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‘De-certifying’ the Iran Deal May Be Trump’s Most Reckless Decision Yet, by Phyllis Bennis

admin — Fri, 20 Oct 2017 12:21:50 +0000

Iran is complying with the nuclear deal. Trump, on the other hand, is risking a war — and torching U.S. credibility.

Trump’s cascading recklessness in his Iran policy continues to put the United States, Iran, the Middle East, and indeed the world at great peril. (Image: SS&SS / Flickr)

Despite heavy competition, Trump’s latest Iran move ranks near the top of the list of the most reckless actions of this ever-so-reckless presidency. The president announced recently that he was refusing to certify Iran’s compliance with the landmark nuclear agreement it reached with the U.S. and several other world powers during the Obama administration.

This dangerous move won’t scuttle the deal entirely — at least not yet — but it undermines the strength of the international agreement and ultimately increases the threat of war. While Trump has said he’s not pulling out of the deal just now, he’s threatening to do so if Congress doesn’t pass new sanctions .

With virtually every Iran expert on the planet in agreement that Tehran is keeping its end of the nuclear deal, it’s clear that Trump’s motives are purely political. But if anything that makes his decision only more dangerous.

Outright Lies

The Iran nuclear deal — officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA — is widely recognized as one of President Obama’s most important diplomatic successes. And it’s working exactly as it was designed to do.

The UN nuclear inspection agency, the U.S. intelligence community, and every serious expert on Iran’s nuclear program from across the globe all agree that Iran is complying with the requirements of the deal. That means, among other things, that Iran’s supply of low enriched uranium is now about 1 percent of what it used to be, it has no highly enriched uranium, and its nuclear program is under tight international inspection.

Yet Trump scorned pleas from key U.S. allies, members of Congress from both parties, and his own top security advisers, all of whom urged him to maintain the deal.

In withdrawing from a deal that Iran was keeping in good faith, Trump abandoned any pretense of maintaining U.S. credibility as a reliable negotiating partner. Instead, he justified decertifying Iranian compliance with a combination of exaggerations, complaints about actions that have nothing to do with the actual terms of the deal, and outright lies.

In remarks announcing his action, Trump claimed that “the Iranian regime has committed multiple violations of the agreement — for example, they exceeded the 130 metric ton limit of heavy water.” As the Guardian pointed out, that statement was “misleading at best. On two occasions, Iran’s stockpile of heavy water flowed over the ceiling imposed by the deal, but the situation was quickly rectified and Iran’s reserve is now below the limit. Nor is heavy water a direct proliferation threat.”

He also tossed out the line, without a shred of evidence, that “many people believe Iran is dealing with North Korea.”

He lied about Iran getting “paid up front” when the deal was signed, “rather than at the end of the deal when they have shown they’ve played by the rules.” Trump implied this was a payout from the West to Iran, but didn’t mention this was Iran’s own money, long frozen by the United States and its allies. And in point of fact, those funds weren’t released until the UN nuclear inspectors had determined that Tehran was indeed complying with the rules.

Finally, Trump lied about conditions inside Iran, claiming that the deal resulted in sanctions being lifted “just before what would have been the total collapse of the Iranian regime.” Despite U.S. threats and crippling sanctions (which had far more impact on Iran’s civilian population than on the government), the Iranian regime was and remains very far from “total collapse.”

Trump also refused to acknowledge that Iran and the United States are actually fighting on the same side across the region. Washington and Tehran support the same governments in Afghanistan and Iraq. And both have deployed troops and planes to fight against ISIS in Syria and Iraq. (Of course, this isn’t particularly good news — both the Afghan and Iraqi governments are deeply corrupt, and the U.S. and Iran have each been responsible for war crimes in Syria — but it shows the hypocrisy in Trump’s deeply oppositional view of Iran.)

Furthermore, while they support different sides in the Syrian civil war, U.S. and Iranian military forces are often close together, and remain in constant communication to prevent any friendly fire attacks on each other. Indeed, while Trump announced new sanctions against the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps for their alleged support for terrorism, he was careful not to add the IRGC to Washington’s list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations, because that would threaten U.S. soldiers fighting near IRGC troops in Syria.

Because Trump couldn’t point to any actual violations of the terms of JCPOA by Iran, he claimed instead that Tehran “is not living up to the spirit of the deal.” He condemned Iran’s missile developments, bemoaning the deal’s “failure” to deal with them. But of course, it wasn’t a deal about missile technology — it was a deal about nuclear enrichment. That was the only way to get all sides on board, and scuttling it when Iran’s in compliance will inevitably make it more difficult to strike a deal on missiles or anything else in the future.

Rogue State Behavior

Trump’s new Iran position doesn’t end the multi-party Iran deal; it doesn’t even pull the United States out of the deal or end U.S. obligations under the deal — yet.

Instead, it tosses the decision back to Congress. The JCPOA is a multi-lateral agreement, not a treaty, and so didn’t have to be ratified by the Senate. But to prevent political problems, Obama negotiated a separate deal with Congress, which requires the president to certify every 90 days that Iran is still in compliance with the deal.

If the president refuses to do so, as Trump just did, Congress then has 60 days to decide whether or not to re-impose nuclear-related sanctions on Iran. That decision would indeed violate Washington’s obligations (which included ending nuclear sanctions), and Iran and the other signatories would rightly blame the U.S. for wrecking the deal.

Trump’s “America First” actions have seriously damaged Washington’s already-dubious standing in the world. This latest move goes further, gravely weakening international cooperation, concern for civilian populations, efforts towards non-proliferation and disarmament, respect for international law, and the credibility of the United Nations, which endorsed the deal.

It’s dangerous because it tells Iran, Washington’s negotiating partners, and the world that the United States isn’t committed to the deal it signed, and is looking for a way out. It’s dangerous because it tells North Korea that they may as well not bother negotiating with Washington, because the United States can’t be counted on to abide by its agreements.

It’s dangerous because there’s already strong anti-Iran and anti-JCPOA sentiment in Congress, as well as strong outside pressure (from Israel’s supporters, among others) on legislators to follow Trump’s reckless decision with an equally reckless move of their own. If Congress imposes new nuclear sanctions on Iran, that would threaten the real collapse of the deal — unless, as has happened before, the Iranian government shows more restraint and more political maturity than its U.S. counterpart.

Abandoning the nuclear deal shows utter disdain for our negotiating partners in China, France, Germany, Russia, and the UK, which together helped craft the deal, as well as for Iran itself. It also slaps the unanimous UN Security Council Resolution 2231 endorsing the deal, which reminded signatories that they were obligated under international law “to accept and carry out the Security Council’s decisions,” including by carrying out the “full implementation” of the JCPOA.

