A national veteran’s group that supports clean energy has called on the local Conservatives for Congress Committee to remove its ad criticizing U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ inquiry about renewable energy in America’s wars.

The Operation Free organization includes more than 700 veterans who have participated in lobbying activities in Washington, D.C., gone on a multi-state tour, or signed letters asking Congress to take action to reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil.

They are responding to an ad Conservatives for Congress is airing on local television stations this week, which highlights an exchange between Giffords and Gen. David Petraeus about the American troops’ oil dependence in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The heavily-edited video in the ad includes just a few words from each, carefully selected from a four-minute question and answer exchange in a congressional committee meeting.

U.S. Marine Corps veteran Jonathan Murray called the ad “inaccurate and even insulting” during a news conference Wednesday. Murray is an Operation Free director.

The news conference also included former Davis-Monthan Air Force Base Commander Lt. Gen. Norman Seip, who said reducing dependence on oil will reduce the number of dangerous convoys to transport the fuel. “Which means less opportunities for our enemy to attack our young men and women and put them in harm’s way,” Seip said.

Also today, Giffords released a list of 20 veterans condemning the ad and supporting her for taking on a life-and-death issue for troops.

“The bogus ad by Conservatives for Congress takes an issue of life and death for our troops and turns it into fodder for a cheap political attack. What a disgrace. Shame on them for disrespecting our brave men and women in uniform,” the group says in a joint statement. Included among the 20 is Retired Gen. John Wickham, former President Ronald Reagan’s U.S. Army Chief of Staff.

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