5-16-08, 1:40 pm

One of the country's largest antiwar veterans organizations asked Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), chair of the House Judiciary Committee, this week to meet to discuss pursuing impeachment proceedings against George W. Bush.

Veterans for Peace President Elliot Adams, a paratrooper and combat veteran of the Vietnam War, told Conyers he planned to deliver to the venerated House member more than 10,000 signatures on a petition in favor of impeachment.

According to a press statement from the veterans group, Adams' letter said, 'Having taken an oath to defend the Constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic, our members take…the obligation to impeach George W. Bush most seriously.'

'We must hold this administration accountable for waging a war of aggression against Iraq,' Adams stated.

Adams further reminded the progressive representative from Detroit that 'You have taken the same oath, Congressman Conyers, and we expect you will hold it just as sacred as we do and begin impeachment hearings at the soonest possible moment.'

Adams concluded his request by writing, 'Congressman Conyers, you have stood on the side of justice in battles too numerous to mention during your long career in the House. Will you one day go into retirement with a shadow over your entire record because you did not do everything possible to hold this criminal administration accountable? We genuinely hope not.'

Adams' request for a meeting comes on the heels of a letter circulated by Rep. Conyers and other members of Congress to President Bush, as well as to congressional colleagues and voters, that declared any pre-emptive, unauthorized strike against Iran un-Constitutional. According to the letter, 'it is our view that if you [President Bush] do not obtain the constitutionally required congressional authorization before launching preemptive military strikes against Iran or any other nation, impeachment proceedings should be pursued.'

The letter cited increasing drumbeats for an attack against Iran despite 'the December 2007 National Intelligence Estimate concluded that Iran had halted its nuclear weapons program in the fall of 2003, a stark reversal of previous Administration assessments.'

--Reach Joel Wendland at