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QUOTE
Preparing the Battlefield Monday 07 July 2008 by: Seymour M. Hersh, The New Yorker http://www.truthout.org/article/preparing-battlefield
Please read the action alert below and make some calls and send the email alert. Even if you are not constituent, you should call these offices because of their role on the Foreign Relations Committee.
The toll free number to Congress, 1-800-828-0498.
Call these people:
Sen. Biden, Chairman of Sen Foreign Relations Comm.
Sen. Lugar, Ranking Member of Sen Foreign Relations Comm.
Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN), introduced SR 580 to Senate.
Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY), introduced HR 362.
1. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (has SR 580 and will vote on it). Ask for both majority and minority side of Committee.
2. House Foreign Relations Committee (has HR 362, and will vote on it).
John Yarmuth is not a co-sponsor of HR 362, but 77 other Democrats are. You should also call Sens. cConnell and Bunning to register your opposition to the Iran resolution
ANTIWAR.COM ACTION ALERT:
Introduced less than a month ago, Resolution 362, also known as the Iran War Resolution, could be passed by the House as early as next week.
The bill is the chief legislative priority of AIPAC. On its Web site, AIPAC endorses the resolutions as a way to ''Stop Iran's Nuclear Program" and tells readers to lobby Congress to pass the bill. In the Senate, a sister resolution, Resolution 580, has gained co-sponsors with similar speed. The Senate measure was introduced by Indiana Democrat Evan Bayh on June 2. It has since gained 19 co-sponsors.
The bill's key section "demands that the president initiate an international effort to immediately and dramatically increase the economic, political, and diplomatic pressure on Iran to verifiably suspend its nuclear enrichment activities by, inter alia, prohibiting the export to Iran of all refined petroleum products; imposing stringent inspection requirements on all persons, vehicles, ships, planes, trains, and cargo entering or departing Iran; and prohibiting the international movement of all Iranian officials not involved in negotiating the suspension of Iran's nuclear program."
"Imposing stringent inspection requirements on all persons, vehicles, ships, planes, trains, and cargo entering or departing Iran" can be read to mean that the president should initiate a naval blockade of Iran. A unilateral naval blockade without UN sanction is an act of war.
Resolution 362 has already gained 170 co-sponsors, or nearly 40 percent of the House. It has been referred to the Foreign Affairs Committee, which has 49 members, 24 of whom, including the ranking Republican, are co-sponsors. The Iran Nuclear Watch Web site writes, "According to the House leadership, this resolution is going to 'pass like a hot knife through butter' before the end of June on what is called suspension - meaning no amendments can be introduced during the 20-minute maximum debate. It also means it is assumed the bill will pass by a 2/3 majority and is non-controversial."
Our national legislators deem it non-controversial to recommend to a president known for his recklessness and bad judgment that he consider engaging in an act of war against Iran. Those of you who consider this issue controversial can go to the Just Foreign Policy Web site and tell your representative to oppose this resolution.
Please read the action alert below and make some calls and send the email alert. Even if you are not constituent, you should call these offices because of their role on the Foreign Relations Committee.
The toll free number to Congress, 1-800-828-0498.
Call these people:
Sen. Biden, Chairman of Sen Foreign Relations Comm.
Sen. Lugar, Ranking Member of Sen Foreign Relations Comm.
Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN), introduced SR 580 to Senate.
Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY), introduced HR 362.
1. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (has SR 580 and will vote on it). Ask for both majority and minority side of Committee.
2. House Foreign Relations Committee (has HR 362, and will vote on it).
John Yarmuth is not a co-sponsor of HR 362, but 77 other Democrats are. You should also call Sens. cConnell and Bunning to register your opposition to the Iran resolution
ANTIWAR.COM ACTION ALERT:
Introduced less than a month ago, Resolution 362, also known as the Iran War Resolution, could be passed by the House as early as next week.
The bill is the chief legislative priority of AIPAC. On its Web site, AIPAC endorses the resolutions as a way to ''Stop Iran's Nuclear Program" and tells readers to lobby Congress to pass the bill. In the Senate, a sister resolution, Resolution 580, has gained co-sponsors with similar speed. The Senate measure was introduced by Indiana Democrat Evan Bayh on June 2. It has since gained 19 co-sponsors.
The bill's key section "demands that the president initiate an international effort to immediately and dramatically increase the economic, political, and diplomatic pressure on Iran to verifiably suspend its nuclear enrichment activities by, inter alia, prohibiting the export to Iran of all refined petroleum products; imposing stringent inspection requirements on all persons, vehicles, ships, planes, trains, and cargo entering or departing Iran; and prohibiting the international movement of all Iranian officials not involved in negotiating the suspension of Iran's nuclear program."
"Imposing stringent inspection requirements on all persons, vehicles, ships, planes, trains, and cargo entering or departing Iran" can be read to mean that the president should initiate a naval blockade of Iran. A unilateral naval blockade without UN sanction is an act of war.
Resolution 362 has already gained 170 co-sponsors, or nearly 40 percent of the House. It has been referred to the Foreign Affairs Committee, which has 49 members, 24 of whom, including the ranking Republican, are co-sponsors. The Iran Nuclear Watch Web site writes, "According to the House leadership, this resolution is going to 'pass like a hot knife through butter' before the end of June on what is called suspension - meaning no amendments can be introduced during the 20-minute maximum debate. It also means it is assumed the bill will pass by a 2/3 majority and is non-controversial."
Our national legislators deem it non-controversial to recommend to a president known for his recklessness and bad judgment that he consider engaging in an act of war against Iran. Those of you who consider this issue controversial can go to the Just Foreign Policy Web site and tell your representative to oppose this resolution.
