Libertarian Party Resolution on Iraq
The national Libertarian Party (LP) organization has taken their strongest position in favor of withdrawal from Iraq. At their national committee meeting yesterday in Las Vegas, the following resolution passed overwhelmingly.
WHEREAS the government of the United States should return to its historical libertarian tradition of avoiding entangling alliances, foreign quarrels, and military adventures and;
WHEREAS the armed forces of the United States have invaded Iraq, a foreign nation that neither directly attacked nor imminently threatened to attack the United States and;
WHEREAS the injustice and imprudence of this invasion cannot be undone by the continued presence of the armed forces of the United States in Iraq and;
WHEREAS the stability and security of Iraq lie outside the jurisdiction of the government of the United States;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Libertarian Party National Committee calls on the government of the United States to withdraw the armed forces of the United States without undue delay.
Former GOP Congressman Bob Barr, now a member of the LP national committee, strongly supported the resolution. Barr is essentially a “born-again libertarian” who has reversed his statist positions. He now strongly supports ending the US occupation of Iraq and opposes further adventurism in Iran and elsewhere. He now works as a lobbyist for the American Civil Liberties Union and the Marijuana Policy Project.
Barr is rumored to be considering a Libertarian Party run for President this November. The LP nominating convention will be held in late May.
UPDATE: Bob Barr issued this statement following the passage of the resolution:
“Given the lack of action by both the Democrats and Republicans to find a swift and safe conclusion to American adventurism in Iraq, it is imperative that the Libertarian Party stand resolute in its calls for ending the war without undue delay. The Libertarian Party refuses to back down on this paramount issue, even if we are the only Party standing up for the safety of our troops, the respect of our nation, and the stability of our economy. If President Bush wants this war, then he needs to go through Congress, as the Constitution requires the president to do. The lives of our troops and the wealth of our nation need protection from the adventurous whims of single individuals. Our current course of foreign policy jeopardizes the future of this great nation, and as long as the Libertarian Party has a voice, we will continue to fight to bring our men and women in uniform home as quickly and as safely as possible.”
Michael G.R.
February 18th, 2008 at 11:11 am
This makes sense, so of course it wasn’t done by anybody in government. Too bad.
Steve
February 18th, 2008 at 11:34 am
Has the Republican party become just a little to fascist for Bob Barr?
Third Party Watch » Blog Archive » LNC Iraq War Resolution
February 18th, 2008 at 11:56 am
[...] I’ve been so busy with Libertarian Party activities in Las Vegas that I haven’t had the time to keep up with reporting on what’s happening in Vegas. Eric Garris beat me to the punch on reporting one of the key issues coming from the Libertarian National Committee meeting, which is a resolution to get U.S. forces out of Iraq. [...]
John
February 18th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Congratulations to the Libertarian Party which has just taken an important step towards the restoring the international credibility of the United States, its citizens, and its ideals.
Libertarian Party Passes Anti-Iraq War Resolution « Satyagraha - Cultural Psychology
February 18th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
[...] Libertarian Party Passes Anti-Iraq War Resolution Posted on February 18, 2008 by John Uebersax According to Eric Garris, in a post at Antiwar.Com: February 18, 2008 [...]
Gene Berkman
February 18th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
I posted the LNC resolution on Iraq at the Libertarians for Ron Paul site @ http://www.libertariansforpaul.com
Also posted former Congressman Bob Barr’s statement on the Iraq War as a separate posting.
Stress » Finally, the LNC Antiwar Resolution
February 19th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
[...] Please give a big Stress Blog congrat to Wes Benedict, LPTX Executive Director and LNC Region 6 Representative for his fine work.  digg_skin = ‘compact’; — Angela [...]
FormerLPMember
February 19th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
So the Party of Principle has dropped the “LP Exit Strategy”? And the LNC has now, nearly five years after the unconstitutional invasion in March 03′, passed an Iraq Withdrawal Resolution. Do you think the LP will ever call for impeachments or the prosecution of war crimes? I don’t, not while you can find hypocritical debate and war mongering on the LP blog site.
peace
February 19th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
Bob Barr is someone that needs to be scrutinized.
Racketmensch
February 19th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
Ron Paul’s House primary is in two weeks, according to his page
http://www.ronpaulforcongress.com/index.html.
(give him $50.00 while you’re there)
If, God forbid, he lost the primary, how would that effect overall equation?
