This is the first legislation in the Senate to address ending US military involvement in Iraq. Here is the text of SMPA's letters to Senators Lautenberg and Corzine, emailed on June 23, 2005:

Letter #1: To Senator Lautenberg

From: Paul Surovell, Chair, South Mountain Peace Action

To: Senator Frank Lautenberg
c/o Lisa Plevin, Deputy State Director

Subject: Please Co-Sponsor Feingold Resolution, S.R. 171

Dear Senator Lautenberg:

On behalf of South Mountain Peace Action, let me once again thank you for honoring us with your statement on the Senate floor commending our efforts to encourage a solution and end to our military involvement in Iraq.

We noted that in your statement you said:

"This war is tainted by the faulty information that the President provided the nation and the world about Saddam Hussein's supposed stockpile of Weapons of Mass Destruction. But our troops are there and we must support them. And, in my view, we must work to stabilize Iraq and bring our troops home as soon as possible."

Senator Russell Feingold has introduced Senate Resolution 171 which expresses this position and requests that the President submit a time frame for achieving the stabilization of Iraq as well as a time frame for the subsequent withdrawal of American military forces from Iraq.

Although South Mountain Peace Action advocates that the United Nations -- not the United States -- should be responsible for helping Iraqis to stabilize their country, we believe that the Feingold Resolution is a positive step forward toward establishing a framework for ending US military involvement in Iraq and we urge you to become a co-sponsor of the Feingold Resolution.

The war has now cost nearly 1,800 American lives, more than $200 billion in taxpayer funds and tens of thousands of Iraqi lives. Maplewood and South Orange taxpayers have endured a cost thus far of $62.5 million for the war and occupation of Iraq.

Recent revelations of the Downing Street Memorandum give further confirmation of your point that the war was based on "tainted and faulty information."

Opinion polls show that a strong majority of Americans believe that our military involvement in Iraq war no longer serves our national interests.

The Feingold Resolution can serve to put our nation on a course to end this unfortunate episode of our nation's history.

For all of the reasons above, we urge you to become a co-sponsor the Feingold Resolution.

Let me also take this opportunity to invite you to attend our Picnic for Peace on July 30, 2005, at the Duck Pond in South Orange, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Congressman Donald Payne has already agreed to speak at the picnic, and we would be honored if you would do so as well.

Thank you for your consideration and best regards.

Sincerely yours,


Paul Surovell

cc: South Mountain Peace Action's List-Serve

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Letter #2 to Senator Corzine:

From: Paul Surovell, Chair, South Mountain Peace Action

To: Senator Jon Corzine
c/o Mada Liebman, Senior Advisor

Subject: Please Co-Sponsor Feingold Resolution, S.R. 171

Dear Senator Corzine:

On behalf of South Mountain Peace Action, let me once again thank you for your letter responding to our petition with more than 1,200 signatures of Maplewood and South Orange residents calling for an international solution in Iraq to allow a rapid return home of US soldiers.

We noted that in your letter you said:

"Those of us who voted against the initial war authorization did so because we could not accept the proffered information about Weapons of Mass Destruction as reliable. We could not accept that war was the only option. And we could not put our faith in poorly-conceived plans to deal with the aftermath of our actions. Though we've been proven right, it is not a comfort.

"But our troops are there and we must support them. I believe the best way to do that is to focus on stabilizing Iraq and bringing our troops home as soon as possible."

Senator Russell Feingold has introduced Senate Resolution 171 which expresses this position and requests that the President submit a time frame for achieving the stabilization of Iraq as well as a time frame for the subsequent withdrawal of American military forces from Iraq.

Although South Mountain Peace Action advocates that the United Nations -- not the United States -- should be responsible for helping Iraqis to stabilize their country, we believe that the Feingold Resolution is a positive step forward toward establishing a framework for ending US military involvement in Iraq and we urge you to become a co-sponsor of the Feingold Resolution.

The war has now cost nearly 1,800 American lives, more than $200 billion in taxpayer funds and tens of thousands of Iraqi lives. Maplewood and South Orange taxpayers have endured a cost thus far of $62.5 million for the war and occupation of Iraq.