As Iran’s UN Ambassador Javad Zarif told CBS:

“You know, the United States is a permanent member of the Security Council. And if it’s not going to uphold a resolution, that not only it voted for but it sponsored, then the credibility of the institution that the United States considers to be very important would be at stake. Nobody else will trust any U.S. administration to engage in any long-term negotiation because the length of any commitment, the duration of any commitment from now on with any U.S. administration would be the remainder of the term of that president.”

Trump’s cascading recklessness in his Iran policy continues to put the United States, Iran, the Middle East, and indeed the world at great peril. His actions make the threat of war far more likely. And if Congress doesn’t fall into Trump’s trap, and instead rejects his demand to impose new nuclear sanctions, Trump will come face-to-face with his promise to cancel the agreement himself.

Such an act would indeed prove, to anyone not yet convinced, that the United States is a rogue state.

Phyllis Bennis directs the New Internationalism Project at the Institute for Policy Studies. Her most recent book is Understanding ISIS and the New Global War on Terror. Other books include Understanding the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: A Primer, Understanding the U.S.-Iran Crisis: A Primer, Ending the Iraq War: A Primer, and Ending the Us War in Afghanistan: A Primer. If you want to receive her talking points and articles on a regular basis, click here and choose “New Internationalism.”

You can find her on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/PhyllisBennis

This article was reaposted from: https://www.commondreams.org/views/2017/10/17/de-certifying-iran-deal-may-be-trumps-most-reckless-decision-yet

The post ‘De-certifying’ the Iran Deal May Be Trump’s Most Reckless Decision Yet, by Phyllis Bennis appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

UPDATE: August Is For Action!

admin — Fri, 31 Jul 2015 15:36:24 +0000

United For Peace and Justice is taking part in Peace and Planet Summer by participating in commemorations of the 70th anniversaries of the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and supporting the Iran Nuclear Accords. We’re also re-launching the UFPJ newsletter, which we’re inviting you to be a part of. Please read more about each of these endeavors in our brief below.

August is Nuclear Free Future Month

Please post your event or action in support of the abolition of all nuclear weapons on our international events calendar at nuclearfreefuture.org.

Find an event near you, using our search function. Commemorations of all kinds will be taking place around the world throughout the month of August. Over 50 events have already been posted and we’re looking forward to seeing yours added to the list.

Sign and Share Our Petition to Support the Iran Deal and Prevent War

Finally, the Administration has come up with a diplomatic solution that will strengthen international oversight to ensure that Iran’s nuclear program remains peaceful.

Meanwhile, many members of Congress would rather use sanctions and threats of war to deal with Iran’s nuclear program, instead of international cooperation. UFPJ has joined together with leading anti-war/peace and justice groups to sponsor a petition calling on Congress to uphold the deal that was struck with Iran and to respect diplomacy. Please sign and share the petition, which has already gathered over 220,000 signatures.

Submit Your Event or Story to Our Newsletter

We know that peace groups are persevering all across the country. We want to hear from you and spread news of your work.

It’s been awhile since we’ve had a newsletter and we’re looking to get one up and running again featuring the hard work of UFPJ’s hundreds of member groups around the country.

Click here to find out what kinds of stories we’re looking to share and the basic criteria we’ve established, so that all of our member groups can be featured.

We are excited about starting our Newsletter again to feature the hard work of UFPJ’s hundreds of member groups. We all know that local activism can feel lonely, and we are not always aware that we are all part of a larger movement, all working toward the greater goal of peace and justice and a better tomorrow. Peace groups are persevering all across the country. We want to hear from you and get the news out about your work!

Make Sure Your Organization’s Leadership is Getting Our Messages

In the twelve years since UFPJ was founded in 2003, groups have changed and re-formed, and leadership has transitioned. Some of the contact information we have for your group may be outdated.

Please help us by affirming your group’s membership, updating your contact information, and signing up for email action alerts like this one. We want to help everyone in our coalition stay connected. You can sign up instantly on this form.

Thank you for taking the time to hear from us. Now, tell us about what you’re up to!

All we are saying is give peace a chance! If you appreciate receiving timely action alerts like this, please make a donation to UFPJ so that we can continue to keep our member groups and dedicated activists linked together for effective action and impact.

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PETITION: Act Now to Save Iran Deal!

admin — Sat, 18 Jul 2015 18:13:25 +0000

United for Peace and Justice welcomes the completion of the historic international agreement with Iran, which limits its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions and the ending of its isolation. After years of futile, horrific wars, we join with peace-loving people around the world in embracing this diplomatic achievement.

Click here to sign the petition to uphold the Iran Deal! http://www.stopwarwithiran.com?source=ufpj

The long months of arduous negotiations attests to the difficulty of achieving compromise among adversaries. But at the end of this process, nobody has been killed, no communities have been obliterated, nor have billions of dollars been squandered on instruments of death. The lesson is clear. When the political will is there, diplomacy can succeed. United for Peace Justice views this agreement as the beginning, not the end of a path to peace. Iran’s potential capacity to develop nuclear weapons in the future has been understandably perceived as threatening. But much more immediately threatening are the existing arsenals of the nuclear-armed states: the U.S., Russia, Britain, China, France, Israel, India, Pakistan,and North Korea. We believe that the survival of humanity require new commitments to eliminate them all.For the immediate future, we recognize that irresponsible voices in Congress will do everything possible to kill the agreement with Iran. United for Peace and Justice is joining together with other national organizations in a Stop the Iran War Coalition to build a firewall of support for this deal. This will be an ongoing effort that will extend over the coming months.For now you can help by signing and circulating this petition. http://www.stopwarwithiran.com?source=ufpj

To assist in our ongoing Congressional campaign, please send a quick email with your name, and Congressional district to Rustiandgael@unitedforpeace.org

Our years of protest have helped to bring this historic deal to completion. Let’s make sure it passes.

Click here to sign the petition.

Click here to sign up for UFPJ Action Alerts.

All we are saying is give peace a chance! If you appreciate receiving timely action alerts like this,please make a donation to UFPJ so that we can continue to keep our member groups and dedicated activists linked together for effective action and impact.

Thank you.

The post PETITION: Act Now to Save Iran Deal! appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

Tell Your Senators, On Iran: “Yes to Peace!”

admin — Mon, 13 Apr 2015 14:01:31 +0000

Finally some good news! After a marathon of diplomatic efforts from seven nations, a Framework Agreement on Iran’s nuclear program has been reached. This opens the door to further non-proliferation efforts and to a dramatic improvement in US-Iranian relations, after decades of frozen enmity. Most Americans desire a diplomatic solution to the conflict with Iran. But without significant grass- roots mobilization, that aspiration will be thwarted.

