The following is an archived copy of a message sent to a Discussion List run by the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq.
Views expressed in this archived message are those of the author, not of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq.
[Main archive index/search] [List information] [Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq Homepage]
[ Presenting plain-text part of multi-format email ] In a message dated 16/03/03 02:49:27 GMT Standard Time, portsideMod@netscape.net writes: > Emergency UN General Assembly Action for Peace > Date:16/03/03 02:49:27 GMT Standard Time > From:<A HREF="mailto:portsideMod@netscape.net">portsideMod@netscape.net</A> > Reply-to:<A HREF="mailto:portside@yahoogroups.com">portside@yahoogroups.com</A> > To:<A HREF="mailto:portside@yahoogroups.com">portside@yahoogroups.com</A> > Sent from the Internet > > > > Kofi Annan "noted that he had received a suggestion from Brazilian > President > Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva that the United Nations convene a summit of world > leaders who are not Security Council members to help search for a > compromise > acceptable to all sides." > > -- Reuters 3/13/03 > > > URGENT: Support Emergency UN General Assembly action for peace. > > If the US threatens or attacks Iraq without support of a deadlocked UN > Security Council, the General Assembly can demand an immediate ceasefire > and > withdrawal under a procedure called "Uniting for Peace." [See attached > "unitepce.doc" file for background] TO ACT: > > 1. SIGN THE GLOBAL ON-LINE PETITION AT http://www.ufp.ht.st > [If this link doesn't work, please copy it into your browser.] > > 2. FORWARD THIS MESSAGE TO ALL CONCERNED PEOPLE!!! > > > > UNITING FOR PEACE > INTERNATIONAL APPEAL > TO STENGTHEN THE AUTHORITY OF THE UNITED NATIONS > IN THE MAINTENACE > OF PEACE AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY > The main mission of the UN is the maintenance of peace and international > security. > > According to the UN Charter, the Security Council has the responsibility to > act in the name of all the member states to maintain peace and > international > security. > > The institutions and the mission of the United Nations are at present being > threatened by the decisions of several member states to ignore the report > of > the inspectors mandated by the Security Council to carry out Resolution > 1441, and to begin an armed conflict on Iraqi territory without the support > of the Security Council. > > We, the citizens of the countries whose governments have ratified the > institutions and mission of the UN, urge all member states to use the > authority given them by the UN Charter, in order to restore the authority > of > the UN and its mission, and especially to request the immediate convening > of > the General Assembly, according to the regulations of the Charter and of > Resolution 377 of November 3, 1950, which are known under the rubric > "Uniting for Peace". > > We urge all member states of the UN, as soon as a special meeting of the > General Assembly is called, to restore the conditions of Resolution 1441 > and > for this purpose to order the withdrawal of all foreign military forces > which were not mandated by the UN, from Iraqi territory, because this is a > necessay condition for the continuation of inspections. > > > [This appeal, together with a report on the signatures (number, statistics > according to countries) will be presented to all the accredited ambassadors > to the UN. The ambassadors are being urged to suggest to the General > Secretary of the UN, Mr. Kofi Annan, to vote to convene a special meeting > of > the General Assembly of the UN, based on the UN Charter and Resolution 377. > > An initial posting will be made on the evening of March 16, followed by, if > necessary, a weekly communiqué giving the current number of signatures > collected, until the General Assembly is convened or another initiative is > undertaken by the UN with the goal of stopping the war.] > > _________________________________________________________________ > > Here is a sampling of initiatives for a UN General Assembly Uniting for > Peace resolution to halt war against Iraq. > > > UNITED STATES > > The Center for Constitutional Rights has spearheaded the campaign for a > Uniting for Peace resolution. For their campaign