Urge a peaceful settlement to Iraq/Korea confrontations

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January 2003

Affordable housing tops Catholic Charities USA's 2003 legislative agenda
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Urge a peaceful settlement to Iraq/Korea confrontations

Urge a peaceful settlement to Iraq/Korea confrontations
The following action items from the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) focus on federal policy issues currently before Congress or the Administration.

URGE PRESIDENT BUSH TO PURSUE DIPLOMATIC SOLUTIONS IN IRAQ AS HE IS IN NORTH KOREA: On January 7, 2003, the Bush Administration dramatically changed its position vis-a-vis North Korea (the Democratic People's Republic of Korea or DPRK) and declared its willingness to have direct discussions with that nation. While the announcement ruled out new U.S. agreements with North Korea, it recognized the importance of dialogue in resolving "issues of bilateral concern." The Administration changed its tack in response to concerted pressure from Japan and South Korea, two U.S. allies who see direct negotiations as the only means to a peaceful resolution of the current nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula. China and Russia also called on the U.S. to come to the negotiating table.

Given the Administration's shift toward diplomacy to address the North Korea crisis, the current U.S. mobilization for an expanded war on Iraq is raising even more questions. If the Administration is willing to pursue diplomatic solutions with North Korea, which has admitted to having advanced nuclear weapons and missile programs, why not the same for Iraq, where no evidence of an ongoing nuclear weapons program has yet been found?

ACTION: Please fax or email your members of Congress. Ask them to applaud the President for agreeing to talks with North Korea and to urge the President to take a similar approach with Iraq. Congress has an important role to play in ensuring that the Administration works with the international community to pursue all peaceful alternatives to war on Iraq.

Start with the sample letter posted in our Legislative Action Center, personalize the language, then email or fax your message directly from our site. You can also print it out and mail it.

BACKGROUND: Since the revelation of North Korea's uranium enrichment program in October 2002, the United States has insisted that it would not enter into negotiations unless and until North Korea completely and visibly dismantled its nuclear weapons program. By suspending the U.S.'s heavy fuel oil shipments to North Korea in November 2002 (these shipments are required under the Agreed Framework of 1994), the U.S. continued a cycle of escalation. In late December, North Korea asked the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors to leave so that North Korea would be free to unseal a nuclear power plant shut down under the Agreed Framework.

On January 7, officials from Japan, South Korea, and the United States issued a joint statement after meeting to review and coordinate policy toward North Korea The statement reiterates demands that North Korea eliminate its nuclear weapons program and called on North Korea to cooperate with the IAEA. In a new approach, the Bush Administration agreed to resume talks with North Korea. The announcement, though welcome, still excludes the possibility of new U.S. diplomatic agreements with North Korea in exchange for the North's compliance with "existing obligations" under the Agreed Framework and other international and bilateral agreements.

North Korea has long criticized the United States for its failure to live up to all its obligations under the Agreed Framework, which includes the provision that "The U.S. will provide formal assurance to the DPRK against the threat or use of nuclear weapons by the U.S.," a provision violated by the March 2002 nuclear posture review, and the Bush Administration's "preemptive strike" policy. Dialogue with North Korea is an important step toward a peaceful resolution of the conflict, but it will only be fruitful if it includes U.S. willingness to live up to its own "existing obligations" and demonstrated commitment to diplomacy over war.

The Bush Administration's policy toward Iraq contrasts starkly with its approach to North Korea. While the Bush Administration continues a major military build-up in the Persian Gulf and openly discusses post-war occupation of Iraq, many governments believe a diplomatic resolution of that conflict is also possible.

On January 27, the UN Monitoring, Verification, and Inspections Commission (UNMOVIC) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will make their first official report to the UN Security Council on the progress of inspections. Thus far, weapons inspections are proceeding in Iraq without serious obstruction. Inspectors have said there is "no smoking gun" and they have not yet found significant evidence pointing to a revitalized Iraqi threat.

U.S. allies are also working diligently to open space for a peaceful settlement of the crisis. The European Union has announced it will send a diplomatic mission to Arab states in February in an attempt to avert war. Turkey's government, which is under heavy U.S. pressure to serve as a base for launching a U.S. invasion of Iraq, has been on a diplomatic tour to seek a peaceful resolution of the dispute, meeting with Syria, Egypt, Jordan, Iran, and Saudi Arabia.

The costs of continued weapons inspections and international diplomacy in Iraq are surely less than the costs of war which include injuries and deaths among civilians and soldiers (from all countries involved), regional instability, economic impact, environmental damage, and political fall-out. Although the Bush Administration appears set on war, opportunities for a peaceful resolution of the conflict with Iraq do still exist.

Pres. Bush is expected to use the State of the Union speech on January 28 to announce the next phase of U.S. policy toward Iraq. The weeks leading up to the speech are a critical time for raising visible U.S. public opposition to war and pressing our members of Congress to take leadership roles in moving the Administration away from war. Pres. Bush should publicly commit to full support for UN weapons inspections to peacefully disarm Iraq and should pull back from the brink of war.

NATIONAL LOBBY DAY TO STOP THE WAR ON IRAQ, JANUARY 21: FCNL and other national organizations working in coalition to prevent a U.S. invasion of Iraq have designated January 21 as a National Lobby Day to Stop the War on Iraq.

On Jan. 21, one week before President Bush is scheduled to give the State of the Union address, groups of concerned citizens will be meeting with members of Congress in their local offices across the country to ask them to help pull Pres. Bush back from the brink of war. Congress will be in recess during that week, and most members will be home in their districts. Face-to-face visits are most effective means for communicating your concerns.

CONTACTING LEGISLATORS

Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 or 800-839-5276

Sen. ________
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Rep. ________
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

Information on your members is available on FCNL's web site.

CONTACTING THE ADMINISTRATION

White House Comment Desk: 202-456-1111
FAX: 202-456-2461
E-MAIL: president@whitehouse.gov
WEB PAGE: http://www.whitehouse.gov

President George W. Bush
The White House
Washington, DC 20500

For further information, please contact FCNL. Mail: 245 Second Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-5795 Email: fcnl@fcnl.org Phone: (202) 547-6000 Toll Free: (800) 630-1330 Fax: (202) 547-6019 Web: http://www.fcnl.org/.

For more information:
Pax Christi USA
United for Peace

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