New York Congressman Hinchey gave a terrific speech on 9/19/05 about the "conspiracy" to take the country to war in Iraq and on the 4 Lansing war protesters who ironically were charged with conspiracy.
Here's the start of the speech:
"The circumstances that bring you here today are critically important to the future of our country. We are engaged as a nation now in a very tragic circumstance in the Middle East. Our country was attacked on September 11, 2001. Unfortunately and tragically, the Administration of George W. Bush twisted and manipulated and distorted information, facts and intelligence to attempt to justify an attack on a country that had absolutely nothing to do with the attack on the United States on September 11, 2001.
The Bush Administration wanted to attack Iraq not because the United States was injured but for their own private, personal and political reasons and for nothing else.
As a result of that, they have caused an enormous amount of distress for our country. They have placed us in a very awkward situation with regard to other people around the world, other nations. They have cost us an enormous amount of money - now more than 200 billion dollars and increasing a more than five billion dollars a month. But much more important than that, they have cost the lives of innocent people.
Among these innocent people are men and women who wear the uniforms of the American military - who never should have been placed in those circumstances in the first place."
They were placed there unjustly, dishonestly and as a result now, nearly 2,000 of them, American men and women, have lost their lives. Approximately 45,000 have been wounded and injured - many very, very seriously, in ways that will impede their actions for the rest of their lives, that will impact negatively on their entire future. And also as many as 100,000 Iraqis have been killed and probably about half that number were civilians - mostly women and children.
Here's a link to the article that published the speech followed by the speech in full.
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/3123