The violence between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon continues as the civilian death toll continues to climb. As of this writing, over 850 Lebanese and 60 Israelis are dead. In addition, over 800,000 people have been displaced from their homes in Lebanon, creating a major humanitarian crisis. The international community has become increasingly alarmed by this tragic situation and is urgently calling on the United States to take the lead in assisting to establish an immediate cease-fire. Meanwhile the carnage continues, and the moderate democratically elected government of Lebanon is crippled and may not survive the crisis. Israel continues to bomb throughout Lebanon including Beirut and Qana where 56 civilians mostly women, children and elderly, were recently killed. Hezbollah continues to lob over 100 missiles per day into Israeli cities and towns as far south as Haifa and Nazareth, killing and wounding Israeli citizens.
The United States is Israel’s most trusted friend. The Bush administration could have strongly urged Israel to use restraint at the outset of this war and demanded immediate U.N. action to disarm Hezbollah in accordance with the U.N. resolution approved two years ago. However, instead of encouraging restraint, it acquiesced to war. As Steve Chapman, columnist for the Chicago Tribune, recently pointed out, this advice by President Bush was not a miscalculation but was a product of the neo conservative mindset which habitually confuses what is desirable with what is doable. According to Chapman, in their exaltation of military might, neo conservatives also imagine that having the moral cause for war is the same as having a feasible plan. Israel was not served well by the council of its trusted friend, the United States. Even at this late stage in the conflict, the Bush administration has not joined other world leaders in a call for an immediate cease-fire.
Meantime the violence goes on. As more Israeli ground troops are deployed into Lebanon, the casualties continue to increase on both sides. In the weeks ahead the television screens will be filled with Lebanese casualties, refugees and destruction providing a propaganda bonanza and a recruiting poster for anti-American and anti-Israel extremists.
NSPI has recommended an immediate cease-fire from the start of this conflict and will continue to do so. We are encouraging NSPI members to support the Kucinich amendment that calls for an immediate cease-fire.
On June 6th Javier Solana, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, presented a package of incentives to Iran’s leaders to encourage them to suspend their uranium enrichment program. The six permanent members of the United Nations Security Council supported the package of incentives. Iran has rejected these incentives. If the Security Council is unable to agree on economic sanctions against Iran, the hawks in the Bush administration will no doubt push to take military action against Iran and bomb their known nuclear facilities. The likelihood of taking military action against Iran has increased since the outbreak of violence in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah. The realization that Iran has been providing Hezbollah with missiles that are now being used to hit Israeli cities has caused many to fear what Iran would do with a nuclear weapon.
Military action against Iran would have a devastating impact on U.S. foreign policy and the world economy and would be universally rejected by countries around the world. NSPI will take the following actions to increase citizen awareness and try to stop these ill-conceived actions.
• NSPI will publish a full-page signature ad in all north suburban newspapers on August 11th rejecting any military action against Iran. We recommend that you make a copy of the ad and send it on with a personal note to President Bush, Secretary of State Rice and selected congressional leaders, demanding that no military be taken against Iran.
• NSPI will send a copy of this signature ad with a letter to all members of the Illinois congressional delegation, asking for their support in stopping the administration from taking this action.
• NSPI would like to thank the 300+ NSPI members and friends who signed this ad and contributed financially to its publication.