(Washington, DC) -

Out of Iraq Caucus Press Conference
July 13, 2006, Cannon Terrace
Statement by Rep. Cynthia McKinney

Yesterday, the Washington Post reported that The Pentagon is discontinuing its multi-billion dollar, no-bid, sweetheart contract with Halliburton.

Last week, a fourteen-year old Iraqi girl who had warned friends and family that she was being harassed by U.S. soldiers, was gang-raped by U.S. soldiers who then burned her body to hide the evidence and shot her parents and siblings in cold blood.  This heinous act, coming as it does in the wake of revelations about the massacre at Haditha, has only elevated the level of international outrage at the immunity granted to U.S. occupation forces in Iraq.

Responding to Secretary Rumsfeld who-speaking from Iraq-rejected Iraqi calls for revoking the immunity granted to US forces in Iraq, Iraq's Human Rights Minister stated that he will be going over Rumsfeld's head and will bring the request to revoke US immunity to the United Nations.

The week before that, the Supreme Court delivered a stinging rebuke to the Bush Administration's arrogation of power to itself by stating that the United States cannot hold prisoners at Guantanamo or elsewhere without permitting them due process under the law.

What these three developments tell us is that those of us who opposed this war from the beginning were right, and that the Supreme Court, the Iraqi Government, and even the Pentagon are now making policy that reflects what our position has been all along:

       .       We said NO to the attack on Civil Liberties!
       .       We said NO to a military occupation and  
                immunity for occupying forces!
       .       And we said NO to no-bid sweetheart contracts!

So I am here today, fasting in solidarity with those who promote peace, with women for peace.  And here I will invoke the words of Perpetua, an African woman of Carthage:  "Stand fast in the faith and love one another.  Do not let our suffering be a stumbling block to you."

For although we confront powerful forces and giant war profiteers, the justice of our cause will prevail.

Thank You.