[pjw] INFO: 11 Oregon Groups ask Governor Kotek to keep the National Guard in Oregon

[Peace and Justice Works]

Hello PJW supporters

We just sent out this year's letter to Governor Kotek about keeping the 
National Guard in Oregon.

Below is the version that went to the media-- feel free to share!

dan handelman
peace and justice works iraq affinity group

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Date: Thu, 22 Aug 2024 12:27:45
From: Peace and Justice Works <pjw at pjw.info>
To: News Media <newsmedia at pjw.info>
Subject: INFO: 11 Oregon Groups ask Governor Kotek to keep the National 
Guard in Oregon

On August 22, eleven Oregon-based organizations sent a letter to Governor 
Tina Kotek asking her to keep Oregon's Guard away from undeclared war 
zones.

The group Peace and Justice Works has coordinated such letters to the 
governor nearly every year since 2004.

The letter is below and at
https://pjw.info/guardhomeletter2024.html

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


Peace and Justice Works
     PO Box 42456
     Portland, OR   97242
     (503) 236-3065 (call or text)
     pjw at pjw.info
     https://www.pjw.info


August 22, 2024

To: Governor Tina Kotek

Re: Deployment of Oregon National Guard to undeclared war zones


Governor Kotek:

Last year, we sent you a letter similar to the ones we've been sharing 
with Oregon's military Commanders-in-Chief since 2004. The letters have 
urged our Governors not to send the Oregon National Guard overseas for 
combat and support missions in countries against which Congress has not 
declared war. About 15 years ago, many of the groups organized in the 
legislature to push for a Resolution calling for such a policy. The Keep 
Oregon's Guard in Oregon campaign specifically asked to not deploy the 
Guard to Iraq or Afghanistan under the already outdated 2001 and 2002 
Authorizations for Use of Military Force. Over 7000 Oregonians from around 
the state submitted signatures in support.

We are very troubled that during the time we were gathering signatures for 
this letter, you approved the deployment of the Guard to two such 
undeclared war zones, Iraq and Syria.*-1 Not only does this put 
Oregonians' lives in jeopardy, but it comes as Oregon has the dubious 
distinction of having the most wildfires of any state in the US. We 
understand that their initial deployment has been to Oklahoma for 
training, so perhaps there is still time to keep them home.

The 2001 AUMF is specific to those responsible for what happened on 9/11 
that year. The 2002 AUMF was about ousting Saddam Hussein from power, 
something the US did by military force in 2003. Even though Congress has 
talked about formally revoking or modifying these Authorizations, they 
remain in place. They have been used to justify US military actions in 
Yemen, Somalia, Libya, Pakistan and Syria, as well as continued operations 
in Iraq and Afghanistan. Despite the withdrawal of US troops from the 
latter country, the US asserts its right to keep an "over-the horizon" 
presence there, and maintains 2500 troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria.*-2

Oregonians need our National Guard to remain locally available to assist 
in combating wildfires, conducting search and rescue missions, and 
providing support for the medical system in public health crises such as 
the COVID pandemic. As the climate crisis continues to worsen, there will 
likely be more natural disasters needing the Guard's attention in the 
years to come.

In 2020, we noted that six of Oregon's 13 helicopters normally used to 
fight wildfires were deployed in Afghanistan.

We once again urge you to declare a policy that Oregon's Guard will not 
take part in any current or future deployments without a formal 
declaration of war from Congress. Open-ended Authorizations for Use of 
Military Force have been used to justify ongoing war actions without 
congress reconsidering the underlying policies.

Examples of proper discretion when the Guard is called upon include 
Governor Brown refusing to have the National Guard participate in crowd 
control during the 2020 racial justice uprisings in Portland, or to head 
to the Mexican Border to meet President Trump's request.

Many of us reached out to you as a candidate in August 2022 to seek your 
opinion on this life-and-death policy issue for Oregon's Guard.

We are sending this letter to you not long after the 79th anniversary of 
the US bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. People need to think about the 
devastation caused by war no matter which side you are on. Please make 
Oregon a leader in de-escalating world tensions. Keep Oregon's Guard in 
Oregon.

Thank you,

Dan Handelman for
Peace and Justice Works (Portland)

Rick Staggenborg, MD, President for
Veterans For Peace Linus Pauling Chapter 132 of Corvallis-Albany

Southern Oregon Peace Vets (Rogue Valley)

Veterans For Peace PDX Chapter 72

Oak Grove Peace Vigil

Washington County Peace Vigil

Michael Carrigan for
Planet vs. Pentagon (Eugene)

Taxes for Peace Not War (Eugene)

Peace House (Ashland)

Albany Peace Seekers

The Rogue Valley FCNL Advocacy Team

*1- 
https://ktvz.com/news/war-military/2024/08/10/oregon-national-guard-unit-holds-mobilization-ceremony-before-year-long-middle-east-deployment/

*2-  https://taskandpurpose.com/news/us-anti-isis-operation-iraq-syria/