> Attack Iran
>
> DontAttackIran.org
>
> Contact: Marcy Winograd 310-795-2322, Tim Carpenter
> 413-320-2015, David Swanson 202-329-7847
> david@davidswanson.org
>
> For immediate release: October 2, 2007
>
> Country music legend Willie Nelson, literary icon Gore
> Vidal, Gold Star Mother Cindy Sheehan, Pentagon Papers
> whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg, retired U.S. Army
> Colonel Ann Wright, former Congresswoman Cynthia
> McKinney, former federal prosecutor Elizabeth de la
> Vega, author and radio host Thom Hartmann, Rabbi
> Michael Lerner, Rabbi Steven Jacobs, and dozens of
> other prominent Americans have signed a letter asking
> the Joint Chiefs of Staff and all U.S. military
> personnel to refuse orders to launch an aggressive war
> on Iran.
>
> The letter has been posted as a petition for others to
> sign at http://www.dontattackiran.org
>
> The text of the letter follows:
>
> ATTENTION: Joint Chiefs of Staff and all U.S. Military
> Personnel:
>
> Do not attack Iran. Any preemptive U.S. attack on Iran
> would be illegal. Any preemptive U.S. attack on Iran
> would be criminal.
>
> We, the citizens of the United States, respectfully
> urge you, courageous men and women of our military, to
> refuse any order to preemptively attack Iran, a nation
> that represents no serious or immediate threat to the
> United States. To attack Iran, a sovereign nation of
> 70-million people, would be a crime of the highest
> magnitude.
>
> Legal basis for our Request - Do not attack Iran:
>
> The Nuremberg Principles, which are part of US law,
> provide that all military personnel have the obligation
> not to obey illegal orders. The Army Field Manual
> 27-10, sec. 609 and UCMJ, art. 92, incorporate this
> principle. Article 92 says: "A general order or
> regulation is lawful unless it is contrary to the
> Constitution, the law of the United States..."
>
> Any provision of an international treaty ratified by
> the United States becomes the law of the United States.
> The United States is a party and signatory to the
> United Nations Charter, of which Article II, Section 4
> states, "All members shall refrain in their
> international relations from the threat or use of force
> against the territorial integrity or political
> independence of any state..." As Iran has not attacked
> the United States, and as the U.S. is a party and
> signatory to the Charter, any attack on Iran by the
> U.S. would be illegal under not only international law
> but under the U.S. Constitution which recognizes our
> treaties as the Supreme Law of the Land. When you
> joined the military, you took an oath to defend our
> Constitution.
>
> Following the orders of your government or superior
> does not relieve you from responsibility under
> international law. Under the Principles of
> International Law recognized in the Charter of the
> Nuremberg Tribunal, complicity in the commission of war
> crime is a crime under international law.
>
> Background:
>
> The Bush Administration's charges against Iran have not
> been proven. Neither the development of nuclear
> weapons, nor providing assistance to Iraq would, if
> proven, constitute justification for an illegal war.
>
> An attack on Iran might prompt the formidable Iranian
> military to attack U.S. troops stationed in Iraq.
> Thousands of our soldiers might be killed or captured
> as prisoners of war. A U.S. attack against Iranian
> nuclear facilities could also mean the deaths, from
> radiation poisoning, of tens of thousands of innocent
> Iranian civilians. The people of Iran have little
> control over their government, yet would suffer
> tremendously should the U.S. attack. Bombing raids
> would amount to collective punishment, a violation of
> the Geneva Convention, and would surely sow the seeds
> of hatred for generations to come. Children make up a
> quarter of Iran's population.
>
> Above all, we ask you to look at the record of our
> actions in Iraq, which U.S. intelligence admits is "a
> cause celebre for jihadists" - a situation that did not
> exist before we attacked. We must face the fact that
> our rash use of military solutions has created more
> enemies, and made American families less safe.
> Diplomacy, not war, is the answer.
>
> Know the Risks Involved in Refusing an Illegal Order or
> Signing This Statement:
>
> We knowingly and willingly make this plea, aware of the
> risk that, in violation of our First Amendment rights,
> we could be charged under remaining sections of the
> unconstitutional Espionage Act or other
> unconstitutional statute, and that we could be fined,
> imprisoned, or barred from government employment.
>
> We make this plea, also aware that you have no easy
> options. If you obey an illegal order to participate in
> an aggressive attack on Iran, you could potentially be
> charged with war crimes. If you heed our call and
> disobey an illegal order you could be falsely charged
> with crimes including treason. You could be falsely
> court martialed. You could be imprisoned. (To talk to a
> lawyer or to learn more about possible consequences,
> contact The Central Committee for Conscientious
> Objectors, Courage to Resist, Center on Conscience and
> War, Military Law Task Force of the National Lawyers
> Guild 415-566-3732, or the GI Rights Hotline at
> 877-447-4487.) **
>
> Final request:
>
> Our leaders often say that military force should be a
> last resort. We beg you to make that policy a reality,
> and refuse illegal orders to attack Iran. We promise to
> support you for protecting the American public and
> innocent civilians abroad.
>
> Our future, the future of our children and their
> children, rests in your hands.