In plain sight, the right-wing government of Israel has been determined to sabotage this agreement from the outset. Acting through AIPAC (American-Israeli Public Affairs Committee) and its wealthy American supporters, it is bending every effort to convince our elected officials to advance their agenda. This blatant interference with our nation’s foreign policy is unprecedented in its scope. Millions of dollars have gone into the coffers of US politicians willing to follow the Israeli government’s lead.

The Israeli Prime Minister has found willing allies in Republicans, eager to undermine any diplomatic success by the Obama Administration. But it’s not just Republicans. Too many Democratic Senators and Representatives routinely accede to destructive pressure from the Israeli government, acting through its AIPAC lobbyists.

Significant grass-roots mobilization is needed now to ensure that a diplomatic solution to the conflict with Iran will not be thwarted.

The immediate danger is S. 615, the Iran Nuclear Review Act, authored by Senator Corker, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. This bill provides for Congressional review of the final document, allowing for a joint resolution that would bar any statutory sanctions relief. If this resolution passes, the prospect for any final agreement disappears.

For text and co-sponsors:

https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/615/titles

Your help is needed now to advance the cause of peace and thwart this legislation.

What you can do:

Call your two Senators:
- Capitol Switchboard: U.S. Senate – 202 224-3121
Let Them Know:
- You support the Nuclear Framework Agreement with Iran
- You strongly oppose S. 615 or any Congressional effort to de-rail diplomacy
- You believe that as our elected officials, they should oppose the Israeli interference with our national security policy.
- They should be advocating for negotiations on a Nuclear Weapons and Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone in the Middle East.

Please forward this message widely:
- Please send any results to:rustiandgael@unitedforpeace.org
Other steps:
- Organize a delegation to visit local office of your Senators, bringing letters or signed petitions
For talking points:

All we are saying, is give peace a chance! If you appreciate receiving timely action alerts like this, please make a donation to UFPJ so that we can continue to keep our member groups and dedicated activists linked together for effective action and impact!

The post Tell Your Senators, On Iran: “Yes to Peace!” appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

Iran and Syria: The Next War and Prospects for Peace?

MTMcPhearson — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:23:51 +0000

United for Peace and Justice is working closely Veterans For Peace and several member groups to conduct a series of forums in North Jersey and New York City. The forums will engage and inform the public about the ongoing conflict between the United States and Israel with Iran and events in Syria. Participants will discuss also discuss what the peace movement can do to make a difference.

For more information and to schedule a panel appearance please contact Michael T. McPhearson, (973) 666-4605/ michaelvfp@gmali.com .

Speaker biographies:

Michael Kramer

Veterans For Peace activist Michael Kramer was a member of the Israel Defense Forces and took part in the 1973 Arab-Israeli War. His personal experiences both as a settler and combatant led him to reassess his views on Zionism and the role of the U.S. in the Middle East. Kramer became a supporter of Palestinian self-determination and the Arab cause. He is currently a volunteer at the International Action Center in NYC where he has been coordinating a solidarity campaign with the Honduran people.

Bahman (Faraz) Azad

Faraz Azad is an Iranian-American peace and justice activist living in the United States. He has a Master’s degree in Economics and a Ph.D. in Sociology from American universities. He served in the Iranian Air Force as a 2nd Lieutenant between 1971 and 1973.

He is a former acting director of Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Rutgers University. He is currently a Professor of Economics and Sociology at Berkeley College in New Jersey.

Faraz has been active in the peace and justice movement since his arrival in the United States in 1973, first as a student activist against the previous regime in Iran and then as a member of the National Board of the U.S. Peace Council. He joined the Veterans For Peace in the early 1990s at the invitation of his close friend and then VFP President, Dave Cline. He is currently serving as the Chair of VFP’s Iran Working Group, Organizational Secretary of the U.S. Peace Council, Co-Chair of Iran Pledge of Resistance, and an NGO representative of the World Peace Council at the United Nations. He is also the co-founder of the Campaign in Solidarity with the Iranian People’s Green Movement, an international campaign in support of the Iranian people’s democratic rights.

Michael T. McPhearson

Michael T. McPhearson is a native of Fayetteville North Carolina and was a field artillery officer in the 24th Mechanized Infantry Division during Desert Shield /Desert Storm, also known as Gulf War I. In 1981 at the age of 17, Michael joined the Army Reserve as an enlisted soldier and attended basic training the summer between his junior and senior high school years. He is a ROTC graduate of Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina with a B.S. degree in Sociology.

Michael is the National Coordinator for United For Peace and Justice and a current board member as well as a former Executive Director of Veterans For Peace. He is a member of Military Families Speak Out, works closely with the Newark based People’s Organization for Progress and publishes the Mcphearsonreport.org expressing his views on war and peace, politics, human rights, race and other things.

The post Iran and Syria: The Next War and Prospects for Peace? appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

Tell the President and Congress to “take ‘all options are on the table’ off the table”!

admin — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 04:54:18 +0000

Iran has attacked no one, yet both the United States and Israel continue to threaten Iran with a military attack unless Iran agrees to halt uranium enrichment. While it appears that the imminent danger of war has receded, during the Presidential debates, President Obama flatly denied reports that the US had agreed to hold direct talks with Iran, declaring “…the clock is ticking, if they do not meet demands of the international community, we will take all options necessary.” Tell the President and Congress to “take ‘all options are on the table’ off the table”!

Israeli and US threats of war on Iran are being justified in the name of preventing nuclear weapons proliferation in the Middle East. Yet, the International Atomic Energy Agency and US National Intelligence Estimates have repeatedly concluded that Iran has no nuclear weapons and has made no decision to build them. In fact, it is nuclear-armed Israel and the US that are responsible for the presence and proliferation of nuclear weapons in the region, in total disregard for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and thirty years of United Nations resolutions calling for the establishment of a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone in the Middle East.

Whether or not one agrees with Iran’s interpretation of its rights under the NPT, this is a matter to be resolved by diplomacy, not war. Unilateral threat or use of military force against Iran, including covert force, would be a violation of International Law and of the U.N. Charter. We want no part of another illegal war in the Middle East.

Yet, the United States has just set back prospects for a very significant diplomatic breakthrough. The May 2010 5-year Review Conference of the NPT called for a UN-sponsored conference in 2012 to establish a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction, to be attended by all States in the region. The proposed Conference, to be co-sponsored by the US, Britain and Russia, and facilitated by Finland, was set to take place in mid-December, in Helsinki.

