New Vote Vets TV Ad

IN NEW TV AD, IRAQ VETERAN TELLS MCCAIN THAT TIMELINES FOR REDEPLOYMENT ARE A MATTER OF "IRAQI FREEDOM"

WASHINGTON - The largest group of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, with 100,000 members, VoteVets.org is today unveiling a national cable ad calling on Senator John McCain to listen to the sovereign government of Iraq, by setting timetables for the redeployment of U.S. forces from the Iraq war, or make clear that we are going to occupy Iraq indefinitely. The ad will begin airing on Friday and run through most of next week on national cable stations.
A low-res version of the ad can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-HfSY6LEqY
A hi-res version, suitable for broadcast, can be obtained by contacting e...@votevets.org

The ad features Brandon Woods, an Iraq War veteran from New York.

In the ad, Brandon says, "What did we fight for in Iraq? I have some idea. I fought in Operation Iraqi Freedom. And "freedom" means when the Iraqi people and their Prime Minister ask us to make a plan to leave, we do. But, Senator McCain would occupy Iraq indefinitely, against their wishes. That's not what freedom means. That's not what we fought for. Senator, I thought you would know better."

Jon Soltz, Iraq War Veteran and Chairman of VoteVets.org said, "Senator McCain once said that if the Iraqis asked us to leave, we would have to leave. Those of us who served agree with that. Senator McCain now either has to back off his refusal to set a plan to leave Iraq, as Prime Minister Maliki requested, or tell the American and Iraqi people why he would overrule Iraq's government and make our troops into an indefinite occupying force. Those are his only two options."

"There is a real enemy to fight in Afghanistan. It is time to heed the call of the Iraqis and plan to redeploy from their country and set our focus on destroying the real terrorist threat in the Afghansitan/Pakistan region," Soltz added. "We cannot want to be in Iraq more than the Iraqis want us to be there. We cannot referee Iraq's political problems with troops, especially when we have a real job to do protecting America from the terrorists in Afghanistan."

The ad was produced by Jonathan Cranin.

VoteVets.org is a pro-military organization committed to the destruction of terror networks around the world, with force when necessary. It represents the Voice of America's 21 Century Patriots - those who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. It primarily focuses on nonpartisan education and advocacy on behalf of troops, veterans and their families.