FERNANDO SUAREZ DEL SOLAR
Fernando Suarez del Solar (whose primary language is Spanish) is the father of Jesus Alberto Suarez del Solar Navarro, who died in Iraq on March 27. He will be leaving on a delegation for Iraq this Saturday and is available for a limited number of interviews. He said today: “Bush goes and looks like he loves the troops with his posturing. We will be going to Iraq and speak with people in the streets, with the Iraqis and with the troops to try to find out what is happening…. Bush says he wants to make a transition of power to Iraqis, and then says he might send more troops.”
JERI REED
Reed’s son has been in Iraq since March. She is a history PhD candidate at the University of Oklahoma and a member of Military Families Speak Out. She said today: “It was obviously a big publicity ploy…. These types of events are all orchestrated. Many of the soldiers are just as angry as we are. While the ceremony was going on, a U.S. convoy was attacked. Bush is awfully gallant with our kids’ lives. He took a long trip over there and only spent two and a half hours. It’s apparent to him that it’s not safe there. He’s saying that we’re going to stay no matter what they do to us — well they’re not doing anything to him. We don’t need him going there, we need to bring the troops back here.”
More Information
JARI SHEESE
Sheese owns a small business in Indianapolis, Indiana. Her husband is stationed in Iraq. She said today: “My husband has been away from home for 308 days now. I guess I have 200 more if the latest orders don’t get changed again. I don’t really count down since my husband was only supposed to be gone for 179 days. Today I counted to just see how that compared to the few hours George Bush spent in Iraq, how that compared with the time he spent away from his family. In the end, it just seemed like a photo opportunity that will be used for his election next year. It makes me wonder what else he has up his sleeve…. So for now, all I have is one more day that I didn’t get a knock at my door by some soldiers in uniform. That is what I am thankful for this day — no thanks to George Bush.”
For more information, contact at the Institute for Public Accuracy:
Sam Husseini, (202) 347-0020; or David Zupan, (541) 484-9167
