympian:
Fort Lewis soldier's family urges Gregoire to oppose deployment
And for archival purposes at WB, the text of the Resolution that was presented to Governor Gregoire on March 7, 2005.
Resolution to Bring Home Washington State National Guard - March 2005
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