Recent revelations of the Downing Street Memorandum give further confirmation of your point that the invasion of Iraq was predicated on flawed information.

Opinion polls show that a strong majority of Americans believe that our military involvement in Iraq war no longer serves our national interests.

The Feingold Resolution can serve to put our nation on a course to end this unfortunate episode of our nation's history.

For all of the reasons above, we urge you to co-sponsor the Feingold Resolution.

Let me also take this opportunity to invite you to attend our Picnic for Peace on July 30, 2005, at the Duck Pond in South Orange, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Congressman Donald Payne has already agreed to speak at the picnic, and we would be honored if you would do so as well.

Thank you for your consideration and best regards.

Sincerely yours,


Paul Surovell

cc: South Mountain Peace Action's List-Serve

This is the first legislation in the Senate to address ending US military involvement in Iraq. Here is the text of SMPA's letters to Senators Lautenberg and Corzine, emailed on June 23, 2005:

Letter #1: To Senator Lautenberg

From: Paul Surovell, Chair, South Mountain Peace Action

To: Senator Frank Lautenberg
c/o Lisa Plevin, Deputy State Director

Subject: Please Co-Sponsor Feingold Resolution, S.R. 171

Dear Senator Lautenberg:

On behalf of South Mountain Peace Action, let me once again thank you for honoring us with your statement on the Senate floor commending our efforts to encourage a solution and end to our military involvement in Iraq.

We noted that in your statement you said:

"This war is tainted by the faulty information that the President provided the nation and the world about Saddam Hussein's supposed stockpile of Weapons of Mass Destruction. But our troops are there and we must support them. And, in my view, we must work to stabilize Iraq and bring our troops home as soon as possible."

Senator Russell Feingold has introduced Senate Resolution 171 which expresses this position and requests that the President submit a time frame for achieving the stabilization of Iraq as well as a time frame for the subsequent withdrawal of American military forces from Iraq.

Although South Mountain Peace Action advocates that the United Nations -- not the United States -- should be responsible for helping Iraqis to stabilize their country, we believe that the Feingold Resolution is a positive step forward toward establishing a framework for ending US military involvement in Iraq and we urge you to become a co-sponsor of the Feingold Resolution.

The war has now cost nearly 1,800 American lives, more than $200 billion in taxpayer funds and tens of thousands of Iraqi lives. Maplewood and South Orange taxpayers have endured a cost thus far of $62.5 million for the war and occupation of Iraq.

Recent revelations of the Downing Street Memorandum give further confirmation of your point that the war was based on "tainted and faulty information."

Opinion polls show that a strong majority of Americans believe that our military involvement in Iraq war no longer serves our national interests.

The Feingold Resolution can serve to put our nation on a course to end this unfortunate episode of our nation's history.

For all of the reasons above, we urge you to become a co-sponsor the Feingold Resolution.

Let me also take this opportunity to invite you to attend our Picnic for Peace on July 30, 2005, at the Duck Pond in South Orange, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Congressman Donald Payne has already agreed to speak at the picnic, and we would be honored if you would do so as well.

Thank you for your consideration and best regards.

Sincerely yours,


Paul Surovell

cc: South Mountain Peace Action's List-Serve

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Letter #2 to Senator Corzine:

From: Paul Surovell, Chair, South Mountain Peace Action

To: Senator Jon Corzine
c/o Mada Liebman, Senior Advisor

Subject: Please Co-Sponsor Feingold Resolution, S.R. 171

Dear Senator Corzine:

On behalf of South Mountain Peace Action, let me once again thank you for your letter responding to our petition with more than 1,200 signatures of Maplewood and South Orange residents calling for an international solution in Iraq to allow a rapid return home of US soldiers.

We noted that in your letter you said:

"Those of us who voted against the initial war authorization did so because we could not accept the proffered information about Weapons of Mass Destruction as reliable. We could not accept that war was the only option. And we could not put our faith in poorly-conceived plans to deal with the aftermath of our actions. Though we've been proven right, it is not a comfort.