As summarized by the British American Security Information Council: “[A November 23] announcement by the US claimed that the conference could not be convened, blaming ‘present conditions in the Middle East’ and the lack of agreement over the ‘conditions for a conference’. The US announcement called on states ‘to take a fresh look at the obstacles’, placing its support clearly in the Israeli camp that the conference needs a ‘broad agenda that covers regional security’. It pointedly gives little hope that the conference will be convened anytime soon, and leads some analysts to conclude that this is actually a cancellation rather than a postponement. The UK calls for the conference to be convened as soon as possible in 2013, and Moscow deplores the fact that not all Middle East nations have agreed to attend the conference and said that the conference must happen before April 2013, the date of the next NPT Preparatory Committee.”*

The United States’ lack of good faith support for this conference is unacceptable and a cause of deep concern. The Helsinki Conference provides an opportunity for a Middle East without nuclear weapons. It can lead to further discussions for securing a lasting peace in the Middle East.

In response to the postponement of the Conference, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon declared: “I wish to reaffirm the collective responsibility of the conveners to make every effort to convene the conference, as mandated. I will continue to work with them on that basis. I fully support the proposal by the facilitator to conduct multilateral consultations in the shortest possible time which will allow the conference to be convened at the earliest opportunity in 2013.”

We agree with the Secretary-General, who concluded: “I also appeal to [all States in the region] to seize this rare opportunity to initiate a process that entails direct engagement on security issues – a critical shortcoming at the moment – and follow-on steps leading to achieving the complete elimination of all weapons of mass destruction in the region, nuclear, chemical and biological and their delivery systems.”

Tell the President and Congress to stop threatening and start talking! Click here to sign the Open Letter to President Obama and the U.S. Congress, calling on them “to actively, and visibly, support the Helsinki Conference for a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction.” We are seeking as many organizational and individual signatures as possible – please help us spread the word! We are planning to “deliver” and publicize this letter in mid-December, around the time the Helsinki Conference was to have been held.

United for Peace and Justice believes that the problem of nuclear weapons in the Middle East must be solved regionally, as well as globally. We support the establishment of a Middle East zone free of nuclear and all other weapons of mass destruction in parallel with a global call for immediate negotiations to abolish all nuclear weapons.

In Struggle,

Jackie Cabasso

Please support this important work by making a generous donation to United for Peace and Justice. Click here to donate.

*Click here for a compilation of news stories and commentaries on cancellation/postponement of the Helsinki 2012 Conference on a Nuclear and other WMD Free Zone in the Middle East

The post Tell the President and Congress to “take ‘all options are on the table’ off the table”! appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

Iran War Weekly: April 22, 2012

admin — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 14:40:16 +0000

Hello All – Iran war news this week was focused on last weekend’s talks between the P5+1 and Iran. The P5+1 (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, plus Germany) reopened talks with Iran, for the first time in 15 months, over Iran’s alleged violations of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and over Iran’s refusal to obey the UN Security Council Resolutions to halt its uranium enrichment program.

In an atmosphere overshadowed by the Obama/Clinton line that “this was Iran’s last chance,” the conference was viewed by most observers as constructive and encouraging, and a follow-on meeting is now scheduled for May 23 in Baghdad. At the next meeting the negotiations will focus on in-depth examinations of the alleged violations by Iran, and (presumably) detail a program to remedy many of the outstanding issues.

The relative success of last weekend’s meeting in Istanbul is not to everyone’s liking. Israel’s president Netanyahu complained that weak US diplomacy had given Iran a 5-week “freebie,” and the US Congress barged ahead crafting a new round of sanctions. However, as comments and assessments linked below indicate, the general view (by the Europeans, for example) was that Iran had been forthcoming and apparently sincere in its desire to find a negotiated outcome.

One of the major issues on the table is Iran’s program that is now enriching uranium to a 20 percent level (meaning that the uranium is manipulated so that the percentage of the final product that is useful in nuclear fission – U235 – is raised from 0.7 percent [as in “natural” uranium] to the 20 percent level needed to produce isotopes that can be used in nuclear medicine/cancer treatment.) It appears that Iran may be open to some kind of bargain by which it will be supplied with the quantities of the fuel that it needs for this work in exchange for stopping enrichment to the 20 percent level, sending its supply of such enriched uranium out of the country, etc.

Of course there are other issues on the table, including Iran’s new underground enrichment facility at Fordo, which is seen as threatening because it would be hard to bomb. (Truly!) And there are also demands by the United States (and indirectly by Israel) that stem from allegations in the (very likely forged) so-called “laptop documents,” which includes the demand to inspect a particular building at the giant Iranian military base at Parchin.

Of interest (to me at least) this week was a clustering of news stories and controversies re: some of the vocabulary of the US/Israel/Iran stand-off. The United States and its mainstream media are not all on the same page about Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei’s “fatwa” against nuclear weapons; similarly, the Shi’ite concept of “Taqiya” (a lie that is acceptable under certain conditions) has been raised by US regime-changers to challenge the thought that something an Iranian has said can be taken as the truth. And Juan Cole pointed out this week that US “sanctions” on Iranian oil have morphed into an economic blockade, an act of war in international law. All this and more is developed in the good/useful reading linked below.

As if to make up for the slackening of tensions around Iran, developments on the Syria front raised serious questions about whether last weekend’s UN/Arab League-brokered cease fire would last out the week. While the UN Security Council has gone ahead and authorized a larger contingent of UN truce monitors (about 300 people), the “bad cop,” the Friends of Syria, met in Paris to threaten military action, further sanctions, and arming the Syrian resistance. And based on some cross-border shooting at Syrians fleeing into Turkey last week, Hillary Clinton raised the point that the “attack on Turkey” by Syria might trigger intervention by NATO. I’ve have linked some useful summary articles below that elaborate on these events.

I very much appreciate the help that many of you have given in distributing the Iran War Weekly and/or linking it on websites. David Swanson has kindly given me blog space on his site “War Is a Crime,” and so you can read previous “issues” of the IWW at http://warisacrime.org/blog/46383. If you would like to receive the IWW mailings, please send me an email at fbrodhead@aol.com.

