STATEMENT FROM THE GOVERNOR ON THE FIVE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE IRAQ WAR

TRENTON - Governor Jon S. Corzine today issued the following statement regarding the five-year anniversary of the war in Iraq:

“Today marks the fifth anniversary of America’s involvement in Iraq, a war that has cost our nation nearly 4,000 American lives, including 87 from New Jersey, and literally tens of thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians. We must also never forget the 30,000 wounded U.S. troops whose lives have been irrevocably altered. This summer, New Jersey will mobilize close to 4,000 of our own National Guard for deployment to Iraq over the next year.

“Our State and America are honored by the unparalleled courage and service of our men and women in uniform. We are particularly proud of this generation of young people. Their sacrifice equals that of America’s veterans over the ages.

“Regrettably, the financial burden of the war -- roughly $500 billion and growing -- has deprived our nation of many worthy initiatives and investments that could have been made during the past five years. All Americans, clearly, want to stand up to protect our nation, but you don’t protect America by dissipating its resources and sacrificing the lives of our brave troops in a nation that had nothing to do with the vicious attacks on 9/11.

“I pray, along with millions of others, for a responsible and expeditious end to the war.”

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Photos from Governor Corzine's public events are available in the Governor's Newsroom section on the State of New Jersey web page, http://www.nj.gov/governor/news/