"But our troops are there and we must support them. I believe the best way to do that is to focus on stabilizing Iraq and bringing our troops home as soon as possible."

Senator Russell Feingold has introduced Senate Resolution 171 which expresses this position and requests that the President submit a time frame for achieving the stabilization of Iraq as well as a time frame for the subsequent withdrawal of American military forces from Iraq.

Although South Mountain Peace Action advocates that the United Nations -- not the United States -- should be responsible for helping Iraqis to stabilize their country, we believe that the Feingold Resolution is a positive step forward toward establishing a framework for ending US military involvement in Iraq and we urge you to become a co-sponsor of the Feingold Resolution.

The war has now cost nearly 1,800 American lives, more than $200 billion in taxpayer funds and tens of thousands of Iraqi lives. Maplewood and South Orange taxpayers have endured a cost thus far of $62.5 million for the war and occupation of Iraq.

Recent revelations of the Downing Street Memorandum give further confirmation of your point that the invasion of Iraq was predicated on flawed information.

Opinion polls show that a strong majority of Americans believe that our military involvement in Iraq war no longer serves our national interests.

The Feingold Resolution can serve to put our nation on a course to end this unfortunate episode of our nation's history.

For all of the reasons above, we urge you to co-sponsor the Feingold Resolution.

Let me also take this opportunity to invite you to attend our Picnic for Peace on July 30, 2005, at the Duck Pond in South Orange, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Congressman Donald Payne has already agreed to speak at the picnic, and we would be honored if you would do so as well.

Thank you for your consideration and best regards.

Sincerely yours,


Paul Surovell

cc: South Mountain Peace Action's List-Serve

This is the first legislation in the Senate to address ending US military involvement in Iraq. Here is the text of SMPA's letters to Senators Lautenberg and Corzine, emailed on June 23, 2005:

Letter #1: To Senator Lautenberg

From: Paul Surovell, Chair, South Mountain Peace Action

To: Senator Frank Lautenberg
c/o Lisa Plevin, Deputy State Director

Subject: Please Co-Sponsor Feingold Resolution, S.R. 171

Dear Senator Lautenberg:

On behalf of South Mountain Peace Action, let me once again thank you for honoring us with your statement on the Senate floor commending our efforts to encourage a solution and end to our military involvement in Iraq.

We noted that in your statement you said:

"This war is tainted by the faulty information that the President provided the nation and the world about Saddam Hussein's supposed stockpile of Weapons of Mass Destruction. But our troops are there and we must support them. And, in my view, we must work to stabilize Iraq and bring our troops home as soon as possible."

Senator Russell Feingold has introduced Senate Resolution 171 which expresses this position and requests that the President submit a time frame for achieving the stabilization of Iraq as well as a time frame for the subsequent withdrawal of American military forces from Iraq.

Although South Mountain Peace Action advocates that the United Nations -- not the United States -- should be responsible for helping Iraqis to stabilize their country, we believe that the Feingold Resolution is a positive step forward toward establishing a framework for ending US military involvement in Iraq and we urge you to become a co-sponsor of the Feingold Resolution.

The war has now cost nearly 1,800 American lives, more than $200 billion in taxpayer funds and tens of thousands of Iraqi lives. Maplewood and South Orange taxpayers have endured a cost thus far of $62.5 million for the war and occupation of Iraq.

Recent revelations of the Downing Street Memorandum give further confirmation of your point that the war was based on "tainted and faulty information."

Opinion polls show that a strong majority of Americans believe that our military involvement in Iraq war no longer serves our national interests.

The Feingold Resolution can serve to put our nation on a course to end this unfortunate episode of our nation's history.

For all of the reasons above, we urge you to become a co-sponsor the Feingold Resolution.

Let me also take this opportunity to invite you to attend our Picnic for Peace on July 30, 2005, at the Duck Pond in South Orange, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Congressman Donald Payne has already agreed to speak at the picnic, and we would be honored if you would do so as well.

Thank you for your consideration and best regards.

