This is not a cure….
Dear Mr. _______:
I wanted to share with you the text of a letter I joined in sending to
President Bush regarding the UN weapons inspection process in Iraq. The
letter asks the President to give the weapons inspection team the time and
resources necessary to carry out the objectives set out in UN Security
Council resolution 1441.
As I said during the October debate on authorizing the use of force
against Iraq, giving diplomatic efforts every chance to succeed is the
right policy. I hope that this information is helpful to you. Please
continue to be in touch.
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Dear Mr. President:
On November 8, 2002, the United Nations Security Council unanimously
endorsed a resolution designed to force Iraq to give up any weapons of
mass destruction. We believe the U.S. should make every attempt to achieve
Iraq’s disarmament through diplomatic means and with the full support of
our allies, in accordance with the process articulated in UN Security
Council resolution 1441.
The UN resolution calls for a tough new weapons inspection regime; it
requires the government of Iraq to provide inspectors with immediate,
unimpeded, unconditional, and unrestricted access, and requires that Iraq
permit inspectors to interview officials, scientists, and other
individuals as necessary to fulfill the mandate of the resolution. This is
an inherently difficult task, requiring patience and perseverance.
The report scheduled to be provided by Chief UN weapons inspector Dr. Hans
Blix and Director General Mohamed ElBaradei on January 27, 2003, will
assess whether the United Nations Monitoring, Verification, and Inspection
Commission (UNMOVIC) and International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA)
comprehensive mission is proceeding in the unobstructed and effective
manner necessary to realize the aims of UN Security Council resolution
1441. We encourage your administration to appropriately weigh future
decisions regarding Iraq on the assessment given by UNMOVIC/IAEA,
including consideration of additional inspection time and resources as
appropriate. Your commitment to working through the UN Security Council
and your vocal support for resolution 1441 are critical to UNMOVIC/IAEA’s
eventual success.
In addition, we respectfully urge you to use the opportunity provided in
the upcoming State of the Union Address to offer assurances both to the
American people and the international community that the United States
remains committed to the diplomatic approach and comprehensive inspections
process agreed to in UN Security Council resolution 1441.
Thank you for your consideration, and we look forward to your response.
Regards,
JANE HARMAN
Member of Congress
Wow. She wants to be nice. I wonder what kind of email gets sent out if I demanded to know why she’s too chickenshit to bomb the hell out of Iraq?