The Council of the American Library Association (ALA) has passed a resolution that calls for the withdrawal from Iraq of all U.S. military forces and a return of full sovereignty to the people of Iraq. The resolution passed June 29 during the annual conference of ALA in Chicago. The resolution further urges the U.S. government to switch its budgetary priorities from the occupation of Iraq to the improved support of vital domestic programs and calls upon the government to provide material assistance through the United Nations for the reconstruction of Iraq, including its museums, libraries, schools, and other cultural institutions. The resolution will be sent to all members of Congress, the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State, President, and the press. The Council is the governing body of ALA and determines all policies for the association.
-------------- Resolution on the Connection between the Iraq War and Libraries
*Whereas, the justifications for the invasion of Iraq have proven to be completely unfounded; and *Whereas, the war already has taken the lives of more than 100,000 Iraqis and more than 1700 U.S. soldiers; and *Whereas, these numbers will continue to mount as long as the U.S. remains in Iraq; and *Whereas, during the current occupation, many of Iraq's cultural treasures, including libraries, archives, manuscripts, and artifacts, have been destroyed, lost, or stolen; and *Whereas, as long as U.S. forces remain in Iraq, the inevitable escalation of fighting threatens further destruction of Iraq's cultural heritage; and *Whereas, the U.S. is spending billions of dollars every month for the occupation; and *Whereas, even a small fraction of these resources would be more than sufficient for rebuilding and greatly enhancing the libraries and educational institutions of both Iraq and the US; therefore, be it
*Resolved that the American Library Association calls for the withdrawal from Iraq of all U.S. military forces, and the return of full sovereignty to the people of Iraq.
*Resolved that the American Library Association urges the United States government to subsequently shift its budgetary priorities from the occupation of Iraq to improved support for vital domestic programs, including U.S. libraries.
*Resolved that the American Library Association calls upon the United States government to provide material assistance through the United Nations for the reconstruction of Iraq, including its museums, libraries, schools, and other cultural resources.
*Resolved that this resolution be sent to all members of Congress, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of State, the President of the United States, and the press.
Related ALA policies: 18.4 Resolution on Libraries and Cultural Resources in Iraq (June 25, 2003) 53.7 Destruction of Libraries 53.8 Libraries: an American Value Additional precedent: ALA Resolution on the Southeast Asia Conflict (1971) Mover: Tom Twiss; Seconder: Mary Sue Brown Approved by ALA Council, June 29, 2005