Sincerely yours,


Paul Surovell

cc: South Mountain Peace Action's List-Serve

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Letter #2 to Senator Corzine:

From: Paul Surovell, Chair, South Mountain Peace Action

To: Senator Jon Corzine
c/o Mada Liebman, Senior Advisor

Subject: Please Co-Sponsor Feingold Resolution, S.R. 171

Dear Senator Corzine:

On behalf of South Mountain Peace Action, let me once again thank you for your letter responding to our petition with more than 1,200 signatures of Maplewood and South Orange residents calling for an international solution in Iraq to allow a rapid return home of US soldiers.

We noted that in your letter you said:

"Those of us who voted against the initial war authorization did so because we could not accept the proffered information about Weapons of Mass Destruction as reliable. We could not accept that war was the only option. And we could not put our faith in poorly-conceived plans to deal with the aftermath of our actions. Though we've been proven right, it is not a comfort.

"But our troops are there and we must support them. I believe the best way to do that is to focus on stabilizing Iraq and bringing our troops home as soon as possible."

Senator Russell Feingold has introduced Senate Resolution 171 which expresses this position and requests that the President submit a time frame for achieving the stabilization of Iraq as well as a time frame for the subsequent withdrawal of American military forces from Iraq.

Although South Mountain Peace Action advocates that the United Nations -- not the United States -- should be responsible for helping Iraqis to stabilize their country, we believe that the Feingold Resolution is a positive step forward toward establishing a framework for ending US military involvement in Iraq and we urge you to become a co-sponsor of the Feingold Resolution.

The war has now cost nearly 1,800 American lives, more than $200 billion in taxpayer funds and tens of thousands of Iraqi lives. Maplewood and South Orange taxpayers have endured a cost thus far of $62.5 million for the war and occupation of Iraq.

Recent revelations of the Downing Street Memorandum give further confirmation of your point that the invasion of Iraq was predicated on flawed information.

Opinion polls show that a strong majority of Americans believe that our military involvement in Iraq war no longer serves our national interests.

The Feingold Resolution can serve to put our nation on a course to end this unfortunate episode of our nation's history.

For all of the reasons above, we urge you to co-sponsor the Feingold Resolution.

Let me also take this opportunity to invite you to attend our Picnic for Peace on July 30, 2005, at the Duck Pond in South Orange, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Congressman Donald Payne has already agreed to speak at the picnic, and we would be honored if you would do so as well.

Thank you for your consideration and best regards.

Sincerely yours,


Paul Surovell

cc: South Mountain Peace Action's List-Serve

This is the first legislation in the Senate to address ending US military involvement in Iraq. Here is the text of SMPA's letters to Senators Lautenberg and Corzine, emailed on June 23, 2005:

Letter #1: To Senator Lautenberg

From: Paul Surovell, Chair, South Mountain Peace Action

To: Senator Frank Lautenberg
c/o Lisa Plevin, Deputy State Director

Subject: Please Co-Sponsor Feingold Resolution, S.R. 171

Dear Senator Lautenberg:

On behalf of South Mountain Peace Action, let me once again thank you for honoring us with your statement on the Senate floor commending our efforts to encourage a solution and end to our military involvement in Iraq.

We noted that in your statement you said:

"This war is tainted by the faulty information that the President provided the nation and the world about Saddam Hussein's supposed stockpile of Weapons of Mass Destruction. But our troops are there and we must support them. And, in my view, we must work to stabilize Iraq and bring our troops home as soon as possible."

Senator Russell Feingold has introduced Senate Resolution 171 which expresses this position and requests that the President submit a time frame for achieving the stabilization of Iraq as well as a time frame for the subsequent withdrawal of American military forces from Iraq.

Although South Mountain Peace Action advocates that the United Nations -- not the United States -- should be responsible for helping Iraqis to stabilize their country, we believe that the Feingold Resolution is a positive step forward toward establishing a framework for ending US military involvement in Iraq and we urge you to become a co-sponsor of the Feingold Resolution.

The war has now cost nearly 1,800 American lives, more than $200 billion in taxpayer funds and tens of thousands of Iraqi lives. Maplewood and South Orange taxpayers have endured a cost thus far of $62.5 million for the war and occupation of Iraq.

