Call your Congressional Delegation and tell them to support NO Iraq Resolution OTHER THAN House Congressional Resolution 473, introduced by Representative Barbara Lee of California!





Find your Congressional Delegation phone numbers here:


"Contacting the Congress"


http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/





Dan Brown


Saint Paul, Minn.


____________________________________


News from Congresswoman Barbara Lee


Ninth Congressional District of California


U.S. House of Representatives





PRESS RELEASE





For Immediate Release





Contact: Lillian German





September 19, 2002





(202) 225-2661





Congresswoman Barbara Lee Introduces H.Con.Res.473


Calling for U.S. to work with United Nations to Advance


Peace and Security in Iraq


http://www.house.gov/lee/releases/02Sept18.htm





http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d107:h.con.res.00473:





Washington DC - Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA)


introduced H.Con.Res.473


http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d107:h.con.res.00473:


calling for the


United States to work through the United Nations to


renew arms inspections, assure Iraqi compliance with


U.N. resolutions, and to oppose unilateral first strike


military action.





"President Bush has called on the United Nations to


assume its responsibilities. I call on the United


States to assume ours by working with the United


Nations to ensure that Iraq is not developing weapons


of mass destruction by utilizing mechanisms such as the


resumption of arms inspections, negotiation, regional


cooperation, and other diplomatic means," Congresswoman


Lee stated.





"We all agree that world would be better off without


Saddam Hussein in power, but I believe that we are


better off still if we live under the rule of law and


eliminate weapons of mass destruction," said Lee. Lee


also said that, "A preemptive, unilateral first strike


would set a terrible international precedent. The


question one must ask when confronting this doctrine of


preemption is, where will it end? Which dictator will


be next?"





This resolution outlines the history of Iraq's non-


compliance with U.N. Resolution 687 (1991) and other


resolutions and cease-fire agreements and sets forth


the need to renew weapons inspections and to seek out


and destroy any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq as


well as pointing out the potential consequences for the


United States of a first strike against Iraq.





It reads in part, "Whereas the short-term and long-term


costs of unilateral U.S. military action against Iraq


and subsequent occupation may be significant in terms


of United States casualties, the cost to the United


States treasury, and harm to United States diplomatic


relations with other countries: Now, therefore, be it


Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate


concurring), That the United States should work through


the United Nations to seek to resolve the matter of


ensuring that Iraq is not developing weapons of mass


destruction, through mechanisms such as the resumption


of weapons inspections, negotiation, enquiry,


mediation, regional arrangements, and other peaceful


means."





===


http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c107:H.CON.RES.473:





Expressing the sense of Congress with respect to the


importance of the United States working through the


United Nations to assure Iraq's compliance with United


Nations Security Council... (Introduced in House)





HCON 473 IH





107th CONGRESS





2d Session





H. CON. RES. 473





Expressing the sense of Congress with respect to the


importance of the United States working through the


United Nations to assure Iraq's compliance with United


Nations Security Council resolutions and advance peace


and security in the Persian Gulf region.





IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES





SEPTEMBER 19, 2002





Ms. LEE (for herself, Mrs. CLAYTON, Ms. RIVERS, Mr.


HINCHEY, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr.


KUCINICH, Ms. MCKINNEY, Mr. OWENS, Ms. KILPATRICK, Ms.


WATSON of California, Mr. RUSH, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mr.


HILLIARD, Mr. CLAY, Mr. STARK, Mr. FARR of California,


Ms. KAPTUR, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. FILNER, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr.


CLYBURN, Mr. DAVIS of Illinois, Ms. BROWN of Florida,


Mr. SERRANO, Ms. SOLIS, and Mr. CONYERS) submitted the


following concurrent resolution; which was referred to


the Committee on International Relations





-----------------





CONCURRENT RESOLUTION





Expressing the sense of Congress with respect to the


importance of the United States working through the


United Nations to assure Iraq's compliance with United


Nations Security Council resolutions and advance peace


and security in the Persian Gulf region.