and a draft resolution, > visit http://www.ccr-ny.org/v2/whatsnew/action_v2.asp. > > A group of former diplomats led by William venden Heuvel, former US > Permanent Representative to the United Nations, held a briefing at the UN > on > Uniting for Peace. "For those in the United Nations who refuse to support > force, vanden Heuvel said, "we still have the option of going immediately > to > the General Assembly and putting it to a vote of the world." -- AP, March > 11, 2003 > > > BRAZIL > > Kofi Annan 'noted that he had received a suggestion from Brazilian > President > Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva that the United Nations convene a summit of world > leaders who are not Security Council members to help search for a > compromise > acceptable to all sides." -- Reuters 3/13/03 > > > NORWAY: > > "Oslo Bishop proposes new UN solution to Iraq crisis" > March 9, 2003 > > "If the UN Security Council is not able to agree on a solution to the Iraq > crisis, the issue should be turned over the General Assembly, says Oslo > Bishop Gunnar Staalsett in a letter to the Norwegian Government." > > -We demand that Norway play an active part in the work to transfer the Iraq > issue to the General Assembly. This would truly be to follow the "UN track, > the letter states. > > -The Government should take an initiative towards other nations which are > not members of the Security Council, or Norway could influence the Security > Council to take the issue before the General Assembly, Staalsett says. -- > Norway Post > > > DENMARK > > A Danish organization has launched a campaign based on the materials from > the Center for Constitutional Rights. For their materials in English, > visit: www.danirak.dk/english/uniting.html > > > GERMANY > > AKTION PARTNERSCHAFT DRITTE WELT (APDW) and ATTAC Germany has initiated a > letter campaign to the chancellor and the Foreign Minister of Germany. > > > INDIA: > > The following appeared in an editorial Wednesday, March 12, 2003 in The > Times of India, one of the two largest English language dailies in the > country: > > - UNite for Peace > > The UN does not need to sanction a war in order to redeem itself. If > anything, it is unilateral action by the US that threatens the UN's already > dented credibility. As Kofi Annan said recently, any such action would be > in > violation of the UN charter. Does this mean that there is no way out of the > impasse? No. It is possible for a deadlocked issue to be transferred to the > UN General Assembly under the 'uniting for peace' resolution procedure. > This > was invoked during the Korean war, and again in the aftermath of the > Israeli-Arab conflict of 1967. Many NGOs have now proposed that the General > Assembly should be convened under the 'uniting for peace' procedure to > consider the Iraqi issue. > > - There is a distinct danger that war will have already commenced by the > time > formalities required to convene the General Assembly can be completed. > Nonetheless, it might still be a worthwhile attempt. First, an official > protest against the US action will have been formally lodged in the UN. > Second, it could pre-empt possible unilateral US plans to deal with the > post-war dispensation in Iraq. And finally, the General Assembly is more > representative of the world than the Security Council. New Delhi, which has > opposed unilateral use of force, should consider taking the initiative to > convene the General Assembly session under this procedure.†> -- > > http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?artid=399 > 98407 > > > CANADA > > The Victoria Campaign Against War and Sanctions on Iraq has organized a > campaign around a Uniting for Peace resolution drafted by Dr. Joan Russow. > www.vcawsi.org/unga_resolution377.html > > The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom in western Canada > has > initiated a campaign calling for a United for Peace resolution. > > > NEW ZEALAND > > A New Zealand group provides this "Emergency Kit to Stop the War": > > What to do: Fax or E-mail to the General Assembly asking for a vote on an > emergency peacekeeping action per Res. 377. > How to do it: with this Uniting for Peace blaster kit ( > http://www.waronfreedom.org/uniting4peacekit.html ). > 1. Write your message, whatever comes to you. It can be brief. > 2. E-mail your inspired memo to