Diplomacy, Not War, With Iran

 In Congress, diplomacy, Iran, Middle East, military, Nuclear, Obama, oil, Peace Action, Senate, War

So here’s the paradox. There’s a growing consensus that a military strike on Iran would be disastrous while at the same time the likelihood of such a disaster is also increasing.

Please take a moment to sign Peace Action’s petition calling on the President to use all means at his disposal to prevent a military strike on Iran – by either the US or Israel.  Then, please send it to your friends.

The third round of talks between Iran and the permanent five members of the U.N. Security Council plus Germany, or P5+1 ended without a major breakthrough.  Given the level of mutual distrust that’s not surprising.  Anyone who thought the talks could succeed simply by dropping a take-it-or-leave-it-demand on the table doesn’t understand diplomacy.

Last week, 44 U.S. Senators sent a letter to President Obama urging him to consider abandoning further negotiations with Iran “and instead focus on significantly increasing the pressure on the Iranian government through sanctions and making clear that a credible military option exists.”

You would hope our ‘leaders’ had learned their lesson.  The unintended consequences that plagued the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan are surely at play with regard to Iran.  An attack on Iran would send energy prices through the ceiling and reverberate throughout the vulnerable global economy.

Earlier this year, Peace Action,and our allies at Credo, turned in over 70,000 signatures to President Obama and I’m convinced it helped steel him and his administration against the war cries from AIPAC and war hawks in the U.S.  Now, the pressure is mounting again.

Sign our petition to prevent a war with Iran that would surely have unintended consequences no one can either predict or prevent once they begin.

Diplomacy takes time and patience. The cost of war is measured in blood and treasure.

A Tuesday article in the Christian Science Monitor by Howard LaFranchi summed up the situation well:

“The P5-plus-1 world powers…had three basic demands, which they summarized as “stop, shut, and ship:” To address international concerns that it is amassing the elements of a nuclear bomb, Iran should stop enriching uranium to 20-percent purity, a level not far from weapons-grade; shut its underground nuclear facility at Fardow; and ship its stockpile of 20-percent-enriched uranium out of the country.

On its side, Iran had two key demands: that the international community recognize Iran’s right to enrich uranium under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, and that world powers (specifically the US and the EU) agree to soften economic sanctions on Iran as an inducement for Iran to accept certain limits on its nuclear program.”

The problem in a nutshell is the U.S. is insisting Iran fold on all three demands as a condition for further negotiations giving Iran nothing in return.  For its part, Iran is also taking a hard line, insisting the P5+1 acknowledge its right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes without providing for the verification required to satisfy the West’s concerns about the peaceful nature of its nuclear program.

Given time, these matters can be resolved and the world can be made a much safer place.  But first, we need to get between the President and those who won’t be satisfied unless Iran knuckles under completely.

Help me generate thousands of signatures over the next two weeks to counter the renewed sabre-rattling.

Please take a moment to sign Peace Action’s petition calling on the President to use all means at his disposal to prevent a military strike on Iran – by either the US or Israel.

 

Humbly for Peace,

 

Kevin Martin
Executive Director
Peace Action

PS: Please act today.  A strong response will have a powerful impact at a critical moment.  After you sign a ‘tell a friend’ page will appear.  Please forward this petition to people who know war isn’t working.  Thank you.

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