{news} GP RELEASE Greens to Congress: Stop Bush from attacking Iran

[Justine McCabe]

GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES
http://www.gp.org

For Immediate Release:
Tuesday, February 6, 2007

Contacts:
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, mclarty at greens.org
Starlene Rankin, Media Coordinator, 916-995-3805, starlene at gp.org


Greens to Congress: Assert constitutional war powers, stop Bush from 
attacking Iran

. Greens urge Congress, media, and public to be skeptical about 'Yellow Cake 
Propaganda' -- a Bush Administration disinformation campaign to justify 
going to war, similar to deception behind Iraq invasion in 2002-2003

. Impeachment is necessary to halt Bush's war agenda, restore the rule of 
law to the executive branch


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 sabre-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
http://www.gp.org
1700 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 404
Washington, DC 20009.
202-319-7191, 866-41GREEN
Fax 202-319-7193
Green Party News Center http://www.gp.org/newscenter.shtml

"U.S. can't prove Iran link to Iraq strife: Despite pledges to show 
evidence, officials have repeatedly put off presenting their case."
By Maura Reynolds, The Los Angeles Times, February 3, 2007
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/la-fg-iran3feb03,0,1950135.story

"Ghost of Judith Miller: NYT Drinks the Kool-Aid on Claims Iran is Behind 
Attacks on U.S. Soldiers in Iraq"
By Mark Weisbrot and Robert Naiman, January 31, 2007
http://news.yahoo.com/s/huffpost/20070201/cm_huffpost/040120

"US ex-generals reject Iran strike: Three former high-ranking American 
military officers have warned against any military attack on Iran"
BBC News, February 6, 2007
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6328801.stm


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