Whereas on April 6, 1991, during the Persian Gulf War,


Iraq accepted the provisions of United Nations Security


Council Resolution 687 (April 3, 1991) bringing a


formal cease-fire into effect;





Whereas, in accordance with Security Council Resolution


687, Iraq unconditionally accepted the destruction,


removal, or rendering harmless of `all chemical and


biological weapons and all stocks of agents and all


related subsystems and components and all research,


development, support and manufacturing facilities


related thereto', and `all ballistic missiles with a


range greater than one hundred and fifty kilometers,


and related major parts and repair and production


facilities';





Whereas, in accordance with Security Council Resolution


687, Iraq unconditionally agreed not to acquire or


develop any nuclear weapons, nuclear-weapons-usable


material, nuclear-related subsystems or components, or


nuclear-related research, development, support, or


manufacturing facilities;





Whereas Security Council Resolution 687 calls for the


creation of a United Nations special commission to


`carry out immediate on-site inspection of Iraq's


biological, chemical, and missile capabilities' and to


assist and cooperate with the International Atomic


Energy Agency in carrying out the `destruction, removal


or rendering harmless' of all nuclear-related items and


in developing a plan for the ongoing monitoring and


verification of Iraq's compliance;





Whereas United Nations weapons inspectors (UNSCOM)


between 1991 and 1998 successfully uncovered and


destroyed large stockpiles of chemical and biological


weapons and production facilities, nuclear weapons


research and development facilities, and Scud missiles,


despite the fact that the Government of Iraq sought to


obstruct their work in numerous ways;





Whereas in 1998, UNSCOM weapons inspectors were


withdrawn from Iraq and have not returned since;





Whereas Iraq is not in compliance with United Nations


Security Council Resolution 687, United Nations


Security Council Resolution 1154, and additional United


Nations resolutions on inspections, and this


noncompliance violates international law and Iraq's


ceasefire obligations and potentially endangers United


States and regional security interests;





Whereas the true extent of Iraq's continued development


of weapons of mass destruction and the threat posed by


such development to the United States and allies in the


region are unknown and cannot be known without


inspections;





Whereas the United Nations was established for the


purpose of preventing war and resolving disputes


between nations through peaceful means, including `by


negotiation, enquiry, mediation, conciliation,


arbitration, judicial settlement, resort to regional


arrangements, or other peaceful means';





Whereas the United Nations remains seized of this


matter;





Whereas the President has called upon the United


Nations to take responsibility to assure that Iraq


fulfills its obligations to the United Nations under


existing United Nations Security Council resolutions;





Whereas war with Iraq would place the lives of tens of


thousands of people at risk, including members of the


United States armed forces, Iraqi civilian non-


combatants, and civilian populations in neighboring


countries;





Whereas unilateral United States military action


against Iraq may undermine cooperative international


efforts to reduce international terrorism and to bring


to justice those responsible for the attacks of


September 11, 2001;





Whereas unilateral United States military action


against Iraq may also undermine United States


diplomatic relations with countries throughout the Arab


and Muslim world and with many other allies;





Whereas a preemptive unilateral United States first


strike could both set a dangerous international


precedent and significantly weaken the United Nations


as an institution; and





Whereas the short-term and long-term costs of


unilateral United States military action against Iraq


and subsequent occupation may be significant in terms


of United States casualties, the cost to the United


States treasury, and harm to United States diplomatic


relations with other countries: Now, therefore, be it





Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate


concurring), that the United States should work through


the United Nations to seek to resolve the matter of


ensuring that Iraq is not developing weapons of mass


destruction, through mechanisms such as the resumption


of weapons inspections, negotiation, enquiry,


mediation, regional arrangements, and other peaceful


means.





www.house.gov/lee/releases/02Sept18.htm

www.house.gov/lee/releases/02Sept18.htm