Just a few days ago Independence Day came and went, and did anyone notice? June 28th was the day the US returned sovereignty to Iraq in 2004, and it should be a day of celebration, a day when Iraqis mark their equal status among nations, just as America did more than two centuries ago.

But even when, finally, the Iraqi people are truly able to steer their own course and run their country as they see fit, I doubt that June 28th will be celebrated as a true Independence Day in Iraq. Would we be celebrating if our Declaration of Independence had been edited by King George III? What if Britain maintained troops and military bases inside our major cities? Would we mark the day this "independence" began with fireworks and parades?

Occupation and Independence cannot co-exist. Until our troops leave Iraq, until our brothers and sisters come home and we end this grim chapter in our history, Iraq will remain as it is today, four years after its supposed independence: a country wracked with violence where Iraqi civilians and US troops continue to die every day. By continuing to occupy Iraq, we make a mockery of our own history, our own struggle for independence.

In our Declaration of Independence, the government derives its power from the consent of the governed. We are veterans and soldiers, and we have withdrawn our consent. We ask you to stand with us to force our leaders to submit, as they should, to the will of the people and end this war now.

We need to do more than just celebrate our Independence Day this July 4th; we need to live up to the ideals it represents. It's time for us to leave Iraq, and to let Iraqis write their own history.

Kelly Dougherty
Former Sergeant, Army National Guard
Executive Director
Iraq Veterans Against the