Within the next ten days, Congress will likely vote on a resolution permitting President Bush to use military power against Iraq. According to the Washington Post, the resolution is the broadest request for military authority since the Gulf of Tonkin resolution which launched the Vietnam War. (see link below)

The President has made clear that once it has passed, he'll proceed without further consultation with Congress -- in other words, it's the last chance for the legislature to speak up on Iraq in the near future.

The draft that the President delivered to Congressional leaders last Thursday is alarming. It gives him the authority to "use all means that he determines to be appropriate" to "restore international peace and security in the region."

If it passes, the President could use this language to justify military attacks against virtually any country in the Middle East.

The resolution also ignores the role of the United Nations. It would allow the President to go into Iraq without the support of any of our allies, and without a Security Council mandate.

It's critical that we let our elected representatives know immediately that a resolution authorizing unilateral war against anyone in the Middle East is unacceptable.

Don't worry if you've called before -- call again. Let the staffer you speak to know you're a constituent. Then tell the staffer that you strongly oppose a war on Iraq.

Express your deep concerns about the resolution proposed by the Bush White House -- the unrestricted power to wage war with any nation in the region, the lack of accountability to Congress and the American people, the lack of cooperation with the United Nations and our allies. Your own words are always best, of course.

Once you've made your call, please let us know at our website. Keeping a count helps us lobby Congress more effectively.

President Bush's resolution would allow him to attack Iraq at any time in the future, without any of our allies, without any solid evidence that Iraq's a danger, without any requirement of UN approval, and without any reliance on what UN weapons inspectors find.

Please call your Senators and Representative right now to avert a carte blanche for catastrophe.

Sincerely,

Eli Pariser
International Campaigns Director
MoveOn.org
September 23, 2002

P.S. For more information, go to our page of links and resources on Iraq at: http://www.moveon.org/infoiraq.html

Also see our articles on Iraq: http://www.mikehersh.com/cat_index_34.shtml. Stress to your elected officials that your support for them depends on their leadership avoiding needless war.

This is your last chance to speak out. Demand that your Senators and Representative listen to you. Make sure they resist Bush's rush to war. Use these links to voice your views.