Payvand.com - On Wednesday November 7 the
Oakland City
Council unanimously passed a resolution,
Introduced By Councilmembers Brunner and Nadel, opposing war with
Iran.
Following is the full text
of the resolution.
Introduced By
Councilmembers Brunner and Nadel
A Resolution Opposing War with Iran
WHEREAS, The Bush
Administration and many of its Congressional allies are engaging in a systematic
campaign to convince the American people, and their representatives in
Congress,. that the Islamic Republic of Iran is a clear and present threat to
the safety and security of the United States of America, members of our armed
forces overseas, and our allies; and
WHEREAS, In a strategy
eerily reminiscent of the lead-up to the Iraq War and Occupation, the Bush
Administration and its Congressional allies are using unreliable sources,
exaggerated threat assessments, the selective use of information, questionable
accusations about Iran's nuclear program and its involvement in the violence in
Iraq as centerpieces of their case to the American people for war against Iran;
and
WHEREAS, A U.S. strike on
Iran would be deadly for tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of Iranian men,
women and children and would violate the United Nations Charter prohibition
against preemptive military attack; and
WHEREAS, According to the
estimates of many respectable Western intelligence agencies, Iran is years away
from having a usable nuclear weapon, if indeed it is seeking to manufacture one
at all; and
WHEREAS,
Iran has not threatened to
attack the United
States and has not been convincingly shown to
be likely to initiate such an attack; and •
WHEREAS, Iran is a
signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and Iran's nuclear power program,
including enriching uranium, is currently legal and in compliance with the NPT;
and
WHEREAS, The widening of
the United States war in the Middle East is almost certain to drive all segments
of Iranian society—even those who are friendly to the United States-towards
increased hostility and even hatred toward the United States, its military and
its citizens, once again turning potential friends into enemies, sending a
signal worldwide that the United States prefers violence to the peaceful
resolution of disputes, and inviting retaliation against our troops in Iraq and
elsewhere; and
WHEREAS, Comprehensive
direct diplomatic talks between the United States and Iran would likely result
in improved relations, and reduced tensions, between our nations; and
WHEREAS, Continued threats
of violence and other aggressive actions exacerbate tensions with Iran and could
obstruct efforts to cooperate with Iran over ending violence in Iraq, delaying
the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq; and
WHEREAS, As the Iraq War
has already cost the lives of more than 3,000 American soldiers, the serious
maiming of over 26,000 American soldiers, and the death and maiming of hundreds
of thousands of Iraqi civilians, as well as the cost of more $400,000,000,000 of
American tax dollars, embarking on yet another military campaign against a much
stronger adversary can do nothing but further exacerbate international tensions,
endanger the lives and livelihoods of millions of people both here and abroad,
and do little or nothing to address the most serious problems facing the
American people and humanity, generally; now therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the Oakland
City Council does hereby express its support for strong leadership in Congress
to limit the war authority of the Bush Administration with respect to
encouraging any military action against Iran; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED,
that the Oakland City Council does hereby request that our California U.S.
Senators Boxer and Feinstein provide leadership in the U.S. Senate in support of
Congress re-establishing its Constitutional authority over U.S. foreign policy
and war policy and funding; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED,
that the Oakland City Council directs City Clerk Latonda Simmons to send copies
of this Resolution to the President of the United
States, our Congressional representatives, our California legislative representatives, the League of
California Cities, and all local media outlets; and to arrange that a copy of
this resolution be placed on the Oakland City website.
PASSED BY THE FOLLOWING
VOTE:
AYES-
BROOKS, BRUNNER, CHANG,
NADEL, QUAN, REID, KERNIGHAN AND PRESIDENT DE LA
FUENTE
NOES
ABSENT
ABSTENTION
ATTEST:
LATONDA SIMMONS
City Clerk and Clerk of the Council of the City of
Oakland, California
The resolution in pdf form
is available here.
Related
News:
Council opposes war
against Iran
OAKLAND — Oakland is on record opposing a military strike against
Iran after the City Council voted
unanimously Tuesday on a symbolic resolution calling on Congress to stop the
Bush administration from such an attack. -InsideBayArea.com
... Payvand News - 11/08/07 ...