We stand on the precipice of war. We need a miracle to stop it.
A war against Iraq would be a tragedy beyond our imaginations.
Bush has called for “a moment of truth.” And indeed we need such truth against the big and persistent lies of the Bush administration.
It is a lie to suggest that war will bring peace. It will only bring increased violence, suffering and death.
It is a lie to paint the face of Saddam Hussein on the children of Iraq.
It is a lie to say that Security Council Resolution 1441 authorizes any country to attack Iraq. This resolution authorizes the UN inspectors to do their jobs as they are doing.
It is a lie to say that the United Nations is irrelevant. It has proven its relevance by standing up to the bullying and coercion of the United States. It has spoken for peace, for disarmament and for the weapons inspectors to continue their work.
By attacking Iraq, the Bush administration will make the United States an outlaw nation, as Blair will make the UK an outlaw nation. The US and UK will lose their credibility and moral basis for leadership.
The Bush administration has issued a list of Iraqis who will be held to account for international crimes. But if the US attacks Iraq, US and UK leaders will also be committing the crime of aggression, for which the German leaders were held to account at Nuremberg following World War II.
The best and perhaps only way to prevent an aggressive war at this time is for the United Nations to courageously refuse to leave Iraq and continue its weapons inspections under the mandate of Resolution 1441.
Would the United States and the United Kingdom dare to launch their “shock and awe” attack against the Iraqi people while the UN weapons inspectors continue to carry out their mandate in Iraq?
Here is the best proposal I have seen for making a miracle happen at this “moment of truth.” It is from Not in Our Name Santa Barbara.
DAVID KRIEGER is president of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. He can be contacted at dkrieger@napf.org.
ACT NOW! From Not in Our Name Santa Barbara
With Bush giving his war-declaring speech this evening (Monday) at 8:00 pm East Coast time (5:00pm West Coast), we need to act as quickly as possible. Here is a major initiative that is spreading rapidly, so please take a few minutes to support it.
Please write or call the Honorable Kofi Annan and various ambassadors to the U.N and demand that the inspectors STAGE A REVOLT against any order or request from the United States/Bush Administration/Pentagon for them to get out of Iraq.
The US cannot start dropping bombs with the inspectors still in Iraq and doing their duty as mandated by Sec. Res 1441. That would be absolute political suicide for Bush. The inspection team is possibly our last best hope, a group with influence to stop the bombs from falling.
Here’s a sample letter: —————————
Dear Honorable ______________________
Please ask your inspectors in Iraq to remain there to do their duty as mandated by Sec. Res 1441. Please announce that the US has no authority to evict the inspectors because they are United Nations employees. Furthermore, do not withdraw the inspectors from Iraq without an order from the UN Security Council.
If the inspectors remain, the US cannot start bombing. This is the last chance we have before the US proceeds with its “Shock and Awe” invasion of Iraq. If the US proceeds with its plan to pre-emptively strike Iraq in an aggressive war, the US is acting illegally and making an attempt to weaken the effectiveness of the United Nations. This sets a frightening precedent, is damaging to the international situation, and will most likely provoke, not stop, future terrorist acts.
The inspectors are the last best hope for the world.
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Addresses of the various UN ambassadors:
The Hon. Kofi Annan Secretary General of the United Nations sg@un.org ecu@un.org
FRANCE S.E. Ambassador M. Jean-Marc de LA Sabliere france-presse@un.int (212) 207-9765
RUSSIA H.E. Ambassador Mr. Sergey Lavrov rusun@un.int (212) 628-0252
UK H.E. Ambassador Sir Jeremy Greenstock uk@un.int (212) 745-9316
CHINA H.E. Ambassador Wang Yingfan chinamission_un@fmprc.gov.cn (212) 634-7626
ANGOLA S.E. Ambassador Dr. Ismael Gaspar Martins ang-un@angolamissionun.org (212) 861-9295
BULGARIA H.E. Ambassador Mr. Stefan Tafrov bulgaria@un.int (212) 472-9865
CAMEROON S.E. Ambassador Martin Belinga Eboutou info@cameroonmission.org (212) 249-0533
CHILE S.E. Ambassador Juan Gabriel Valdes chile@un.int (212) 832-0236
GERMANY H.E. Ambassador Dr. Gunter Pleuger contact@germany-un.org (212) 940-0402
GUINEA H.E. Ambassador M. Francois Lonseny Fall guinea@un.int (212) 687-8248
MEXICO S. E. Embajador Adolfo Aguilar Zinser mexico@un.int (212) 688-8862
PAKISTAN H.E. Ambassador Munir Akram pakistan@un.int (212) 744-7348
SYRIA H.E. Ambassador Dr. Mikha’il Wahbi syria@un.int (212) 983-4439
SPAIN H.E. Ambassador Inocencio F. Arias spain@spainun.org (212) 682-4460