the list of 200 addresses of UN Missions in > New York at www.waronfreedom.org/petition.html (sample message there has > links to more details about Uniting for Peace.) Please send a copy to me > (treol@earthlink.net) if you'd like it posted on the site, too. > 3. Fax blast - The Big One! > This is really worth while. Faxes make a much more powerful impression than > e-mail. Your fax can easily end up on the ambassador's desk. > See details at www.waronfreedom.org/activists/un4pfax.html and - Blast > away! > Click on send, and 180 faxes will go off at once. > Pass this message on widely, too, please... post to networks and > websites... > Other worthwhile E-actions - > http://www.moveon.org/emergency/ - online petition to the Security Council. > Quick and E-Z! Don't forget to use the Comment Field to ask for a vote on > Uniting for Peace!! > > > INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS > > Greenpeace has joined the campaign for a Uniting for Peace resolution. > According to Steve Sawyer, spokesman for Greenpeace at the United Nations > headquarters in New York, "It's clear that the United States and United > Kingdom will not succeed in ramming through a resolution to go to war. Yet > it's also clear that, even without UN backing, those countries intend to > wage a reckless war which would make the world a much more dangerous place. > It's > now up to all the world's countries, not just a few of the powerful, to > meet > together to avert this march to war." Information at > http://www.greenpeace.ca > > > LETTERS TO UN AMBASSADORS > > Please send the following sample letter (adapted as you will, or one of > your > own) to the e-mail addresses listed below (representing all UN Members). > > SAMPLE LETTER (e-mail addresses below) > > Dear U.N. Ambassador, > > President Bush appears determined to wage war on Iraq despite the world's > opposition, despite the progress of UN weapons inspectors, despite the > liklihood that an unprovoked war will foment, rather than eliminate, > terrorism. The Bush Administration has threatened to attack Iraq even > without the authority of the UN Security Council. > This constitutes both a threat to world peace and to the very integrity of > the UN as an institution dedicated to "the maintenance of international > peace and security." Time is running short. This disastrous war must be > prevented. > > Therefore, I urge you to band together with other nations in support of a > "Uniting for Peace" resolution against an unprovoked invasion of Iraq. > > As you know, Resolution 377, adopted by the UN in 1950, was made for > situations precisely like this one. > > Uniting for Peace provides that if, because of the lack of unanimity of the > permanent members of the Security Council (France, China, Russia, Britain, > United States), the Council cannot maintain international peace where there > is a "threat to the peace, breach of the peace or act of aggression," the > General Assembly "shall consider the matter > immediately.." The General Assembly can meet within 24 hours to consider > such a matter, and can recommend collective measures to U.N. members > including the use of armed forces to "maintain or restore international > peace and security." > > Such a "Uniting for Peace" resolution could require that no military action > be taken against Iraq without the explicit authority of the Security > Council. It could mandate that the inspectors be permitted to complete > their > task. It seems unlikely that the United States and Britain would ignore > such > a measure. A vote by the majority of countries > in the world, particularly if it were almost unanimous, would make the > unilateral rush to war more difficult. > > Uniting for Peace can be invoked either by seven members of the Security > Council or by a majority of the members of the General Assembly. > > Clearly, it our last best hope for fulfilling the mission stated in the UN > Charter: to "save succeeding generations form the scourge of war." > > Please act now. It's not too late. > > Sincerely, > > To: info@unmovic.org, official.mail@iaea.org > Cc: aalcc@un.int, caribcomun@un.int, RedCrossCommittee@un.int , > ec@un.int, francophonie@un.int, holysee@un.int, ilo@un.int, isa@un.int, > seaun@un.int, las@un.int, oau@un.int, oic@un.int, > webmaster@foreign.gov.za, Chinamission_un@fmprc.gov.cn, > contact@germany-un.org, france-presse@un.int, info@cameroonmission.org > Bcc: afghanistan@un.int, albania@un.int, algeria@un.int, > an! dorra@un.int, angola@un.int, antigua@un.int, argentina@un.int, > armenia@un.int,australia@un.int, austria@u! n.int, azerbaijan@un.int, > bahamas@un.int, bahrain@un.int, bangladesh@un.int, barbados@un.int, > belarus@un.! int, belgium@un.int, belize@un.int, benin@un.int, > bhutan@un.int, > bolivia@un.int, bosnia@un.int, botswana@un.int, braun@delbrasonu.org, > brunei@un.int, bulgaria@un.int, burkinafaso@un.int, burundi@un.int, > caf@un.int, cambodia@un.int, cameroon@un.int, canada@un.int, > capeverde@un.int, chad@un.int, chile@un.int, china@un.int, > colombia@un.int, comoros@un.int, congo@un.int, costarica@un.int, > croatia@un.int, cuba@un.int, cyprus@un.int, czechrepublic@un.int, > delun@mfa.no, denmark@un.int, djibouti@nyct.net, dominica@un.int, > dprk@un.int, dr@un.int, drcongo@un.int, elsalvador@un.int, > eqguinea@un.int, ecuador@un.int, egypt@un.int, eritrea@un.int, > estonia@un.int, ethiopia@un.int, fiji@un.int, finland@un.int, > france@un.int, gabon@un.int, gambia@un.int, georgia@un.int, > germany@un.int, ghana@un.int, greece@un.int, grenada@un.int, > guatemala@un.int, guinea@un.int, g! uyana@un.int, haiti@un.int, > honduras@un.int, hungary@un.int, iceland@un.int, india@un.int, > indonesia@un.int, iran@un.int, iraq@un.int, ireland@un.int, > italy@un.int, ivorycoast@un.int, jamaica@un.int, japan@un.int, > jordan@un.int, kazakhstan@un.int, kenya@un.int, korea@un.int, > kyrgyzstan@un.int, laos@un.int, latvia@un.int, lebanon@un.int, > lesotho@un.int, liberia@un.int, libya@un.int, liechtenstein@un.int, > lithuania@un.int, luxembourg@un.int, macedonia@un.int, > madagascar@un.int, malawi@un.int, malaysia@un.int, maldives@un.int, > mali@un.int, malta@un.int, marshallislands@un.int, mauritania@un.int, > mauritius@un.int, mexico@un.int, micronesia@un.int, moldova@un.int, > monaco@un.int, mongolia@un.int, morocco@un.int, mozambique@un.int, > myanmar@un.int, namibia@un.int, nepal@un.int, netherlands@un.int, > newzealand@un.int, nicaragua@un.int, niger@un.int, nigeria@un.int, > oman@un.int, pakistan@un.int, palau@un.int, panama@un.int, > paraguay@un.int, peru@un.int, philippines@un.int, png@un.int, > poland@un.int, portugal@un.int, qatar@un.int, romania@un.int, > rusun@un.int, rwanda@un.int, samoa@un.int, sanmarino@un.int, > senegal@un.int, seychelles@un.int, sierraleone@un.int, > singapore@un.int, slovakia@un.int, slovenia@un.int, > solomonislands@un.int, somalia@un.int, southafrica@un.int, > spain@un.int, srilanka@un.int, stkn@un.int, stlucia@un.int, > stp@un.int, stvg@un.int, sudan@un.int, suriname@un.int, > swaziland@un.int, sweden@un.int, syria@un.int, tajikistan@un.int, > thailand@un.int, togo@! un.int, tto@un.int, tunisia@un.int, > turkey@un.int, turkmenistan@un.int, uganda@un.int, > ukraine@un.int, uae@un.int, uruguay@un.int, uzbekistan@un.int, > vanuatu@un.int, venezuela@un.int, vietnam@un.int, yemen@un.int, > yugoslavia@un.int, zambia@un.int, zimbabwe@un.int, > mission@palestine-un.org, Saudi-Mission@un.int, switzerland@un.int, > leonardjp@earthlink.net us@un.int, uk@un.int, > israel@un.int, kuwait@un.int) > > FAX NUMBERS TO UN MISSIONS: > For fax numbers to 179 UN missions, see: > www.waronfreedom.org/activists/gafaxlist.csv > This csv file (comma separated text) is optimized for use with the > broadcast fax facility at efax.com. Efax will charge you 6 cents per > page, or about $11 to send a fax to each UN mission on the list. > You'll need to set up an account, charge up an account balance, and follow > the > instructions for Broadcast fax. Upload the csv file, which is the list > of General Assembly members' fax numbers, and your message document > (can be a doc file, or pdf preserves formatting better - your Word software > may have pdf in the list of printers). If you have time, talent and a > tenner on top, personalize or "merge" your message - cost is double, 12 > cents per page. For this you can use the complete address data from > www.waronfreedom.org/activists/missions.csv > > > __________________________________________________________________ > Try AOL and get 1045 hours FREE for 45 days! > http://free.aol.com/tryaolfree/index.adp?375380 > > Get AOL Instant Messenger 5.1 for FREE! Download Now! > http://aim.aol.com/aimnew/Aim/register.adp?promos=380455 > > > portside (the left side in nautical parlance) is a > news, discussion and debate service of the Committees > of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism. It > aims to provide varied material of interest to people > on the left. > > Post : mail to 'portside@yahoogroups.com' > Subscribe : mail to 'portside-subscribe@yahoogroups.com' > Unsubscribe : mail to 'portside-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com' > List owner : portside-owner@yahoogroups.com > Web address : <http://www.yahoogroups.com/group/portside> > Digest mode : visit Web site > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > > To: portside@yahoogroups.com From: portsideMod@netscape.net Mailing-List: list portside@yahoogroups.com; contact portside-owner@yahoogroups.com Delivered-To: mailing list portside@yahoogroups.com Precedence: bulk Date: Sat, 15 Mar 2003 20:51:18 -0500 Subject: Emergency UN General Assembly Action for Peace Reply-To: portside@yahoogroups.com Kofi Annan "noted that he had received a suggestion from Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva that the United Nations convene a summit of world leaders who are not Security Council members to help search for a compromise acceptable to all sides." -- Reuters 3/13/03 URGENT: Support Emergency UN General Assembly action for peace. If the US threatens or attacks Iraq without support of a deadlocked UN Security Council, the General Assembly can demand an immediate ceasefire and withdrawal under a procedure called "Uniting for Peace." [See attached "unitepce.doc" file for background] TO ACT: 1. SIGN THE GLOBAL ON-LINE PETITION AT http://www.ufp.ht.st [If this link doesn't work, please copy it into your browser.] 2. FORWARD THIS MESSAGE TO ALL CONCERNED PEOPLE!!! UNITING FOR PEACE INTERNATIONAL APPEAL TO STENGTHEN THE AUTHORITY OF THE UNITED NATIONS IN THE MAINTENACE OF PEACE AND INTERNATIONAL SECURITY The main mission of the UN is the maintenance of peace and international security. According to the UN Charter, the Security Council has the responsibility to act in the name of all the member states to maintain peace and international security. The institutions and the mission of the United Nations are at present being threatened by the decisions of several member states to ignore the report of the inspectors mandated by the Security Council to carry out Resolution 1441, and to begin an armed conflict on Iraqi territory without the support of the Security Council. We, the citizens of the countries whose governments have ratified the institutions and mission of the UN, urge all member states to use the authority given them by the UN Charter, in order to restore the authority of the UN and its mission, and especially to request the immediate convening of the General Assembly, according to the regulations of the Charter and of Resolution 377 of November 3, 1950, which are known under the rubric "Uniting for Peace". We urge all member states of the UN, as soon as a special meeting of the General Assembly is called, to restore the conditions of Resolution 1441 and for this purpose to order the withdrawal of all foreign military forces which were not mandated by the UN, from Iraqi territory, because this is a necessay condition for the continuation of inspections. [This appeal, together with a report on the signatures (number, statistics according to countries) will be presented to all the accredited ambassadors to the UN. The ambassadors are being urged to suggest to the General Secretary of the UN, Mr. Kofi Annan, to vote to convene a special meeting of the General Assembly of the UN, based on the UN Charter and Resolution 377. An initial posting will be made on the evening of March 16, followed by, if necessary, a weekly communiqué giving the current number of signatures collected, until the General Assembly is convened or another initiative is undertaken by the UN with the goal of stopping the war.] _________________________________________________________________ Here is a sampling of initiatives for a UN General Assembly Uniting for Peace resolution to halt war against Iraq. UNITED STATES The Center for Constitutional Rights has spearheaded the campaign for a Uniting for Peace resolution. For their campaign and a draft resolution, visit http://www.ccr-ny.org/v2/whatsnew/action_v2.asp. A group of former diplomats led