A MESSAGE FROM RAMSEY CLARK:
HURRICANE KATRINA, ANOTHER IMPEACHABLE CRIME

The stunning human tragedy of Katrina makes the impeachment of President Bush
more urgent. His priority is not poor people, but militarism to exploit the
poor at home and abroad.

President Bush sent National Guard units to Iraq from Alabama, Louisiana and
Mississippi in a criminal war of aggression and military occupation. They were
thus unavailable to provide emergency services in their own states, or
protect their own families. He refused to return them from Iraq to save and serve
their own people, instead only authorizing the return of some Air National Guard
personnel to protect and repair equipment at an Air Force Base. The forces
and the resources that they command should be used to meet people's needs, not
for violence.

His tax cuts for the rich, huge increases in military spending and deliberate
slashes in social programs, including those funds specifically requested for
flood control and to strengthen dikes in New Orleans and the surrounding
areas, and his complete failure to even consider emergency transportation for the
known poor in the path of a level-5 hurricane, followed by days of failure to
send federal emergency relief personnel to seek and save the many thousands
whose lives were known to be threatened, who were pleading for help on television
and who faced death, was criminal negligence at best, and a failure to
faithfully perform his duties as President.

George W. Bush will never recognize the rights or human dignity of the
immense and growing population of Americans - overwhelmingly African American and
other minorities and elderly - living in Third World conditions here at home.
They were the principal victims of Katrina, as they are of his failure to assure
equal protection of the laws to all. Their plight and peril will worsen while
President Bush remains President.

The only act that can stop President Bush from continuing his criminal war of
aggression against Iraq and his arrogant criminal acts and threats against
Cuba, Haiti, Iran, Korea, Syria, Venezuela and any country in his path is
impeachment. Impeachment is an act already two years past due. The cost of delay is
staggering: two thousand U.S. military deaths, ten thousand and more wounded,
many thousands more disabled, more than 100,000 Iraqi deaths, several hundred
thousand injured, nearly $200,000,000 in federal funds, and even greater
damage to Iraq in shattered lives and smashed cities and infrastructure. The cost
of delay, already staggering, is greater every day.

While proclaiming freedom his credo, George W. Bush has done more to destroy
freedom and the human dignity which it nourishes than all other Presidents in
our history. Who would have dreamed of Abu Ghraib, scores of prisoners
murdered, assassinations and summary executions, Guantanamo, thousands imprisoned in
the U.S. without Constitutional protections, or sent to be tortured in client
states with impunity, all for a President and those acting for him? What prior
President has proclaimed himself above the law, coerced more than 100
countries into bilateral treaties promising never to surrender a U.S. citizen to the
International Criminal Court?

The world watches and wonders why, if the American people are free, they fail
to resist the criminal violence of their President.

The only act that can redeem the United States in the hearts and minds of
those still capable of forgiving and believing our government can change its
violent ways is the impeachment of George W. Bush and the responsible officials of
his administration before it is too late.

The time to begin a final drive for impeachment is now. Together, we are not
helpless. Power is in the people united for peace. Perseverance through the
midterm Congressional elections in November 2006 can force incumbent members of
the House of Representatives to impeach President Bush or face defeat. Failing
that, it can restore integrity and honor to the President's oath to
"preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

The Constitution, written with the abuses of King George III painfully in
mind, is unequivocal in the action required for criminal conduct of civil
officers of the United States:

"The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States,
shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason,
Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors." Article II, Section 4.

The Nuremberg Judgment proclaimed war of aggression "the Supreme
international crime." World War II was comprised of wars of aggression. President Bush
boasted assassination and summary executions in his 2003 State of the Union
message.

We need your help. Vote to Impeach. Persuade others to vote to impeach now.

The impeachment campaign will be achieving its largest ever street visibility
by organizing a huge contingent on September 24th, at what will be the
largest peace demonstration in Washington D.C. since the war of aggression against
Iraq began in March 2003. The demonstration will call loud and clear for
impeachment, withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, and full
reparations to the victims of U.S. violence.

We are organizing buses from many cities on September 24th. Ticket prices are
being kept low so that everyone who wants to come can attend. Printing
banners, signs, posters add to the expenses. We are also preparing to publish
another round of full page ads in the New York Times and other newspapers so that
the message of impeachment resonates not only on September 24, but in the
critical weeks and months ahead.

We need money now to help promote and transport people who want peace to
Washington on September 24, for the next round of newspaper ads, and for the
acceleration and continuation of the impeachment drive into the Congressional
elections next year. Please take a moment to make a much needed donation:
<A HREF=http://mail.yahoo.com/config/login?/"http://www.pephost.org/site/R?i=kAxmEeDT7DeaM4i5XrEJLQ..">
http://www.pephost.org/site/R?i=kAxmEeDT7DeaM4i5XrEJLQ.. </A>

Sincerely,
Ramsey Clark