Best wishes,

Frank Brodhead

Concerned Families of Westchester (NY)

LAST WEEKEND’S MEETING IN INSTANBUL – SOME ASSESSMENTS

What a Difference a Day (of Iran Talks) Makes

By Kate Gould, Friends Committee on National Legislation [April 20, 2012]

—- After ten hours of talks with Iran, opportunities for a diplomatic resolution of the standoff over Iran’s nuclear program have dramatically improved, and Congress gears up to vote on yet another attempt to kill diplomacy before the next round of talks. After the first talks in more than a year, the parties have agreed to meet again on May 23 for an additional round of talks. Considering the high stakes involved, hitting the ‘snooze’ button on the proverbial ‘alarm clock of confrontation’, as journalist Tony Karon put it, is a real achievement. Agreeing to more talks signals a commitment from all parties at the table to hold off on war—at least for now. http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/8639-what-a-difference-a-day-of-iran-talks-makes

(Video) Inside Story: Iran nuclear talks: A positive first step?

From Aljazeera [April 17, 2012] – 25 minutes

—- As Iran and the world’s major powers engage in a new round of nuclear talks, we discuss if a compromise will be reached. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5fMBti1WaU

Optimism in Iran: Officials See Potential for Nuclear Deal in Baghdad

By Jason Ditz, Antiwar.com [April 21, 2012]

—- Comments from Guardian Council secretary Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati yesterday show a surprising level of optimism in Iran about the prospect of reaching a deal with the P5+1 over Iran’s civilian nuclear program. Terming the Istanbul talks of last weekend “success and progress,” Jannati said that the P5+1 seem ready to accept enrichment of uranium for civilian purposes as “Iran’s right.” Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi seemed similarly optimistic, saying that Iran was “ready to resolve all issues very quickly and simply.” The officials all seemed to express great hope for finalizing a deal at the May 23 Baghdad meeting. Jannati warned Western nations against trying to impose yet more sanctions in the middle of the talks, saying that they could derail the entire effort. US officials have been pushing for more sanctions before the talks. http://news.antiwar.com/2012/04/21/optimism-in-iran-officials-see-potential-for-nuclear-deal-in-baghdad/

Is Peace Getting in the Way of Our War Plans?

By David Swanson, War Is a Crime [April 19, 2012]

—- This past weekend’s talks clearly suggested that an alternative to war is possible. This prospect for peace was immediately denounced by right-wing Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman and other members of Congress – who may try to block further talks as early as this week. A Senate effort to prevent the talks from even beginning had been blocked by Sen. Rand Paul. Now Congress is coming back with more deadly sanctions, ultimatums, and resolutions requiring war. http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/8621-is-peace-getting-in-the-way-of-our-war-plans

For Israel, the Problem with Iran Diplomacy Is the Prospect of Nuclear Compromise

By Tony Karon, Time [April 19, 2012]

—- Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amplified his skepticism of President Obama’s Iran strategy on Wednesday, when he used a Holocaust remembrance speech to warn that Iran was building nuclear weapons in order to destroy Israel. “The Iranian regime is acting openly and decisively toward our destruction, and it is acting feverishly to develop a nuclear weapon to achieve this goal,” Netanyahu said, two days after accusing the Administration and its partners of giving Iran a “freebie” in last weekend’s nuclear talks in Istanbul. The combination of those statements creates an impression that the Israelis see the current diplomacy with Iran as prevarication in the face of a mortal threat to Israel — a message calculated to raise the domestic political heat on President Obama. http://globalspin.blogs.time.com/2012/04/19/for-israel-the-problem-with-iran-diplomacy-is-the-prospect-of-nuclear-compromise/

Also useful: Patrick Martin, “Israeli PM criticizes Obama for diplomacy with Iran,” Globe and Mail [Canada] [April 19, 2012] http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/israeli-pm-criticizes-obama-for-diplomacy-with-iran/article2408381

DECONSTRUCTING THE LANGUAGE OF US/IRAN DIPLOMACY

Iran’s Nuclear Fatwa

By Gareth Porter, Inter Press Service [April 19, 2012]

—- The Barack Obama administration’s new interest in the 2004 religious verdict, or “fatwa”, by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei banning the possession of nuclear weapons, long dismissed by national security officials, has prompted the New York Times to review the significance of the fatwa for the first time in several years. Senior Obama administration officials have decided to cite the fatwa as an Iranian claim to be tested in negotiations, posing a new challenge to the news media to report accurately on the background to the issue. But the Apr. 13 New York Times article by James Risen rehashed old arguments by Iran’s adversaries and even added some new ones. http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/04/19/irans-nuclear-fatwa/

Also useful: Juan Cole, “Fatwa from Khamenei forbidding Nukes,” Informed Comment [April 22, 2012] http://www.juancole.com/2012/04/yes-memri-there-is-a-fatwa-from-khamenei-forbidding-nukes.html

Iran’s Forbidden Nukes and the Taqiya Lie

By Juan Cole, Informed Comment [April 16, 2012]

—- It is said that Iranian negotiators stressed that the decisions on the nuclear program are taken by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and that he has given fatwas or considered legal rulings, against having or using nuclear weapons. But skeptics [have] pointed to two counter-arguments. One is that Khamenei criticized Muammar Qaddafi for giving up his nuclear plans in the face of Western pressure, which left him a sitting duck when NATO turned on him. The other is that Shiite Muslims practice taqiyya or pious dissimulation. That is, they are allowed to lie for their faith under certain circumstances. These are the only two counter-arguments the analysts appear to have conveyed to Mr. Risen, and they are both false. http://www.juancole.com/2012/04/irans-forbidden-nukes-and-the-taqiya-lie.html

(Video) Israel’s Dan Meridor: We misquoted Ahmadinejad

From Aljazeera [April 16, 2012]

—- As the US and Europe confront Iran in talks about its nuclear programme, the diplomatic tensions between Iran and Israel remain at boiling point, with threats of an attack on the Islamic Republic by the Jewish state. And there is one expression that is continuously invoked by the Israeli leadership in order to justify its claims that Iran is an existential threat. On this episode of Talk to Al Jazeera we analyze the words and issues central to the dispute between Israel and Iran with Israel’s deputy prime minister. http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/talktojazeera/2012/04/2012413151613293582.html

SOME OTHER ISSUES

Introduction

Beyond the central issues in the P5+1 negotiations with Iran, there are other issues that are important, but that have received less media attention. One such issue that we would like to get more media attention (and action!) is the idea of a Nuclear Free Zone in the Middle East. This is a way out of the present impasse posed by Israel’s nuclear arsenal and the nuclear-proliferation pressures that it generates. CND’s Kate Hudson’s article, linked below, is an especially useful guide. An issue that will probably get lots of media play is the IAEA demand to inspect a certain building at the Parchin military base. While this is treated as a stupid demand by many experts, it is complex and “scary” enough to stir up rightwing froth in the media; and so linked below is a useful guide to what it’s all about. The Iranians regard additional sanctions while negotiations are underway as a provocation and a sign that the United States is not serious about resolving disagreements through diplomacy. So, just in time, here comes Congress, with more bad ideas. And as for the small islands in the Persian Gulf that are disputed between Iran and the United Arab Emirates … what could go wrong?

