LOS ANGELES, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Los Angeles City
Council adopted a resolution on Tuesday, calling for an end to the war in Iraq.
Los Angeles has become the largest city in the nation
to make such a call in the resolution passed on a 12-2 vote in the city council
chamber.
"We are calling for an immediate and complete
withdrawal of United States military personnel from Iraq," Councilman Bill
Rosendahl said.
"Today the city of Los Angeles is sending a message
loud and clear -- end the war in Iraq," he said, drawing cheers from an anti-war
audience packing the council chamber.
"We have lost too many of our young men and women to
this illegal and unjust war," said Rosendahl, who introduced the resolution.
Rosendahl said that among the more than 3,500 members
of the military who have died in Iraq, 409 came from California, including 115
from the Los Angeles area and 25 from the city.
"Supporting our troops does not mean keeping them in
Iraq," he said. "Supporting our troops means taking them out of this war and
bringing them home."
Rosendahl said the expense of fighting the war has
meant that more than 4.5 billion U.S. dollars in tax revenues have been diverted
from Los Angeles.
"This war has diverted funds that could be used for
important domestic needs that would improve the quality of life for Los Angeles
residents," he said.