Recent revelations of the Downing Street Memorandum give further confirmation of your point that the war was based on "tainted and faulty information."

Opinion polls show that a strong majority of Americans believe that our military involvement in Iraq war no longer serves our national interests.

The Feingold Resolution can serve to put our nation on a course to end this unfortunate episode of our nation's history.

For all of the reasons above, we urge you to become a co-sponsor the Feingold Resolution.

Let me also take this opportunity to invite you to attend our Picnic for Peace on July 30, 2005, at the Duck Pond in South Orange, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Congressman Donald Payne has already agreed to speak at the picnic, and we would be honored if you would do so as well.

Thank you for your consideration and best regards.

Sincerely yours,


Paul Surovell

cc: South Mountain Peace Action's List-Serve

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Letter #2 to Senator Corzine:

From: Paul Surovell, Chair, South Mountain Peace Action

To: Senator Jon Corzine
c/o Mada Liebman, Senior Advisor

Subject: Please Co-Sponsor Feingold Resolution, S.R. 171

Dear Senator Corzine:

On behalf of South Mountain Peace Action, let me once again thank you for your letter responding to our petition with more than 1,200 signatures of Maplewood and South Orange residents calling for an international solution in Iraq to allow a rapid return home of US soldiers.

We noted that in your letter you said:

"Those of us who voted against the initial war authorization did so because we could not accept the proffered information about Weapons of Mass Destruction as reliable. We could not accept that war was the only option. And we could not put our faith in poorly-conceived plans to deal with the aftermath of our actions. Though we've been proven right, it is not a comfort.

"But our troops are there and we must support them. I believe the best way to do that is to focus on stabilizing Iraq and bringing our troops home as soon as possible."

Senator Russell Feingold has introduced Senate Resolution 171 which expresses this position and requests that the President submit a time frame for achieving the stabilization of Iraq as well as a time frame for the subsequent withdrawal of American military forces from Iraq.

Although South Mountain Peace Action advocates that the United Nations -- not the United States -- should be responsible for helping Iraqis to stabilize their country, we believe that the Feingold Resolution is a positive step forward toward establishing a framework for ending US military involvement in Iraq and we urge you to become a co-sponsor of the Feingold Resolution.

The war has now cost nearly 1,800 American lives, more than $200 billion in taxpayer funds and tens of thousands of Iraqi lives. Maplewood and South Orange taxpayers have endured a cost thus far of $62.5 million for the war and occupation of Iraq.

Recent revelations of the Downing Street Memorandum give further confirmation of your point that the invasion of Iraq was predicated on flawed information.

Opinion polls show that a strong majority of Americans believe that our military involvement in Iraq war no longer serves our national interests.

The Feingold Resolution can serve to put our nation on a course to end this unfortunate episode of our nation's history.

For all of the reasons above, we urge you to co-sponsor the Feingold Resolution.

Let me also take this opportunity to invite you to attend our Picnic for Peace on July 30, 2005, at the Duck Pond in South Orange, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Congressman Donald Payne has already agreed to speak at the picnic, and we would be honored if you would do so as well.

Thank you for your consideration and best regards.

Sincerely yours,


Paul Surovell

cc: South Mountain Peace Action's List-Serve

This is the first legislation in the Senate to address ending US military involvement in Iraq. Here is the text of SMPA's letters to Senators Lautenberg and Corzine, emailed on June 23, 2005:

Letter #1: To Senator Lautenberg

From: Paul Surovell, Chair, South Mountain Peace Action

To: Senator Frank Lautenberg
c/o Lisa Plevin, Deputy State Director

Subject: Please Co-Sponsor Feingold Resolution, S.R. 171

Dear Senator Lautenberg:

On behalf of South Mountain Peace Action, let me once again thank you for honoring us with your statement on the Senate floor commending our efforts to encourage a solution and end to our military involvement in Iraq.

We noted that in your statement you said:

"This war is tainted by the faulty information that the President provided the nation and the world about Saddam Hussein's supposed stockpile of Weapons of Mass Destruction. But our troops are there and we must support them. And, in my view, we must work to stabilize Iraq and bring our troops home as soon as possible."

