[Peace] Fwd: FCNL: Legislative Action Message (12/20/02)

[Jay Mittenthal]

>Date: Fri, 20 Dec 2002 14:58:00 -0500 (EST)
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>Subject: FCNL: Legislative Action Message (12/20/02)
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>FCNL LEGISLATIVE ACTION MESSAGE - December 20, 2002
>
>The following action items from the Friends Committee on National
>Legislation (FCNL) focus on federal policy issues currently before Congress
>or the Administration.
>
>TOPICS: U.S. THREAT OF WAR ON IRAQ UNDERMINES UN WEAPONS INSPECTIONS
>
>On December 19, the White House issued an official response to the Iraq
>government's weapons declaration, which was given to the UN Security Council
>earlier this month.  (Under UN Security Council Resolution 1441, Iraq was
>required to issue a full report of its biological, chemical, and nuclear
>weapons program.)  Secretary of State Colin Powell, speaking on behalf of
>the White House, claimed the Iraqi government had not provided a full and
>accurate accounting of its weapons programs and was in further "material
>breach" of its international commitments to disarm.  The Security Council
>has not yet issued a collective response to Iraq's weapons declaration.  The
>Bush Administration has said it will give the UN inspections a few more
>weeks to proceed; however, its continued press toward war undermines the
>inspections process and the possibility for peaceful disarmament of Iraq.
>
>Rather than providing the strong support needed for the UN inspections to
>succeed, we see the Administration creating a pretext for war.  In doing so,
>the U.S. may squander the very real opportunity now available to peacefully
>disarm Iraq under the rule of international law.
>
>ACTION: Please contact your Members of Congress.  Tell them Congress must
>act to restrain the Administration's rush to war. Urge them to call on
>President Bush to support, not undermine, the UN weapons inspections.  The
>U.S. should halt its military build-up in the Middle East and fully commit
>to working through the UN Security Council to disarm Iraq without resort to
>war.  Any claims of Iraqi violations to Resolution 1441 must be vetted
>through the Security Council first and backed up with clear evidence.  The
>full Security Council needs time to review and respond to Iraq's declaration
>thoroughly, and UN inspectors need strong support for their continued work
>on the ground.
>
>Use FCNL's sample letter to write to your Members of Congress:  Start with
>the sample letter posted in our Legislative Action Center, personalize the
>language, then email or fax your message directly from our site.  You can
>also print it out and mail it.  To view the sample letter, click on the link
>below, then enter your zip code and click <Go> in the <Take Action Now> box.
>Here is the link:
>http://capwiz.com/fconl/issues/alert/?alertid=1108621&type=CO
>
>
>BACKGROUND:  Under Resolution 1441, Iraq's weapons report is to be reviewed
>and responded to through the UN Security Council.  Some members of the
>Security Council have raised concerns at the U.S.'s high-pressure tactics in
>obtaining an early copy of the report and moving toward a unilateral
>response.  UN weapons inspectors have also expressed frustration that U.S.
>officials continue to criticize the inspections process, without providing
>new intelligence or other evidence of problems.  The U.S. continues to
>pressure inspectors to interview Iraqi officials and their families outside
>of Iraq, although inspectors have raised objections to this tactic.
>Meanwhile, U.S. war plans - which have already led to significant deployment
>of troops and planning for a post-war occupation government in Iraq -
>threaten to undermine the inspections process and fracture the hard-won
>international unity now behind Resolution 1441.
>
>White House claims that Iraq is in "material breach" of its commitments
>under Resolution 1441 have not been backed up by UN weapons inspectors or
>other members of the Security Council.  On December 19, UN chief weapons
>inspector Hans Blix made an initial report on Iraq's declaration to the
>Security Council.  Blix, head of the UN Monitoring, Inspection, and
>Verification Commission (UNMOVIC), told the Security Council that Iraq's
>report left a number of questions unanswered and that analysis of the
>declaration would continue.  No other Security Council member has issued a
>unilateral response to the report.  The ten elected members of the Security
>Council received a much shorter version of the report only this week - after
>the U.S. and other permanent members of the Council had removed significant
>portions related to the development of weapons of mass destruction and lists
>of corporations that had supplied Iraq with material for its weapons
>programs. (U.S. companies and government agencies were included in the
>list.)
>
>By pursuing a unilateral course of action outside the Security Council,
>threatening war, and actively pursuing a military build-up in the region,
>the Bush Administration is undermining the possibility for successful UN
>weapons inspections and a peaceful resolution of the conflict with Iraq.
>Our government claims that it is using diplomacy backed by force, but U.S.
>actions reveal a bias for the use of military force shorn of diplomacy.
>
>War is not inevitable.  With strong U.S. support, the UN inspections can
>succeed.  However, the Security Council and UN inspectors must be given the
>time, resources, and support they need to complete their mission.
>
>Click here for FCNL Senior Military Advisor Dan Smith's latest commentary on
>the Iraq crisis.
>http://www.fcnl.org/issues/int/sup/iraq_un_declaration02dec20.htm.
>
>Thank You for Taking Action on North Korea!  Many thanks to the six
>hundred-plus people who sent letters to their Members of Congress last week
>urging the President to engage in direct negotiation with North Korea.
>Calling for a negotiated end to North Korea's nuclear program and an
>interruption of the escalation of confrontation in U.S.-North Korean
>relations is an essential part of FCNL's work on war prevention.
>
>CONTACTING LEGISLATORS
>
>Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 or 800-839-5276
>
>Sen. ________
>U.S. Senate
>Washington, DC 20510
>
>Rep. ________
>U.S. House of Representatives
>Washington, DC 20515
>
>Information on your members is available on FCNL's web site:
>http://capwiz.com/fconl/dbq/officials/directory/directory.dbq?command=congdi
>r
>
>CONTACTING THE ADMINISTRATION
>
>White House Comment Desk: 202-456-1111
>FAX: 202-456-2461
>E-MAIL: president at whitehouse.gov
>WEB PAGE: http://www.whitehouse.gov
>
>President George W. Bush
>The White House
>Washington, DC 20500
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