About ETWF.org

The ETWF strategy promoted on this web site was initially developed by Dr. John S. Atlee -- a semi-retired professional economist (Ph.D Columbia 1956) and 1974 founder of the stable-full-employment-focused Washington think tank, the Institute for Economic Analysis. He has also been a lifelong inventor, problem-solver, opponent of the imperial aspects of American foreign policy and advocate of more effective international law and a stronger and more democratic United Nations. He was instigator of the 1968 Vietnam War historical documentary, "In the Year of the Pig" and author of a brief 1982 book on Cold War history.

The ETWF strategy had its developmental roots in several factors:

1. Anger at Bush's 2003 start of the falsely-promoted, illegal -- and unwinnable -- Iraq War.
2. Joy at the 2006 election mandate to end that war -- responsibly, honorably and as quickly as possible.
3. Dismay at the newly elected Democratic Congress's seeming inability to honor that mandate -- by allowing itself to be stymied by the Bush/Republican phony "de-funding the troops" accusation.
4. Recognition of the symbolic usefulness of the imperial-size and highly fortified New Embassy Compound (NEC) in Baghdad's fortified Green Zone:

   1. the way it broadcasts to the world Bush's true purpose for his hated war and occupation makes it a highly appropriate SYMBOL for mobilizing opposition to that war and occupation;
   2. the way its basic design and construction -- including its recently-demonstrated inherent military vulnerability -- also makes it effectively dysfunctional either for a normal peacetime embassy or for its real Bush purpose as a command and control center for his "enduring" military occupation of a compliant Iraq;
   3. the revelations last fall that the design and construction of this "embassy" were so badly bungled that it needed another $144 million funding and at least another year before occupancy;

   all of which strongly suggests the use of a simple fiscal prudence call for suspending further financing and construction (until its potential foreign-policy utility can be re-evaluated by the next President and Congress) as a vehicle for hearings on the true motives for the invasion and ongoing occupation, without falling into the "de-funding the troops" trap.

5. The use of such hearings to create support for a Congressional resolution book-ending the original resolution that made the war possible and repudiating the original aim of permanent occupation -- politically, rather than militarily, ending the role of the U.S. as to-be-shot-at enemy in Iraq and adding ease and credibility to the subsequently necessary negotiations on withdrawal.
6. The use of a failure on the part of the Administration to act on this resolution as a trigger to launch impeachment hearings.

The rush on the part of the Administration to establish a long-term Status of Forces agreement (unprecedented in terms of involving U.S. forces in active military activity) and to institutionalize long-term radical destructive changes in the Iraqi economy has made it all the more important to end the war and, if necessary, to remove the architects of these policies as soon as possible, well before the coming elections.

Contact:   info (at) endthewarfirst.org
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