Green Party to Congress: Assert constitutional war powers, stop Bush from attacking IranGreen Party of the United States Tuesday, February 6, 2007 Contacts:
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Green Party leaders appealed to Congress members today to prevent the Bush Administration from launching military attacks and a possible war on Iran. "We urge Congress to take immediate steps against President Bush's obvious plans for a war on Iran," said Jim Coplen, co-chair of the Green Party of the United States. "Congress alone has the constitutional power to block the White House from launching a military strike against Iran's nuclear facilities, and Congress can also cut off military aid to Israel if Israel initiates the military confrontation." Greens warned that the White House has stepped up a propaganda campaign to build public support for war against Iran, claiming that Iran is behind much of the civil strife now taking place in Iraq and that Iran intends to use its nuclear capability for military purposes, including production of nuclear weapons for use against Israel and the West. "The Bush Administration has claimed that intelligence proves Iran is aiding attacks on Americans in Iraq, but has had to concede that such intelligence is either weak or nonexistent," said Sarah 'Echo' Steiner, co-chair of the Green Party. "President Bush and Vice President Cheney are playing the same games they played in 2002 and 2003. We urge Congress to pay close attention to intelligence experts and Pentagon officials who are disputing White House claims about Iran." Greens challenged the media to question and investigate Bush Administration accusations that Iran has engaged in acts of provocation against the U.S., citing the administration's history of misinformation, including the 2003 State of the Union speech and other public communications that led up to the beginning of the Iraq War. Green Party leaders also noted that, while demanding that Iran halt its development of nuclear power, the Bush Administration has promoted nuclear power in other nations in the region, including India and Pakistan, and has tolerated Israel's nuclear arsenal, and that continued construction of nuclear weapons in the U.S. has encouraged nuclear proliferation around the world. Greens have called for diplomacy and international cooperation instead of saber-rattling and military confrontation. "We ask Congress not to sign away its constitutional war powers," said Nan Garrett, co-chair of the Green Party's National Women's Caucus and co-chair of the Georgia Green Party. "The last time Congress did so, in October, 2002, it handed President Bush a blank check to wage war on Iraq. The result was a war based on fraudulent justifications, leading to a civil war in Iraq, over 3,000 dead U.S. service members and hundreds of thousands of dead Iraqi civilians, and no end in sight. War with Iran will be an even greater disaster, leading to a likely regional or global conflict. The President's plans have nothing to do with a 'war on terror' and everything to do with a reckless strategy to assert U.S. control over the region, access to oil resources, and collusion with a belligerent Israeli government." The Green Party of the United States has already called for immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq and a cutoff of military funding for the war, and has endorsed impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney. "Congress could quickly frustrate President Bush's plans for war on Iran by beginning impeachment proceedings," said Justine McCabe, co-chair of the Green Party's International Committee. "It's likely that Republicans in Congress would block impeachment. But a public presentation of evidence that the Bush Administration has committed high crimes and misdemeanors, especially in its numerous deceptions about the reasons for invading Iraq, will call into question the President's assertions about Iran. We're telling Democrats, now is not the time for bipartisan compromise and retreat." MORE INFORMATION Green Party of the United States "Ghost of Judith Miller: NYT Drinks the Kool-Aid
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