Dear Senator/Representative,
We urge you to include two important provisions in the 2008 military authorization and appropriations bills:
• a provision prohibiting military action against Iran without prior congressional authorization; and
• a provision requiring the U.S. to engage Iran in serious and sustained negotiations on all matters of mutual concern.
We are members of a U.S. religious delegation that visited Iran in February, meeting religious and political leaders in the hope of improving relations between the people of Iran and the U.S. Some of our organizations have program experience with Iran for nearly two decades.
We believe it is essential that Congress fully debate any possible military action in Iran and that military action can best be avoided if the US and Iran are engaged diplomatically. Widening U.S. accusations that Iran is aiding the Taliban, as well as Sunni insurgents and Shia militias in Iraq, and the presence of additional U.S. naval forces in the Persian Gulf are heightening tensions and increasing the risk of war. So, too, are Iran’s continuing failure to comply with UN Security Council resolutions and its announcement of expanded nuclear enrichment activities.
In light of the recent incident between of the U.K. and Iran we are particularly mindful of how quickly events could lead to military action when diplomatic relations do not exist. Unlike the United States, the U.K. does have diplomatic relations with Iran and those were key to resolving the matter.
Amid the growing danger we see a clear opportunity to resolve the question of Iran’s nuclear program and other areas of U.S.-Iranian conflict. Congress can act to insure that this opportunity is not missed.
We are encouraged by recent statements from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates that indicate positive movement toward diplomacy with Iran on key issues. On the Iranian side, a recent proposal by a high-ranking Iranian official to create a regional consortium of Middle Eastern states to enrich uranium under IAEA supervision seems especially significant. This proposal could signal a way to break the impasse over Iran’s nuclear enrichment program and should be fully explored. It points again to the need for the U.S. to engage in face-to-face discussions with Iran.
Congress can greatly increase the possibility that these encouraging signs will bear fruit and greatly reduce the chance of a catastrophic war by passing legislation now that (1) prohibits military action against Iran without congressional authorization and (2) requires the U.S. to follow the recommendation of the Iraq Study Group to engage diplomatically with Iran and to provide progress reports to Congress.
We urge you to act promptly to prevent an inadvertent or unnecessary war and to increase the chances that the U.S. can establish a new relationship with Iran.
Sincerely,
J. Daryl Byler
Director, Mennonite Central Committee Washington Office
920 Pennsylvania Ave. SE
Washington, D.C. 20003
Rev. Jeff Carr
Chief Operating Officer/Chief of Staff
Sojourners/Call to Renewal
3333 14th St. NW, Suite 200
Washington, D.C. 20010
Ron Flaming
Director of International Programs
Mennonite Central Committee
21 South 12th Street
Akron, PA 17501
Mary Ellen McNish
American Friends Service Committee
1501 Cherry Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Rev. Dr. Shanta Premawardhana
Associate General Secretary for Interfaith Relations
National Council of Churches USA
475 Riverside Drive #880
New York, NY 10115
Maureen Shea
Director, Office of Government Relations
The Episcopal Church USA
110 Maryland Avenue, NE #309
Washington, D.C. 20002
Patricia Shelly
Executive Board, Mennonite Church USA
Professor of Bible and Religion
Bethel College
300 East 27th Street
North Newton, KS 67117
Joe Volk
Executive Secretary
Friends Committee on National Legislation
245 Second Street, NE
Washington, D.C. 20002
James Winkler
General Secretary
The United Methodist
General Board of Church and Society
100 Maryland Ave., N.E.
Washington, D.C. 20002
