“The fact that such distinguished individuals would feel so strongly about these issues should send a strong signal to Senators and Members of Congress to seriously reconsider the wisdom of going forward with this legislation in its current form.   The warning contained in the letter from General Powell that the Bush plan would ‘put our own troops at risk' is stunning.  General Powell's warning should be heeded.  Our troops are valiantly giving their all on the battlefield and the last thing they need are greater risks to their safety and welfare.  And the fact that Mr. Powell states that ‘the world is beginning to doubt the moral basis of our fight on terrorism' is enormously significant. We cannot fight terrorism without the help and support of the world community. How can we count on that cooperation if the world comes to doubt the moral basis for that effort? The President must stop playing politics with life and death issues and act as a responsible leader of our citizens in upholding the values that are the moral foundation of our nation.”