Call for Diplomacy with Iran on June 10th
Hostile rhetoric with Iran is heating up again and Congress’ punitive sanctions approach to dealing with Iran is only adding fuel to the fire. Peace Action West has joined with the Campaign for a New American Policy on Iran to push the message that direct diplomacy without preconditions is the best way to address Iran’s nuclear program. Mark your calendars to participate in the nationwide Call-in to Congress for Diplomacy with Iran on June 10th. I’ll put up a post and action alert next Tuesday.
Pragmatic, sustained diplomatic efforts with North Korea are succeeding. As a result of six-party talks over several years, North Korea agreed in February of 2007 to give up its nuclear program in exchange for incentives like aid and diplomatic concessions. The Bush administration has never seriously tried diplomacy with Iran. The New York Times reports that in a speech
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice escalated the Bush administration’s anti-Iran rhetoric on Tuesday, accusing its government of pursuing nuclear weapons and calling any dialogue with its leaders pointless until they suspend the country’s enrichment of uranium.
The American public disagrees that talking to one’s enemies is “pointless.” A new Gallup poll shows that a broad spectrum of Americans support talks between the US and Iranian presidents.
About 6 in 10 Americans (59%) think it would be a good idea for the president of the United States to meet with the president of Iran. This includes about half of Republicans, a majority of independents, and most Democrats.
Remember to check back on June 10th and help show Congress that you support direct diplomacy with Iran.
I have to agree with Condi on this one. There is no point in diplomacy with Iran regarding uranium enrichment. The US intelligence community knows that Iran is not building nuclear weapons. Furthermore, Iran has a right to nuclear power and has no intention of abandoning that program. A “diplomatic solution” is ridiculous because there is no problem and no threat from Iran’s nuclear power program. So why compare Iran to N.Korea? All the hype on Iran’s “threat” comes from Israel and the Whitehouse. We would be better suited demanding that Congress stand up the Pentagon and AIPAC and impeach Bush before the impending Iran attack takes place. The president has already attempted to lie his way into war with Iran at least twice this year. This has nothing to do with nuclear weapons.