1. On October 11,2002, the United States Congress passed the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002. Public Law 107-243 cited Iraq's possession of weapons of mass destruction as a primary reason for deploying U.S. Armed Forces to Iraq. the United States initiated combat operations in Iraq on March 19, 2003.
   
   
2. Since the start of the Iraq war, hundreds of thousands of members of the U.S. Armed Forces have served with honor and distinction. The County Council supports the U.S. Armed Forces and salutes the brave soldiers who have served, and who are currently serving, our country. More than 60,000 veterans currently reside in Montgomery County.
   
   
3. As of September 2008, 4,168 members of the U.S. Armed Forces have been killed and 30,591 members have been wounded. The extent and severity of the injuries is unprecedented and reports document the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder among U.S. soldiers and veterans, which may have a life-long effect on these soldiers, their families, and the County.
   
   
4. Sources estimate that 1.2 million Iraqis have been killed since the start of the war.
   
   
5. As of May 2008, Iraqi Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Interior, and Counter-Terrorism forces numbered approximately 559,000 personnel.
   
   
6. The ongoing U.S. military occupation of Iraq has placed significant strains on the capacity of the U.S. Armed Forces and the National Guard. Since the war began over 5,900 Maryland National Guard members have been deployed, with approximately 1,300 deployed last year. This deployment has significant financial and emotional impacts and impairs our State's ability to respond to domestic emergencies.
   
   
7. According to the Congressional Research Service, the cost of deploying one U.S. soldier for one year in Iraq is $390,000.
   
   
8. In June 2008, president Bush signed a bill which appropriated approximately $200 billion more for the Iraq War, which will bring the cumulative total of U.S. spending to nearly $800 billion.
   
   
9. Montgomery County resident have contributed a total of approximately $2.8 billion or $5,800 per household to support the Iraq War. The Congressional Joint Economic Committee has estimated that the total costs, including war-related debt and care for our injured veterans through 2017, will be $3.5 trillion dollars.
   
   
10. The Iraq war and continued occupation have resulted in the devastation of Iraq's physical and social infrastructure and led to widespread and continuous resistance to U.S. occupation, which threatens the lives of Iraqi civilians and the men and women who serve in the U.S. Armed Forces and other occupying forces.