by William venden Heuvel, former US Permanent Representative to the United Nations, held a briefing at the UN on Uniting for Peace. "For those in the United Nations who refuse to support force, vanden Heuvel said, "we still have the option of going immediately to the General Assembly and putting it to a vote of the world." -- AP, March 11, 2003 BRAZIL Kofi Annan 'noted that he had received a suggestion from Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva that the United Nations convene a summit of world leaders who are not Security Council members to help search for a compromise acceptable to all sides." -- Reuters 3/13/03 NORWAY: "Oslo Bishop proposes new UN solution to Iraq crisis" March 9, 2003 "If the UN Security Council is not able to agree on a solution to the Iraq crisis, the issue should be turned over the General Assembly, says Oslo Bishop Gunnar Staalsett in a letter to the Norwegian Government." -We demand that Norway play an active part in the work to transfer the Iraq issue to the General Assembly. This would truly be to follow the "UN track, the letter states. -The Government should take an initiative towards other nations which are not members of the Security Council, or Norway could influence the Security Council to take the issue before the General Assembly, Staalsett says. -- Norway Post DENMARK A Danish organization has launched a campaign based on the materials from the Center for Constitutional Rights. For their materials in English, visit: www.danirak.dk/english/uniting.html GERMANY AKTION PARTNERSCHAFT DRITTE WELT (APDW) and ATTAC Germany has initiated a letter campaign to the chancellor and the Foreign Minister of Germany. INDIA: The following appeared in an editorial Wednesday, March 12, 2003 in The Times of India, one of the two largest English language dailies in the country: - UNite for Peace The UN does not need to sanction a war in order to redeem itself. If anything, it is unilateral action by the US that threatens the UN's already dented credibility. As Kofi Annan said recently, any such action would be in violation of the UN charter. Does this mean that there is no way out of the impasse? No. It is possible for a deadlocked issue to be transferred to the UN General Assembly under the 'uniting for peace' resolution procedure. This was invoked during the Korean war, and again in the aftermath of the Israeli-Arab conflict of 1967. Many NGOs have now proposed that the General Assembly should be convened under the 'uniting for peace' procedure to consider the Iraqi issue. - There is a distinct danger that war will have already commenced by the time formalities required to convene the General Assembly can be completed. Nonetheless, it might still be a worthwhile attempt. First, an official protest against the US action will have been formally lodged in the UN. Second, it could pre-empt possible unilateral US plans to deal with the post-war dispensation in Iraq. And finally, the General Assembly is more representative of the world than the Security Council. New Delhi, which has opposed unilateral use of force, should consider taking the initiative to convene the General Assembly session under this procedure.†-- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?artid=399 98407 CANADA The Victoria Campaign Against War and Sanctions on Iraq has organized a campaign around a Uniting for Peace resolution drafted by Dr. Joan Russow. www.vcawsi.org/unga_resolution377.html The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom in western Canada has initiated a campaign calling for a United for Peace resolution. NEW ZEALAND A New Zealand group provides this "Emergency Kit to Stop the War": What to do: Fax or E-mail to the General Assembly asking for a vote on an emergency peacekeeping action per Res. 377. How to do it: with this Uniting for Peace blaster kit ( http://www.waronfreedom.org/uniting4peacekit.html ). 1. Write your message, whatever comes to you. It can be brief. 