NEW YORK PEACE NETWORK Alert #166

Dear Peace Advocate,

On May 22, 2008 H.Con.Res. 362 was introduced to Congress by Representatives Gary Ackerman (D-NY) and Mike Pence (R-IN). Among other things, it calls for what amounts to a naval blockade against Iran which, if not sanctioned by the U.N., is considered an act of war.

The Effect on Iran

Just recently Congressmen Ackerman called on the President to initiate a series of very strict sanctions on Iran that range from blocking petroleum imports to travel prohibitions on all officials not negotiating nuclear suspension. Beyond its official purpose, a blockade will have its deepest impact on the citizens of Iran who depend on foreign imports to stay above the poverty line.

What’s Happening on the Hill

This is a piece of legislation that must not be allowed to pass. It has already generated a disturbing 220 co-sponsors in the House, including 18 Representatives from New York. (Ackerman, Acuri, Bishop, Crowley, Engel, Fossella, Gillibrand, Higgins, King, Kuhl, Lowey, Maloney, McCarthy, McHugh, McNulty, Reynolds, Towns, Weiner.) We need to be sure that our Congress Members understand the implications of this resolution, particularly because many of those on this list have been known to take a strong stand against war with Iran. This get-tough-on-Iran resolution could set off a chain of action-reaction events that would lead us to a shooting war with Iran.

Next Steps

It’s time for us to send a message to Congress that Americans don’t want to repeat the mistakes of Iraq in Iran. We have not exhausted our diplomatic options. Use Just Foreign Policy's online form to write your Representative and ask them not to support the resolution. You can also go a step further - call your Congressional Representative and ask them to co-sponsor H.R. 5056, which would appoint a diplomatic envoy to Iran for the purpose of easing tensions and normalizing relations with Iran.

Also This Week in Peace

If you need something to cheer you up after coming to terms with the fact that our government has the collective intelligence of a goldfish in dirty water, read this New York Times article. It’s about a very positive step towards de-nuking North Korea. It’s not the end of this effort and there’s still work to be done, but this is a glimmer of progress in the fight towards building a peaceful future.

Thanks.

James McGarry
Peace Action of New York State
info@panys.org