Inspecting the Parchin Military Base

Iran‘s Parchin complex: Why are nuclear inspectors so focused on it?

By Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor [April 20, 2012]

—- Parchin has been turned into a high-profile test case of Iran’s willingness to be transparent by the United Nations nuclear watchdog agency, which says it has new information on past weapons-related activities there, and seeks access to the site for the first time in seven years. But veteran inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) say the singular focus on visiting Parchin is a departure for the Agency that could jeopardize its credibility, considering the host of issues that remain between the IAEA and Iran. http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Middle-East/2012/0420/Iran-s-Parchin-complex-Why-are-nuclear-inspectors-so-focused-on-it

A Nuclear Weapons Free Zone?

Iran and Israel must both work for a nuclear-free Middle East

By Kate Hudson, Aljazeera [April 20, 2012]

[FB – Kate Hudson is the general secretary of the UK-based Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament]

—- A dispassionate look at the current tensions between Iran and Israel would surely conclude that the security concerns of each state must be acknowledged in order to move towards a peaceful and sustainable resolution. Beginning dialogue on these issues is not easy, but this is precisely what needs to be done. The UN will this year be holding an important conference on a Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone (WMDFZ) in the Middle East. The conference has certainly been a long time coming. But with the prospect of Iran, Israel and delegates from all of the Middle East states being brought to the table for frank discussions on security and disarmament, hopes for genuine progress have emerged over recent months. If the US really wants to see a lasting solution to the problems of the region, it needs to exert productive diplomatic pressure and not simply ratchet up the talk of military conflict. It could start by suggesting that Israel, as the only nuclear armed state in the Middle East, should attend this vital conference. http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2012/04/2012420143457799775.html

Some Little Islands in the Persian Gulf

(Video) Inside Story: Iran and UAE tussle over Gulf islands

From Aljazeera [April 19, 2012] – 25 minutes

—- As Gulf states unite to take on Iran over disputed islands we ask what does this mean for an already volatile region. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRCCCUbvpwo

Also useful: Zaineb Al Hassani, “Iran warns of military response over islands,” The National [UAE] [April 20, 2012] http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/iran-warns-of-military-response-over-islands; and “US backs UAE in islands row with Iran,” The National [UAE] [April 19, 2012]

http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/us-backs-uae-in-islands-row-with-iran

Sanctions and Counter-Sanctions

(Video) Juan Cole: US Sanctions, a ‘blockade’ of Iranian Petroleum

From Russia Today [April 17, 2012] – 10 minutes

—- After a meeting between Iran and five UN Security Council members in Turkey over the weekend, the Iranian Foreign Minister said today that Iran is ready to solve all nuclear disputes “quickly and easily” at another round of talks in Baghdad next month. But the Iranian foreign minister also urged for sanctions that have been put in place by the US and other western countries to be lifted. Juan Cole, blogger and University of Michigan professor discusses. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVyvo5p3Zq4&feature=youtu.be

Amid Nuclear Talks, Iran Warns EU of More Oil Cutoffs if Sanctions Aren’t Lifted

By John Glaser, Antiwar.com [April 20, 2012]

—- Iran’s oil minister on Thursday warned of more cutoffs in oil sales to the European Union unless they show more flexibility toward Iran ahead of a second round of nuclear talks next month. Washington had aggressively pressured the European Union states to cooperate on sweeping economic sanctions on Iran’s oil sector, and Iran hit back with warnings of preempting the sanctions and cutting off exports to them completely. Economic sanctions were supposed to be a tool of leverage for the West against Iran, but Tehran is using it back on the West in kind.

http://news.antiwar.com/2012/04/20/amid-nuclear-talks-iran-warns-eu-of-more-oil-cutoffs-if-sanctions-arent-lifted/print/

SOME USEFUL RESOURCES

Timeline of Iran’s nuclear programme

From Aljazeera [April 14, 2012]

—- Major events in Iran’s development of nuclear power since 2002.

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2012/04/201241410645752218.html

Iran‘s Nuclear Program (Nuclear Talks, 2012)

From New York Times [April 2012]

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/iran/nuclear_program/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier

Iran‘s Nuclear Program

http://www.blogrunner.com/snapshot/t/news/international/countriesandterritories/iran/nuclear_program/

NEWS FROM SYRIA

NEWS UPDATES

UN Security Council: 300 Observers for Syria Ceasefire

By Jason Ditz, Antiwar.com [April 21, 2012]

—- The United Nations Security Council has voted today to turn the ceasefire observers in Syria into a full mission, under the name UN Supervision Mission in Syria, with plans to send 300 unarmed military observers and a team of civilian specialists to join the “advance” group already on the ground. http://news.antiwar.com/2012/04/21/un-security-council-300-observers-for-syria-ceasefire/

Also useful: Neil MacFarquhar, “U.N. Agrees to Send More Cease-Fire Observers to Syria,” New York Times [April 22, 2012] http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/world/middleeast/battered-city-in-syria-is-quiet-as-un-cease-fire-monitors-visit.html; Neil MacFarquhar, “Syria Protests Cite Observers and a Truce as Faltering,” New York Times [April 21, 2012] http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/21/world/middleeast/syrian-protesters-mock-cease-fire-and-united-nations-observers.html?ref=world

The “Friends of Syria” Meeting

U.S., France, others hint at use of force against Syria if violence continues

By Edward Cody, Washington Post [April 19, 2012]

—- The United States, France and 13 other nations demanded Thursday that Syria immediately cease military operations against rebel forces and allow unfettered deployment of U.N. observers, suggesting that use of force will be considered if Damascus fails to comply. The stand, at a French-organized meeting of foreign ministers and other officials from the “Friends of Syria” group, signaled a growing impatience among Western leaders and Arab allies over Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s delay in putting into practice a six-point peace plan, including a truce, that was negotiated by joint U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan but has yet to halt the killing. http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/violence-flares-across-syria-despite-un-observers-visit/2012/04/19/gIQAfZpFTT_story.html

Also useful: Steven Erlanger and Rick Gladstone, “Pressure Builds for Tougher Line as Syria Is Said to Shun Peace Plan,” New York Times [April 19, 2012] http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/20/world/middleeast/syria-united-nations-secretary-general-ban-ki-moon-cease-fire.html

ANALYSIS

(Video) Back from Syria, Journalist Anand Gopal Warns Protesters “Face Slaughter” by Assad Regime

From Democracy Now! [April 20, 2012]

—- Journalist Anand Gopal has just returned from Syria, where he interviewed survivors of last week’s bloody battle for the town of Taftanaz in northern Syria. Reports say government forces continue to attack rebel strongholds in Homs, Hama and other cities in violation of a U.N.-backed ceasefire that took effect last week. “In every town and village, essentially the entire population was mobilized in support of the revolution,” Gopal says. “You had from little children to old people. Really, I’ve never seen anything like that before. And it showed to me the extent to which the revolution has a mass, democratic popular base, and Assad doesn’t.” http://www.democracynow.org/2012/4/19/back_from_syria_journalist_anand_gopal

Who Broke Syria?

