Washington, OCT 26, SPA -- More than 100 former U.S. military members have signed a petition urging Congress to support the prompt withdrawal of all American troops and bases from Iraq. Staying in Iraq will not work and is not worth the price. It is time for U.S. troops to come home, the petition said. As a patriotic American proud to serve the nation in uniform, I respectfully urge my political leaders in Congress to support the prompt withdrawal of American military forces and bases from Iraq, it reads. The group, which aims to collect 2,000 signatures and deliver the message to Congress in January, is sponsored by antiwar activists including Iraq Veterans Against the War, Veterans for Peace and Military Families Speak Out. The petition is unusual the first of its kind in the Iraq war, organizers say and makes use of a legal protection afforded by the Military Whistle-Blower Protection Act, which allows members of the military, acting as citizens, to send protected communications to Congress without reprisal. Just because you put on the uniform of our country doesn t mean you ve given up your rights as a citizen, said J.E. McNeil, executive director for the Center on Conscience & War, a Washington organization that protects the rights of conscientious objectors. Service members exercising that right must do so while off duty and out of uniform. They must also make clear they are not speaking for the military, and cannot say anything disrespectful about their commanders, including the president, McNeil said. Navy Seaman Jonathan Hutto of Atlanta was the first service member to sign the appeal. I hear discussions every day among my shipmates about the war in Iraq and how it doesn t make any sense at this point, Hutto said. There is no victory in sight, and war is still inevitable. Hutto said he now opposes the war because of its human and economic tolls. War funds, he says should be spent on domestic jobs and education. Others express similar skepticism about the possibility of success in Iraq. Marine Corps Sergeant Liam Madden, who served in Iraq s Anbar province, said his opposition to the war increased when he returned to the United States. I don t think any more Iraqis or Americans should die because of the U.S. occupation, he said. I think some things are worth fighting for, I just don't feel Iraq is one of them, he said.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/398202