The ongoing debate over America's military involvement in Iraq came to Bismarck on Thursday as state lawmakers heard testimony on a resolution urging an end to the Iraq war.

Packed into a small committee room at the state Capitol, dozens of citizens on both sides of the issue showed up to voice their opinions. Others, who arrived too late to wedge their way into the standing room only crowd, peered in from the hallway through a window.

The measure they came to testify on is mostly symbolic, calling for a note to be sent to the federal government informing them of the North Dakota state government's position.

Faced with issuing a recommendation on the measure to the full Legislature, the Senate Political Subdivisions Committee took a middle path.

It amended the resolution from one that urged Congress and the President "to pursue peace in Iraq and disengage American combat forces from Iraq duty" to one that urged them "to continue to pursue peace in Iraq and Afghanistan."

The amended version, which also removed terms such as "civil and sectarian war," won the committee's recommendation 5-0. It now goes to the full Senate for debate.

Before voting, the committee heard nearly an hour of passionate testimony-both for immediate withdrawal and a continued U.S. presence in Iraq.

Lewis Lubka, of Fargo, said the war is endangering U.S. soldiers in a country that he believes was never an imminent threat to American in the first place.

Recalling his days as a parachute rifleman in WWII, Lubka said he worries about the toll that redeployments into the war zone are having on today's soldiers.

"I had the GI bill of rights when I came home," Lubka said. "What do these troops coming home now have? Rotation back to Iraq."

Rev. James Moos, an Air Force veteran and minister at Bismarck United Church of Christ, said the Iraq war must be looked at from a faith perspective as well as a political one.

After four years of war, Moos said he feels it has done more harm that good. He said he hopes America will follow the examples of Jesus Christ and Gandhi in valuing peace over war.

"Their courageous visions of peace grounded in justice are our only hope for the future," Moos said.

Others argued with equal passion against the resolution.

John Jacobson, a retired Army colonel from Bismarck, said such a resolution would send a message to our soldiers that the Legislature does not value the work they're doing.

"I consider this to be an insult to our brave men and women who are currently serving or have served in either Iraq or Afghanistan," he said.

Rep. Wes Belter, R-Leonard, said it's an illusion to think we can create peace by leaving Iraq now.

"If we leave we are responsible for the killing that goes on in its wake," he said.

In addition to the arguments for and against the war, Senators also had to consider whether they feel it's the state government's role to insert itself in issues like the Iraq war.

Sen. Curtis Olafson, R-Edinburg, questioned whether this was proper.

"What this resolution asks is that the Legislature try to insert itself into foreign policy," Olafson said.

The resolution's sponsor, Sen. Tim Mathern, D-Fargo, argued that it is because North Dakota has a big stake in the war.

A recent analysis by the Associated Press found that North Dakota had the third-highest rate of per capita Iraq casualties in the nation.

After the vote, Mathern said he would have preferred his original version, but is glad the idea of some kind of resolution urging peace in Iraq was approved.

"It appears they took out a clearer message about bringing out the troops, which I'm disappointed in," Mathern said. "But we've had the opportunity to discuss this, which is positive."

The measure is SCR 4022.