By James Harkin, Foreign Policy [April 17, 2012]

—- Less than a week into a U.N.-brokered ceasefire in Syria, the arrangement is already looking pretty shaky. The Syrian government has promised to pull its army back from major cities, but now seems to be reneging on that deal. But rather than castigating its motives, perhaps it might be a good time now to take a fresh look what exactly has been accomplished by the internationalization of the Syrian “problem.” In retrospect, by leaning on precedents within international law rather than the force of its own movement, the exiled Syrian opposition seems to have aimed to exaggerate the civilian losses in the city into the claim of genocide in order to push buttons within the international community. The United Nations bought it. If there was a strategy to internationalize the conflict, however, it failed. The United Nations could do nothing, but the promise that it might may have put ordinary activists and Free Syrian Army rebels in the city at even greater risk. Many were led to believe that help was coming, when it most definitely wasn’t. http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/04/17/who_broke_syria

Also useful: Samer Araabi, “The Militarization of the Syrian Uprising,” Right Web [April 18, 2012] http://rightweb.irc-online.org/articles/display/the_militarization_of_the_syrian_uprising

The post Iran War Weekly: April 22, 2012 appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

Unlike Bush, Obama Is Selling Israel the Planes and Bombs to Attack Iran

admin — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 22:53:18 +0000

Orginally posted here

WASHINGTON – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu requested the United States approve the sale of advanced refueling aircraft as well as GBU-28 bunker-piercing bombs to Israel during a recent meeting with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, a top U.S. official said on Tuesday.

The American official said that U.S. President Barack Obama instructed Panetta to work directly with Defense Minister Ehud Barak on the matter, indicating that the U.S. administration was inclined to look favorably upon the request as soon as possible.

During the administration of former U.S. President George Bush, the U.S. refused to sell bunker-penetrating bombs and refueling aircrafts to Israel, as a result of American estimates that Israel would then use them to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Following Obama’s entrance into the White House, however, the United States approves a string of Israeli requests to purchase advance armament.

Diplomatic cables exposed by the WikiLeaks website exposed discussion concerning advanced weapons shipments. In one cable which surveyed defense discussions between Israel and the United states that took place on November 2009 it was written that “both sides then discussed the upcoming delivery of GBU-28 bunker busting bombs to Israel, noting that the transfer should be handled quietly to avoid any allegations that the USG is helping Israel prepare for a strike against Iran.”

Another issue raised during Obama’s Monday meeting with Netanyahu was the Syrian crisis. Netanyahu pointed out that Israel feared that chemical and biological weapons from Syrian army stockpiles could end up in the hands of Hezbollah or other terror groups.

A top U.S. official indicated that the United States recently discussed the issue with Turkey, Israel, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, in an attempt to prepare for the possibility that a collapse of the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad would endanger the country’s WMD stockpiles.

At this point the American administration does not possess information that indicates that chemical or biological weapons were passed from Syria to Hezbollah.

Netanyahu and Obama also discussed the ongoing diplomatic crisis between Israel and Turkey. The United States feels that, amid ongoing unrest, that there existent a supreme interest to rehabilitate Jerusalem-Ankara ties. Obama told Netanyahu at the meeting that an effort should be exerted to reconcile between the two states.

The post Unlike Bush, Obama Is Selling Israel the Planes and Bombs to Attack Iran appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

Prevent War and Promote Diplomacy With Iran

admin — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 18:10:38 +0000

In building American support for a confrontation with Iran, the Israeli government has focused attention on members of Congress. This past week, the visit of Prime Minister Netanyahu to Washington was accompanied by a massive lobbying effort on Capitol Hill. Thousands of AIPAC supporters visited Congressional offices, where they pressured Senators and Congressional Representatives to support legislation on Iran designed to curtail peaceful options for resolving the conflict. If passed, this bill implicitly calls for a military attack on Iran when Iran reaches a “nuclear capability.” At that stage diplomacy will be off the table.

After two days of lobbying, AIPAC brought the number of co-sponsors for this dangerous Senate resolution (S. Res.380) to 56 and co-sponsors for the House version (H. Res 568) up to 94. For full text and list of co-sponsors of the Senate bill, http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:SE00380: And for full text and list of co-sponsors for H. Res. 568 http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:h.res.00568:

Some good news is that Congresswoman Barbara Lee has introduced legislation designed to promote diplomacy and to avert a war with Iran. For text and co-sponsors of the Lee bill HR 4173 http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h112-4173

What Can We Do:

Call your Senator and Representatives office and let them know that the last thing their constituents want is a war with Iran. This is not in our national interest or the best interest of any nation.

*Ask your Congressional Representative to become a co-sponsor of Barbara Lee’s important bill HR 4173.

* Check the list of co-sponsors for S.Res. 380 and H. Res. 568. If your Senators or Congressional representative are on that list, urge them to take their name off. And if they are not on the list, urge them to vote against the resolution when it comes up for a vote, perhaps as early as this week.

Use FCNL toll-free number 855-NO WAR ( 855-688-6927).

And please pass along feedback to rustiandgael@unitedforpeace.org

Co-Chairs of UFPJ Legislative Working Group

The post Prevent War and Promote Diplomacy With Iran appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

UFPJ’s Statement “No War On Iran”

admin — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 04:01:38 +0000

UFPJ Statement on “No War on Iran”

As we approach the 9^th anniversary of the U.S.-led war on Iraq, we are once again seeing American politicians claiming that an oil-rich nation in the Persian Gulf might soon build nuclear weapons. Top U.S. and many Israeli intelligence and military leaders, and all 16 U.S. intelligence agencies agree that Iran does not have a nuclear weapon, is not building a nuclear weapon and has not even made the political decision of whether to move in the direction of a nuclear weapon. And yet politicians are ratcheting up calls for military threats and even military strikes, this time against Iran – and the result could lead to war.