2. E-mail your inspired memo to the list of 200 addresses of UN Missions in New York at www.waronfreedom.org/petition.html (sample message there has links to more details about Uniting for Peace.) Please send a copy to me (treol@earthlink.net) if you'd like it posted on the site, too. 3. Fax blast - The Big One! This is really worth while. Faxes make a much more powerful impression than e-mail. Your fax can easily end up on the ambassador's desk. See details at www.waronfreedom.org/activists/un4pfax.html and - Blast away! Click on send, and 180 faxes will go off at once. Pass this message on widely, too, please... post to networks and websites... Other worthwhile E-actions - http://www.moveon.org/emergency/ - online petition to the Security Council. Quick and E-Z! Don't forget to use the Comment Field to ask for a vote on Uniting for Peace!! INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS Greenpeace has joined the campaign for a Uniting for Peace resolution. According to Steve Sawyer, spokesman for Greenpeace at the United Nations headquarters in New York, "It's clear that the United States and United Kingdom will not succeed in ramming through a resolution to go to war. Yet it's also clear that, even without UN backing, those countries intend to wage a reckless war which would make the world a much more dangerous place. It's now up to all the world's countries, not just a few of the powerful, to meet together to avert this march to war." Information at http://www.greenpeace.ca LETTERS TO UN AMBASSADORS Please send the following sample letter (adapted as you will, or one of your own) to the e-mail addresses listed below (representing all UN Members). SAMPLE LETTER (e-mail addresses below) Dear U.N. Ambassador, President Bush appears determined to wage war on Iraq despite the world's opposition, despite the progress of UN weapons inspectors, despite the liklihood that an unprovoked war will foment, rather than eliminate, terrorism. The Bush Administration has threatened to attack Iraq even without the authority of the UN Security Council. This constitutes both a threat to world peace and to the very integrity of the UN as an institution dedicated to "the maintenance of international peace and security." Time is running short. This disastrous war must be prevented. Therefore, I urge you to band together with other nations in support of a "Uniting for Peace" resolution against an unprovoked invasion of Iraq. As you know, Resolution 377, adopted by the UN in 1950, was made for situations precisely like this one. Uniting for Peace provides that if, because of the lack of unanimity of the permanent members of the Security Council (France, China, Russia, Britain, United States), the Council cannot maintain international peace where there is a "threat to the peace, breach of the peace or act of aggression," the General Assembly "shall consider the matter immediately.." The General Assembly can meet within 24 hours to consider such a matter, and can recommend collective measures to U.N. members including the use of armed forces to "maintain or restore international peace and security." Such a "Uniting for Peace" resolution could require that no military action be taken against Iraq without the explicit authority of the Security Council. It could mandate that the inspectors be permitted to complete their task. It seems unlikely that the United States and Britain would ignore such a measure. A vote by the majority of countries in the world, particularly if it were almost unanimous, would make the unilateral rush to war more difficult. Uniting for Peace can be invoked either by seven members of the Security Council or by a majority of the members of the General Assembly. Clearly, it our last best hope for fulfilling the mission stated in the UN Charter: to "save succeeding generations form the scourge of war." Please act now. It's not too late. Sincerely, To: info@unmovic.org, official.mail@iaea.org Cc: aalcc@un.int, caribcomun@un.int, RedCrossCommittee@un.int , ec@un.int, francophonie@un.int, holysee@un.int, ilo@un.int, isa@un.int, seaun@un.int, las@un.int, oau@un.int, oic@un.int, webmaster@foreign.gov.za, Chinamission_un@fmprc.gov.cn, contact@germany-un.org, france-presse@un.int, info@cameroonmission.org Bcc: