NEW YORK PEACE NETWORK Alert #179

Dear Peace Advocate,

Yesterday marked Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and tomorrow is Eid al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan. It is time to review our past, consider our future, and start again in faith and peace.

We face critical challenges in this 2008 election year. Together we need to bring U.S. troops home from Iraq; prevent an attack on Iran; begin a new U.S. foreign policy based on respectful dialogue; and create a nuclear free world. Your action makes a big difference.

In the few days that Congress has left before its session ends, the Bush administration is trying to push approval of an agreement with India that would allow additional international trade in nuclear fuel and technology. The deal would allow India to expand its nuclear arsenal more easily by using scarce domestic uranium for weapons production while buying fuel for its power reactors on the international market.

The U.S.-India Nuclear Deal would undermine the already shaky Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) by allowing a country that developed nuclear weapons outside the Treaty the benefits of international nuclear trade, legitimizing India’s possession of nuclear weapons.

A senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee reminded his colleagues in a late session last Friday that “opposing the bill does not mean opposing India. This is a debate about Iran. This is a debate about North Korea, about Pakistan, about Venezuela, about any other country in the world that harbors the goal of acquiring nuclear weapons."

Last Saturday, the House of Representatives approved the U.S.-India Nuclear Deal by a vote of 298-117. 19 members of the New York State delegation voted in support of the deal. Only 8 members (Clarke, Hall, Hinchey, McNulty, Nadler, Serrano, Slaughter and Velazquez) stood up to the administration and voted no. (Reps. Weiner and Walsh did not vote.)

Now it's up to us to stop it in the Senate!

We urgently ask you to call Senators Schumer and Clinton today. Tell them to stop the U.S.-India Nuclear Deal. Ask them to work instead for the global elimination of nuclear weapons and for safe, renewable energy alternatives. (Trade and investment in such technologies also would benefit the United States, by helping to accelerate the development and use of renewable energy around the world.)

Senator Charles Schumer: 202-224-6542

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton: 202-224-4451

Please be involved in peace activities and do PEACE ACTION to make this next year a year of Peace.

In peace,

Mai Gad
Peace Action Fund of New York State
info@panys.org