[JPI] Oppose War on Iraq/UCC peace and justice alert

[Cecelia Hawkins]

Weekly Message #31 Justice & Peace Action Network:  OPPOSE WAR AGAINST IRAQ

Although the United States has been saber-rattling with Iraq
for years, President Bush and his more hawkish advisors have
now claimed that a US preemptive strike to remove Saddam
Hussein from power is inevitable and imminent.  The US must
attack first, they say, because Iraq possesses weapons of mass
destruction which threaten the security of the US and our
allies in the Middle East.

Despite intense diplomatic wheedling, however, there is almost
no support for a war even among our closest allies.  Most of
our allies and the rest of the world agree that no case for war
has been made.  It is not at all clear that Iraq poses any
immediate threat to the US or her neighbors in the Middle East
and there is serious doubt about the strength and viability of
Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction.  For the US to attack Iraq
unilaterally and preemptively would risk US credibility under
international law.

In fact, US-supported sanctions have been imposed on Iraq
for more than a decade.  Their original purpose was to ensure
Iraq’s compliance with UN resolutions which called for Iraq’s
withdrawal from Kuwait and for Iraq to be subject to
inspections for weapons of mass destruction.  Despite
modifications to the sanctions regime, those who have suffered
the most are Iraqi citizens who suffer malnutrition,
tuberculosis, and other preventable diseases–preventable
except for the extreme difficulty Iraqi has had in importing
the appropriate drugs.  The sanctions regime, on the other hand,
has strengthened Iraq’s regime.  One might argue that the
US-supported sanctions are a form of war against Iraq that has
resulted in over a million civilian deaths, at least half of
whom are children.

US policy toward Iraq must change, but war is not the answer.
The people of both the US and Iraq will feel grave
consequences from military action there.  The US is part of an
international community of nations, and must be open to its
allies’ expressions of caution.  As the lone superpower, the US
must also be consistent in its application of policy in the
Middle East and throughout the world.

Contact the Administration and Congress and let them know of
your opposition to provoking a war against Iraq.  You may voice
your concerns to the President at president at whitehouse.gov
or call the White House switchboard:  202-456-1414.  The Capitol
Hill switchboard number is 202-224-3121.  You may also e-mail
the members of Congress by first going to www.house.gov
and/or to www.senate.gov.







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