[Peace-discuss] Just Foreign Policy News, January 18, 2007

[Robert Naiman]

Just Foreign Policy News
January 18, 2007

Ask your Representative to Co-Sponsor the DeFazio and Jones "Iran War
Powers" Resolutions
Representative DeFazio (D) and Representive Jones (R) have introduced
resolutions re-affirming that President Bush cannot attack Iran
without Congressional authorization. Ask your Representative to
support them.
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/involved/warpowers.html

January 27-29: March on Washington and Lobby Day
UFPJ, MoveOn, Win Without War, many other groups and coalitions.
http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=3468

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Summary:
U.S./Top News
1) Representative Lynn Woolsey introduced a legislative proposal to
end the occupation of Iraq. In an op-ed in the San Francisco
Chronicle, she outlined the main provisions, including the withdrawal
of all U.S. troops within six months, prohibition of permanent U.S.
bases in Iraq, funding for reconstruction in Iraq and full funding for
veterans' benefits.

2) A bipartisan group of senators announced a formal resolution of
opposition yesterday to President Bush's buildup of troops in Iraq,
the Washington Post reports. The resolution urges the administration
to "engage nations in the Middle East to develop a regional,
internationally-sponsored peace and reconciliation process."

3) A strong majority of Americans opposes President Bush's decision to
send more troops to Iraq, and about half of the country wants Congress
to block the deployment, the Los Angeles Times reports. Despite the
widespread opposition to the troop escalation, Americans divide more
closely on whether lawmakers should try to stop it.

4) Sen. John Kerry called for an investigation into security
weaknesses in the Defense Department's surplus sales that have let
buyers for Iran and China acquire aircraft parts and other valuable
military gear, AP reports.

5) Senator Clinton called President Bush's plan to send more troops to
Iraq "a losing strategy" and proposed placing new limits on the White
House's conduct of the war, the New York Times reports. Her comments
amounted to her latest effort to bolster her credentials as a critic
of the war at the outset of the presidential race. Her political
offensive on Iraq came a day after Senator Obama announced he had
formed an exploratory committee for a presidential bid and three days
after John Edwards took a swipe at Clinton for not doing more to
oppose the war in Iraq. Hours after Clinton's announcement, Obama said
he, too, would support a cap on troop levels.

6) The Christian Science Monitor has a quiz testing your knowledge of
whether key Muslim leaders are Sunni or Shiite. Just Foreign Policy is
confident that readers of the Just Foreign Policy News will do fine.

Iran
7) Iran's president appears to be under pressure from the highest
authorities in Iran to end his involvement in the country's nuclear
program, the New York Times reports.

8) Iran offered the US a package of concessions in 2003 corresponding
closely to what the US is demanding today, but the offer was rejected,
the BBC reports. Lawrence Wilkerson, a top aide to Secretary of State
Colin Powell, told the BBC the State Department was keen on the plan,
but was over-ruled by the Vice-President's office.

Iraq
9) U.S. commanders have signaled that they will shy away from an
assault on the Baghdad stronghold of Iraq's biggest Shiite militia -
even though President Bush insists that driving armed groups from the
capital is key to his plan for success, AP reports.

Pakistan
10) A captive Taliban spokesman told Afghan agents the militia's
chief, Mohammad Omar, lives in Pakistan and is protected by Pakistan's
intelligence service, AP reports. Pakistan called the claim "totally
baseless."

Bolivia
11) Bolivia's central government said it will not recognize a parallel
administration set up by protesters in Cochabamba, BBC reports.

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Robert Naiman
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org