An attack or war against Iran would be a disaster and a crime. Just as United For Peace and Justice worked to stop the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, we strongly oppose any attack on Iran, and are calling on all to take action. It took several years to build majority opposition to those earlier wars. We must quickly express that majority sentiment that already exists against the possibility of any new wars, calling for justice at home and abroad instead! We need a foreign policy based on diplomacy and negotiations, not crippling economic sanctions and dangerous military strikes. So far the Obama administration has held less than an hour’s actual talks with an Iranian diplomat – diplomacy means engaging, negotiating, talking – and talking some more. It is time to urge family, friends, and people of good will – everyone who cares about people in Iran, in Israel, or here in the United States – to do all they can to stop military action before it starts.

We Urge:

The U.S. Government to state its intention to resolve the conflict with Iran through diplomacy and negotiations, and not the use of force.
The U.S. Government to exercise the full range of its diplomatic, economic and political influence to prevent the nuclear-armed state of Israel from attacking Iran.
An immediate cessation of economic sanctions and threats of war against Iran, assassination of its citizens, and other “covert” actions by the United States, Israel, and their allies that serve to increase the danger of war.
The U.S. Government to support a Regional Accord establishing a Weapons of Mass Destruction-Free Zone in the Middle East as called for in United Nations Security Council Resolution 687, article 14, in order to end this cycle of coercion, fear and war.

Iran does not have a nuclear bomb. The U.S. intelligence agencies unanimously confirm this and say that Iran has not made the decision to build a nuclear weapon. Yet Iran has three neighbors that possess nuclear arsenals — India, Israel, and Pakistan. All developed their arsenals covertly outside the framework of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), yet none of these countries faces threats of war or sanctions for doing so. Iran, in contrast, has remained a party to the NPT and continues to allow IAEA monitoring of its nuclear facilities.

Israel is not willing to give up its nuclear monopoly in the region. Its leaders would rather go to war to keep their nuclear weapons than cooperate with its neighbors to ensure that there are no weapons of mass destruction in the region. But nuclear weapons pose a grave danger to global security, and this is especially true in the strategic, over-armed, and oil rich Middle East. A U.S.-backed Weapons of Mass Destruction-Free Zone would help reduce the threat of war in the region and help set the world on path to nuclear abolition.

If the United States truly wants to deter other countries from developing nuclear weapons, it must lead by example by implementing its own obligations under the non-proliferation treaty. It must stop threatening non-nuclear states, divest itself of its vast stockpile of nuclear weapons, and actively support commencement of negotiations for a Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone in the Middle East – a commitment enshrined in the United Nations Security Council resolution that ended the first Gulf War in 1991.

Many believe that the escalating rhetoric could accelerate the likelihood of a war against Iran either by accident or an attack by politicians believing they have no choice boxed in by their own words. An attack or war would be a catastrophe for the millions of Iranian people who will experience their own version of shock and awe, and would face the threat of radiation poisoning from Iran’s legal nuclear power facilities. It would be disastrous for Israelis who would face retaliation attacks, and for millions more in the region caught in the crossfire. A war would also be a catastrophe for our own country, now in the midst of an economic crisis, and for the world as oil markets would spin out of control. The U.S. economic crisis has already been worsened by the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and a war with Iran would bring more of the same. The 1 percent may expect to benefit from another war and from $5/gallon gasoline, but the 99 percent stand only to lose.

UFPJ stands in solidarity with the Iranian people as they suffer from U.S. imposed sanctions and struggle to change their own country. Those sanctions, which President Obama admitted have been “virtually grinding the Iranian economy to a halt,” are exacerbating environmental, health, and economic crises for the Iranian people. In Iran, progressive labor and other popular democratic forces struggling for change have declared unequivocally that they do not want sanctions, outside intervention in their politics or war against their country. The first casualties of any such aggression are the lives and aspirations of the Iranian people themselves, while as in all wars the most repressive elements of the government would benefit most.

We must keep building a powerful peoples movement for justice and work to insure that preventing an attack or new war with Iran remains high on our justice agenda. We need those dollars in our communities. We need that money for jobs and to take care of Iraq and Afghan war veterans. We need that money to keep people in their homes and schools open. We need that money to rebuild what we have destroyed in Iraq.

Please join us and stand against sanctions, against war, and in solidarity with the Iranian people whose lives and dreams would be smashed by both. Call for a new decade of global justice and let’s start by building healthy communities at home!

Signers:

Alliance for Peace and Justice (MA)

Alliance of Community Trainers

Association of World Citizens

Backbone Campaign

Brandywine Peace Community (PA)

Bryn Mawr Peace Coalition (PA)

Cambridge United for Justice with Peace (MA)

Campaign in Solidarity with the Iranian People’s Green Movement (CSIPGM)

Campaign for Peace and Democracy

Catalyst Project

Central Jersey Coalition Against Endless War

Citizens for a United Nations Peoples Assembly

Code Pink

Columbus Campaign for Arms Control

Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism

Community Alliance of Lane County (OR)

Concerned Families of Westchester (NY)

Delaware Pacem in Terris

Delaware Valley Veterans For America (PA)

Fellowship of Reconciliation

Flatbush for Peace (NY)

Global Exchange

Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space

Global People’s Assembly

Grandmothers Against the War (SF/Bay Area)

Greater New Haven Peace Council

Institute for Policy Studies, New Internationalism Project

Jeannette Rankin Peace Center (MT)

Lehigh-Pocono Committee of Concern (PA)

Logan Square Neighbors for Justice and Peace (IL)

Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives

Malu ‘Aina Center For Non-violent Education & Action (HI)

Massachusetts Peace Action

Mid-Missouri Peaceworks

Military Families Speak Out

Milton for Peace (MA)

National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance

Nevada Desert Experience

North Carolina Peace Action

North Country Peace Group (NY)

Northeast Connecticut Coalition for Peace and Justice

Oak Park Coalition for Truth and Justice (IL)

Office of the Americas

Peace Action

Peace Action Montgomery (Maryland)

Peace and Freedom Party (CA)

Peace & Justice Center of Sonoma County (CA)

Progressive Democrats of America

September 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows

St. Louis Instead of War Coalition

Suffolk Peace Network (Long Island, NY)

Syracuse Peace Council (NY)

Topanga Peace Alliance (CA)

United for Justice with Peace (MA)

United for Peace and Justice

U.S. Peace Council

Veterans For Peace

Voices for Creative Nonviolence

War Resisters League

WarIsACrime.org

Wasatch Coalition for Peace and Justice of Northern Utah

Washington Peace Center (DC)

Western States Legal Foundation

Western Washington Fellowship of Reconciliation

Where is My Vote – NY

Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice

Witness Against Torture

Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, U.S. Section

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