A Peace Agenda
David Cortright
*
As the Bush
Administration continues its illegal and unjust military invasion of Iraq, we
must steel ourselves for the difficult days that lie ahead. We must also recognize
that our work for peace has only just begun.
We should not
retreat from our core criticisms of Bush's war or be intimidated into silence.
This war was and is completely unnecessary. Iraq was being disarmed through
peaceful diplomatic means. It made numerous concessions to UN demands and was
in the process of destroying missiles and disclosing its weapons activities
when the United States attacked. Unprovoked war against another country without
the approval of the Security Council violates the UN Charter and is illegal
under US and international law. Such a war can never be just.
The outbreak of
war makes our work more important and necessary than ever. It creates enormous
new challenges, but it also offers new opportunities. We must organize a broadly
based campaign to address the causes and consequences of this war and to
prevent such misguided adventures in the future.
We can start by
recognizing the tremendous accomplishments of the past few months. We have
created the largest, most broadly based peace movement in history--a movement
that has engaged millions of people here and around the globe. Never before
have US churches, from the Conference of Catholic Bishops to the National
Council of Churches, spoken so resolutely against war. Never before have so
many US trade unions supported the antiwar movement. In practically every
sector of society--business executives, women's groups, environmentalists,
artists, musicians, African-Americans, Latinos--a strong antiwar voice has
emerged. Antiwar rallies and vigils have occurred in thousands of communities,
and many cities have passed antiwar declarations.
The fact that
this effort could not prevent war reflects not the weaknesses of our movement but
the failures of American democracy and the entrenched power of US militarism.
The Bush Administration has shown utter contempt for public opinion at home and
abroad. It manipulated legitimate public concerns about terrorism to assert a
false connection between Iraq and Al Qaeda and refused to tell the American
people or Congress how much the invasion and occupation would cost until after
the war was already under way.
Our short-term
objectives will depend on how the war unfolds, whether it is a short, "successful"
military campaign or becomes a drawn-out war of attrition with constant sniper
or guerrilla attacks. We hope there will be few casualties, both for Iraqis and
Americans, but we know that a quick victory will bolster the very policies we
abhor. We urge our government to do everything possible to avoid unnecessary
death and destruction. Our short-term political agenda should include the
following demands and issues:
§ Protect the
innocent. The United States should provide massive humanitarian assistance and
economic aid for the Iraqi people and other vulnerable populations in the
region. We should support the reconstruction and development of Iraq. This
assistance should be administered by civilian agencies, not the Pentagon. We
should also demand, or if necessary provide, an accurate accounting of the
civilian dead.
§ Support our
men and women in the armed forces. We regret that their Commander in Chief has
sent them on an ill-advised and unnecessary mission, but we respect and thank
them for their service. We urge special support for the families of service
members and reservists who have been sent to the Persian Gulf. We call for
greater efforts to address the medical problems that will result from service
in the gulf. More than 167,000 veterans are currently on disability as a result
of their service in the first Gulf War. We condemn the cuts in veterans'
benefits approved by the Republican-controlled Congress and call for increased
availability of medical care and other benefits for veterans.
§ Bring home
the troops. We urge the withdrawal of American military forces from Iraq as
soon as possible. We oppose the creation of any long-term or permanent US
military bases in Iraq.
§ No war or
military threats against Iran. We oppose any attempt to coerce or threaten Iran
with military attack. It is no secret that extremists in Washington and Israel
favor a military strike against Iran as the next phase in the "war on
terror." This would be a further catastrophe for the cause of peace and
must be vigorously resisted.
§ No war for
oil. We oppose any US effort to seize control of Iraqi oil or to demand a
percentage of Iraqi oil revenues. Ownership of Iraqi oil should remain with the
Iraqi people. Iraq was the first Arab nation to nationalize its petroleum
resources, and it must be allowed to retain control over this wealth to rebuild
its economy and society.
§ Peace in the
Middle East. The United States should give active support to a genuine peace
process between Israel and the Palestinians. We should pressure both sides to
accept a peace settlement that ends the violence and creates two sovereign and
viable states.
§ Support for
regional disarmament. The Gulf War cease-fire resolution of 1991 specified that
the disarmament of Iraq was to be the first step toward the creation in the
Middle East of a "zone free from weapons of mass destruction." The
elimination of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq should thus lead to their
elimination throughout the region.
* The Nation, April 3,
2003.
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