>
> You know the horrors of war. You can stop the next one.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Daniel Ellsberg, Thom Hartmann, Rabbi Michael Lerner,
> Rabbi Steven Jacobs, Cynthia McKinney, Willie Nelson,
> Cindy Sheehan, Norman Solomon, Elizabeth de la Vega,
> Gore Vidal, Ann Wright,
>
> [full initial list follows]
> * James Abourezk, former U.S. Senator, (D) South Dakota
> * Stacy Bannerman, Author, "When the War Came Home",
> Military Families Speak Out Charter Board member
> * John Bonifaz, constitutional attorney and author of
> "Warrior-King: The Case for Impeaching George W. Bush."
> * Amy Branham, Gold Star Mother of Sgt. Jeremy R.
> Smith, US Army Reserves, Nov. 1981 - Feb. 2004
> * Blase Bonpane, Ph.d, Director OFFICE OF THE AMERICAS
> * David Clennon, Actor/activist
> * Tim Carpenter, Executive Director, Progressive
> Democrats of America
> * Daniel Ellsberg, author of "Secrets: A Memoir of
> Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers."
> * David Cobb, 2004 Green Party Presidential Candidate
> * Jeff Cohen, author/media critic
> * Elizabeth de la Vega, former federal prosecutor and
> author of U.S. v. George W. Bush
> * Karen Dolan, Director, Cities for Progress/Cities for
> Peace
> * Anne Feeney, activist/folksinger. Local 1000, AFM
> * Mike Ferner, Navy corpsman; Secretary, Veterans for
> Peace
> * Bob Fertik, President Democrats.com
> * Laura Flanders, Radio Host on Air America
> * Bruce K. Gagnon, Coordinator Global Network Against
> Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space
> * Lila Garrett, KPFK Host of "Connect the Dots"
> * Liberty Godshall, writer, Defenders of Wildlife,
> Natural Resources Defense Council
> * Hon. Jackie Goldberg, California Assembly Member (AD
> 45), retired.
> * Kevin Alexander Gray, writer, and organizer with the
> Harriet Tubman Freedom House Project
> * Representative Betty Hall, Hillsborough District 5,
> New Hampshire General Court
> * David L. Harris, MD
> * Tom Hayden
> * Thom Hartmann, author and Air America radio host
> * Valerie Heinonen, o.s.u., Ursulines of Tildonk for
> Justice and Peace
> * Jenny Heinz , member of CodePink, member of Granny
> Peace Brigade
> * Rabbi Steven Jacobs, Los Angeles
> * Michael Jay, Steering Committee, Progressive
> Democrats of Los Angeles
> * Charles Jenks, co-founder and editor of
> traprockpeace.org
> * Justice Through Music
> * Antonia Juhasz, author, The Bush Agenda: Invading the
> World, One Economy at a Time
> * Jerry Kass, playwright and professor at Columbia
> University
> * Dr, Nazir Khaja ,Chairman, Islamic Information
> Service, Los Angeles, CA.
> * Mimi Kennedy, National Chair, Progressive Democrats
> of America
> * Rabbi Michael Lerner, Editor, Tikkun and Chair, the
> Network of Spiritual Progressives
> * Summer Lipford, Gold Star Mother,NC 28677
> * David Lindorff, Author, The Case for Impeachment
> * Alice Lynn, Delegate, California Democratic Party
> (41st AD)
> * Ben Manski, Executive Director, Liberty Tree
> * Ray McGovern, Army infantry/intelligence officer,
> 1962-64; CIA analyst 1964-90.
> * Cynthia McKinney, former Congresswoman
> * Barbara Mills-Bria, Be The Change-USA
> * Bill Moyer, Executive Director, Backbone Campaign
> * Annie Nelson, Sustainable Biodiesel/Peace Activist
> * Willie Nelson, Entertainer, Peace Activist
> * Honorable Eric Oemig - Washington State Senator
> * Geov Parrish, Executive Director Peace Action of
> Washington
> * Jacob Park, Founder, A28.
> * Brad Parker, Officer of the Progressive Caucus of the
> California Democratic Party
> * Bill Perry, Director, Delaware Valley Veterans For
> America
> * Gareth Porter, investigative journalist and historian
> * Marcus Raskin, member of National Security Council
> Staff under President Kennedy
> * Dorothy Reik, President, Progressive Democrats of the
> Santa Monica Mountains
> * Coleen Rowley, retired FBI Agent and former Chief
> Division Counsel of Minneapolis Division of the FBI
> * Bill Scheurer, Editor, PeaceMajority Report
> * Randi Scheurer, IL-Dist. 8, Congressional Candidate
> * Cindy Sheehan, Gold Star Families for Peace
> * Alice Slater, Abolition 2000 New York
> * Norman Solomon, Author and syndicated columnist
> * David Swanson, Afterdowningstreet.org
> * John Stauber, Co-author, "Weapons of Mass Deception:
> The Uses of Propaganda in Bush's War on Iraq"
> * Jonathan Tasini, PDA NY
> * Ethel Tobach, Ph. D., member of Psychologists for
> Social Responsibility
> * Tina Richards CEO Grassroots Americaredith, Gold Star
> Mother, Proud Mom of Lt Ken Ballard- KIA 5.30.04
> * Gore Vidal, Author
> * Marcy Winograd, President, Progressive Democrats of
> Los Angeles
> * Ann Wright, US Army Colonel (Retired) and US diplomat
> who resigned in March, 2003 in opposition to the Iraq
> war.
> * Kevin Zeese on behalf of Voters for Peace and
> Democracy Rising
> * Velvet Revolution
>
> ** These resources are publicly available, and our
> offering them does not indicate that these
> organizations support this petition.
>
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