Senator Russell Feingold has introduced Senate Resolution 171 which expresses this position and requests that the President submit a time frame for achieving the stabilization of Iraq as well as a time frame for the subsequent withdrawal of American military forces from Iraq.

Although South Mountain Peace Action advocates that the United Nations -- not the United States -- should be responsible for helping Iraqis to stabilize their country, we believe that the Feingold Resolution is a positive step forward toward establishing a framework for ending US military involvement in Iraq and we urge you to become a co-sponsor of the Feingold Resolution.

The war has now cost nearly 1,800 American lives, more than $200 billion in taxpayer funds and tens of thousands of Iraqi lives. Maplewood and South Orange taxpayers have endured a cost thus far of $62.5 million for the war and occupation of Iraq.

Recent revelations of the Downing Street Memorandum give further confirmation of your point that the war was based on "tainted and faulty information."

Opinion polls show that a strong majority of Americans believe that our military involvement in Iraq war no longer serves our national interests.

The Feingold Resolution can serve to put our nation on a course to end this unfortunate episode of our nation's history.

For all of the reasons above, we urge you to become a co-sponsor the Feingold Resolution.

Let me also take this opportunity to invite you to attend our Picnic for Peace on July 30, 2005, at the Duck Pond in South Orange, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Congressman Donald Payne has already agreed to speak at the picnic, and we would be honored if you would do so as well.

Thank you for your consideration and best regards.

Sincerely yours,


Paul Surovell

cc: South Mountain Peace Action's List-Serve

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Letter #2 to Senator Corzine:

From: Paul Surovell, Chair, South Mountain Peace Action

To: Senator Jon Corzine
c/o Mada Liebman, Senior Advisor

Subject: Please Co-Sponsor Feingold Resolution, S.R. 171

Dear Senator Corzine:

On behalf of South Mountain Peace Action, let me once again thank you for your letter responding to our petition with more than 1,200 signatures of Maplewood and South Orange residents calling for an international solution in Iraq to allow a rapid return home of US soldiers.

We noted that in your letter you said:

"Those of us who voted against the initial war authorization did so because we could not accept the proffered information about Weapons of Mass Destruction as reliable. We could not accept that war was the only option. And we could not put our faith in poorly-conceived plans to deal with the aftermath of our actions. Though we've been proven right, it is not a comfort.

"But our troops are there and we must support them. I believe the best way to do that is to focus on stabilizing Iraq and bringing our troops home as soon as possible."

Senator Russell Feingold has introduced Senate Resolution 171 which expresses this position and requests that the President submit a time frame for achieving the stabilization of Iraq as well as a time frame for the subsequent withdrawal of American military forces from Iraq.

Although South Mountain Peace Action advocates that the United Nations -- not the United States -- should be responsible for helping Iraqis to stabilize their country, we believe that the Feingold Resolution is a positive step forward toward establishing a framework for ending US military involvement in Iraq and we urge you to become a co-sponsor of the Feingold Resolution.

The war has now cost nearly 1,800 American lives, more than $200 billion in taxpayer funds and tens of thousands of Iraqi lives. Maplewood and South Orange taxpayers have endured a cost thus far of $62.5 million for the war and occupation of Iraq.

Recent revelations of the Downing Street Memorandum give further confirmation of your point that the invasion of Iraq was predicated on flawed information.

Opinion polls show that a strong majority of Americans believe that our military involvement in Iraq war no longer serves our national interests.

The Feingold Resolution can serve to put our nation on a course to end this unfortunate episode of our nation's history.

For all of the reasons above, we urge you to co-sponsor the Feingold Resolution.

Let me also take this opportunity to invite you to attend our Picnic for Peace on July 30, 2005, at the Duck Pond in South Orange, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. Congressman Donald Payne has already agreed to speak at the picnic, and we would be honored if you would do so as well.

Thank you for your consideration and best regards.

Sincerely yours,


Paul Surovell

cc: South Mountain Peace Action's List-Serve