7. Investigate Intelligence Manipulation and War Profiteering

WHEREAS the war in Iraq has resulted in the loss of over 2,300 American lives and more than 17,000 wounded soldiers,  and has cost the American people $270 billion dollars;       

WHEREAS the basis for going to war was Iraq's alleged possession of weapons of mass destruction and the  President made a series of misleading statements regarding  threats posed by Iraq, which it now appears he knew were false;       

WHEREAS the Vice President's Chief of Staff Lewis Libby has been indicted on five counts of perjury, obstruction of  justice, and making false statements in connection with the  disclosure of the identity of a CIA operative, and that  disclosure was part of a pattern of Administration efforts to  discredit critics of the Iraq war;       

WHEREAS the American people have spent $20.9 billion dollars to rebuild Iraq with much of the money squandered on no-bid contracts for Halliburton and other favored  contractors;     

WHEREAS Halliburton received a sole-source contract worth $7 billion to implement the restoration of Iraq's oil  infrastructure, and a senior Army Corps of Engineers official  wrote that the sole-source contract was ``coordinated with  the Vice President's office'', and the Republican controlled Government Reform Committee voted to  reject a subpoena by Democratic Members appropriately seeking  information on communications of the Vice President's office  on awarding contracts to Halliburton;       

WHEREAS prisoner abuses at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, Guantanamo, and Afghanistan have seriously damaged the reputation of the United States,

WHEREAS the oversight of decisions and actions of other branches of government is an established and fundamental responsibility of Congress;       

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Democratic Party of Maui call upon the U.S. Congress to  comply with their oversight responsibilities, demand they  conduct a thorough investigation of abuses relating to the  Iraq War,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Democratic Party of Maui condemns Congress' refusal to conduct oversight of the Executive Branch.

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Democratic Party of Maui call upon the U.S. Congress to implement a thorough independent investigation of the apparent manipulation of intelligence and efforts to facilitate war profiteering by the White House with an eye toward bringing criminal charges against those who may have mislead the public.