Would anyone care that he almost promised that he wouldn’t run as a third party candidate? I wouldn’t mind seeing Paul/Barr on both Lib and Const. tickets, but I could live with Barr/(Paul Craig) Roberts. (for instance)
I’m in…
Barr the Doer § Unqualified Offerings
February 19th, 2008 at 10:50 pm
[...] Nice news: Bob Barr strongly supported the Libertarian Party’s latest pro-withdrawal resolution on Iraq. Barr’s always been great on civil liberties, but when he first came to the LP he had some very Republican baggage re drug prohibition and militarism. [...]
The Liberated Space Continues… » You have a natural right to be a racist, homophobic sexist ass
February 19th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
[...] Leave it to TWP to turn a pleasant announcement on the LNC’s Antiwar Resolution into a petty discussion of racism. I say petty for all of the regulars at TWP are white men with the smattering of a little Jew here and a tad bit of queer there. I love my strong white libertarian men but they should probably leave the hand wringing to those of us who are not white, male or save for a stray thought of Starchild in chaps, irredeemably straight.   We appreciate the stand against collectivist stupidity but we mud people can speak for ourselves.  [...]
RLaing
February 22nd, 2008 at 4:15 pm
Before the United States can “return to its historical libertarian tradition of avoiding entangling alliances, foreign quarrels, and military adventures”, this tradition would first have to come into existence, don’t you think?
Oh right. You’re libertarians.
Weston
February 25th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
OMFG. I’ll give it one thing: it makes about as much sense as anything else Libertarians say. I love how it acknowledges the injustice of the war and then claims that the stability and security of Iraq fall outside our “jurisdiction.” That’s like busting into someone’s house, breaking all their stuff, and then claiming that what’s done is done, and you don’t have to repay them because their misfortunes are none of your business.
What matters isn’t whether the initial injustice and imprudence can be “undone”; what matters is whether we’ll do them more harm than good by staying. Aren’t Libertarians supposed to worship Nozick? Whatever happened to rectificatory justice?!
Ball
February 26th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
Too little, too late.
The LP had its chance to capitalize on the war issue (and might I add, the LIBERTY issue), but instead lost all credibility whatsoever.
Screw the LP! We need a non-partisan peace caucus which supports candidates regardless of party!
Haigh
March 2nd, 2008 at 3:48 pm
Thats good news.
Now there needs to be resolution resolving that the baby boom pay the whole $54 Trillion dollar bill for its own social security and medicare.
Third Party Watch » Blog Archive » Can Raimondo “come out” for Bob Barr?
March 7th, 2008 at 10:59 am
[...] There are rumors that Bob Barr, the former Republican congressman from Georgia, will launch a third party challenge on the right: Barr opposes the Iraq war, and has been part of a coalition of conservatives, liberals, and libertarians who oppose the PATRIOT Act, the Military Commissions Act, and similarly authoritarian measures recently imposed by the Bush regime and its Democratic enablers. A meeting between Barr and Ron Paul has been reported, but, as yet, nothing definite seems to have solidified – and the hour grows late. [...]
Treg
March 7th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
Ok, lets work with your analogy. Six criminals break into YOUR house, smash everything and are currently staying in your kitchen and living room making a shambles of everything, not helping much, only when you walk through the front door (that is after you show your id that you live there)….. Tell me, would really WANT these six criminals to stay there to “fix things up” …”for however long” or, would you like to see them “Just get the heck out of your house” and leave you and 30 million Iraqis the problem of getting your own house in order?
If “help” is to be “given”, then let it be we buy 100 million barrels of oil at twice the price. But leave we must and ASAP.
George Tallabas
May 1st, 2008 at 3:37 pm
The Iraq War should have never happenend. If the war was truly based on weapons of mass destruction as President Bush sold to the American people then we would currently be at war with Iran and Korea. The affect of this Iraq War on the U.S. Economy is unpresedented. Add the cost of the war to the mortage fallout and the cost of goods and services and this country is now on the brink of totally ruin.
…Without Undue Delay | Stress
September 17th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
[...] Libertarian Party when not destroying its credibility with the Antiwar Movement, actually does take stances. Not that you would know from recent Libertarian Party press [...]
Work Boots Guy
December 23rd, 2008 at 11:59 am
Ah, good post – gave me something decent to read while I am bored at work. I’ll have to check your site out more often :) Thanks!
Mike Renzulli
July 29th, 2009 at 10:54 pm
FWIW, The Maricopa County LP in Arizona passed a resolution condemning the Iraq war in 2006. Our resolution also called for the removal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and the impeachment of President Bush.
I take credit for being the author of the resolution on which this one was based.