afghanistan@un.int, albania@un.int, algeria@un.int, an! dorra@un.int, angola@un.int, antigua@un.int, argentina@un.int, armenia@un.int,australia@un.int, austria@u! n.int, azerbaijan@un.int, bahamas@un.int, bahrain@un.int, bangladesh@un.int, barbados@un.int, belarus@un.! int, belgium@un.int, belize@un.int, benin@un.int, bhutan@un.int, bolivia@un.int, bosnia@un.int, botswana@un.int, braun@delbrasonu.org, brunei@un.int, bulgaria@un.int, burkinafaso@un.int, burundi@un.int, caf@un.int, cambodia@un.int, cameroon@un.int, canada@un.int, capeverde@un.int, chad@un.int, chile@un.int, china@un.int, colombia@un.int, comoros@un.int, congo@un.int, costarica@un.int, croatia@un.int, cuba@un.int, cyprus@un.int, czechrepublic@un.int, delun@mfa.no, denmark@un.int, djibouti@nyct.net, dominica@un.int, dprk@un.int, dr@un.int, drcongo@un.int, elsalvador@un.int, eqguinea@un.int, ecuador@un.int, egypt@un.int, eritrea@un.int, estonia@un.int, ethiopia@un.int, fiji@un.int, finland@un.int, france@un.int, gabon@un.int, gambia@un.int, georgia@un.int, germany@un.int, ghana@un.int, greece@un.int, grenada@un.int, guatemala@un.int, guinea@un.int, g! uyana@un.int, haiti@un.int, honduras@un.int, hungary@un.int, iceland@un.int, india@un.int, indonesia@un.int, iran@un.int, iraq@un.int, ireland@un.int, italy@un.int, ivorycoast@un.int, jamaica@un.int, japan@un.int, jordan@un.int, kazakhstan@un.int, kenya@un.int, korea@un.int, kyrgyzstan@un.int, laos@un.int, latvia@un.int, lebanon@un.int, lesotho@un.int, liberia@un.int, libya@un.int, liechtenstein@un.int, lithuania@un.int, luxembourg@un.int, macedonia@un.int, madagascar@un.int, malawi@un.int, malaysia@un.int, maldives@un.int, mali@un.int, malta@un.int, marshallislands@un.int, mauritania@un.int, mauritius@un.int, mexico@un.int, micronesia@un.int, moldova@un.int, monaco@un.int, mongolia@un.int, morocco@un.int, mozambique@un.int, myanmar@un.int, namibia@un.int, nepal@un.int, netherlands@un.int, newzealand@un.int, nicaragua@un.int, niger@un.int, nigeria@un.int, oman@un.int, pakistan@un.int, palau@un.int, panama@un.int, paraguay@un.int, peru@un.int, philippines@un.int, png@un.int, poland@un.int, portugal@un.int, qatar@un.int, romania@un.int, rusun@un.int, rwanda@un.int, samoa@un.int, sanmarino@un.int, senegal@un.int, seychelles@un.int, sierraleone@un.int, singapore@un.int, slovakia@un.int, slovenia@un.int, solomonislands@un.int, somalia@un.int, southafrica@un.int, spain@un.int, srilanka@un.int, stkn@un.int, stlucia@un.int, stp@un.int, stvg@un.int, sudan@un.int, suriname@un.int, swaziland@un.int, sweden@un.int, syria@un.int, tajikistan@un.int, thailand@un.int, togo@! un.int, tto@un.int, tunisia@un.int, turkey@un.int, turkmenistan@un.int, uganda@un.int, ukraine@un.int, uae@un.int, uruguay@un.int, uzbekistan@un.int, vanuatu@un.int, venezuela@un.int, vietnam@un.int, yemen@un.int, yugoslavia@un.int, zambia@un.int, zimbabwe@un.int, mission@palestine-un.org, Saudi-Mission@un.int, switzerland@un.int, leonardjp@earthlink.net us@un.int, uk@un.int, israel@un.int, kuwait@un.int) FAX NUMBERS TO UN MISSIONS: For fax numbers to 179 UN missions, see: www.waronfreedom.org/activists/gafaxlist.csv This csv file (comma separated text) is optimized for use with the broadcast fax facility at efax.com. Efax will charge you 6 cents per page, or about $11 to send a fax to each UN mission on the list. You'll need to set up an account, charge up an account balance, and follow the instructions for Broadcast fax. Upload the csv file, which is the list of General Assembly members' fax numbers, and your message document (can be a doc file, or pdf preserves formatting better - your Word software may have pdf in the list of printers). If you have time, talent and a tenner on top, personalize or "merge" your message - cost is double, 12 cents per page. For this you can use the complete address data from www.waronfreedom.org/activists/missions.csv __________________________________________________________________ Try AOL and get 1045 hours FREE for 45 days! http://free.aol.com/tryaolfree/index.adp?375380 Get AOL Instant Messenger 5.1 for FREE! Download Now! http://aim.aol.com/aimnew/Aim/register.adp?promos=380455 portside (the left side in nautical parlance) is a news, discussion and debate service of the Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism. It aims to provide varied material of interest to people on the left. Post : mail to 'portside@yahoogroups.com' Subscribe : mail to 'portside-subscribe@yahoogroups.com' Unsubscribe : mail to 'portside-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com' List owner : portside-owner@yahoogroups.com Web address : <http://www.yahoogroups.com/group/portside> Digest mode : visit Web site Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ _______________________________________________ Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk