The state Council of Churches executive director, the Reverend Dennis Sparks, said, "the time has come to question the president and our congressional policies that continues to foster terrorist insurgency at a huge cost to our soldiers and their families, and to the Iraqi people themselves. We agree with the statement of our senior senator from West Virginia, when he said on the senate floor: 'Too much blood has been spilled already.'" Like Senator Byrd, we "offer our deepest sympathies to the brave men and women who have given their lives in selfless dedication to service to our nation."

Many of the soldiers and their families are West Virginians who have made great sacrifices for "Operation Iraqi Freedom." They are members of churches or other faith communities in our state. We offer our solidarity with these people who are our own - church members, neighbors, fellow workers, their spouses, or sons and daughters. In partnership with our West Virginia National Guard Chaplains office, we have offered training to church pastors teaching ways for local faith communities to support families prior to leaving, when the solider is away and when they return home.

Initially, acting upon the resolution on September 1, 2005, the West Virginia Council of Churches is required to offer each executive from 18 member church bodies the opportunity to offer modifications or opposition. The process has demonstrated b support for the STEP resolution initially prepared by the Friends Committee on National Legislation that is affiliated with the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).

Whereas President George W. Bush stated on April 13, 2004 that "as a proud and independent people, Iraqis do not support an indefinite occupation and neither does America" and that the U.S. will remain in Iraq "as long as necessary and not one day more";

Whereas Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld assured the Senate Armed Services Committee on February 17, 2005, that "we have no intention, at the present time, of putting permanent bases in Iraq";

Whereas the Wall Street Journal reported in February 2005 that 60% of the people in the United States think that the Bush administration should set a public or private timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq;

Whereas former Secretary of State James Baker, former Pentagon official Anthony Cordesman, the International Crisis Group, and other respected leaders and analysts have said that it is critical that the U.S. government declare now its intention to fully withdraw from Iraq;

Whereas political parties opposed to the ongoing U.S. military presence won the overwhelming majority of votes in Iraq's January 2005 election and a clear majority of voters interviewed in exit polls cited their desire to see an end to the military occupation as a major impetus for voting;

Whereas the perception that the U.S. intends to permanently occupy Iraq aids insurgent groups in recruiting supporters and fuels violent activity;

Whereas political dialogue with insurgent groups is doubtful unless the U.S. clearly states its intention to withdraw from Iraq;

Whereas we can best honor the lives and memories of all who have died in Iraq by expediting the end of the war, bringing U.S. troops home as quickly as possible, and supporting the Iraqi people in rebuilding their country;

Whereas a clear statement of intent to fully withdraw U.S. troops and bases does not imply the setting of a particular deadline, time frame, or exit strategy;

Whereas such a statement would send a b signal to the people of Iraq and the international community that the United States does not have imperial intentions in Iraq and affirms that the Iraqi people will regain through their elected representatives the full exercise of national sovereignty, including control over security and public safety;

Therefore, be it resolved that the Board of Directors of the West Virginia Council of Churches approved this resolution at its regular meeting on September 1, 2005 and has gone through the process to inform its member church bodies of its action;

Therefore, be it resolved that the West Virginia Council of Churches holds in our prayers the people of Iraq, the U.S. troops and international troops and humanitarian workers in Iraq, the leaders of Iraq and the United States, and all others affected by this war;

Be it also resolved that the West Virginia Council of Churches calls on the United States Congress to adopt a sense of the Congress resolution declaring: "It is the policy of the United States to withdraw all U.S. military troops and bases from Iraq";

Be it also resolved that the West Virginia Council of Churches will present a copy of this resolution to the members of Congress who represent the district in which the congregation is based;

And be it also resolved that the West Virginia Council of Churches will send a copy of this resolution to the local media.