Lee, Progressive Caucus Hold Forum on Iran and Preemption
(Washington, DC) – The Co-Chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) hosted a forum on Capitol Hill Wednesday where experts discussed the possible consequences of a preemptive attack on Iran. Video of the forum is available online at: http://www.politicstv.com/blog/?p=32.
“Given our experience in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq and the fact that our troops remain there despite the fact that there were no weapons of mass destruction, it is remarkable that Congress has not taken any action to review the Bush administration’s doctrine of preemptive war,” said Lee. “With reports that that contingency planning is under way within the Bush Administration for possible U.S. military strikes against Iran, it is high time for Congress to reevaluate this dangerous and demonstrably failed policy.”
“Bush’s military adventure in Iraq has proven that the doctrine of pre-emption doesn’t work and must not be repeated,” said Woolsey. “Today’s hearing will begin the discussion on Capitol Hill about how America must work with the international community and engage diplomatically with Iran in order to prevent a future conflict. We must get smart about our national security and rely on the very best that America has to offer -- our commitment to peace and freedom, our compassion for the people of the world, and our capacity for multilateral leadership.”
The forum featured Samantha Power, Professor of Human Rights Practice at Harvard University and author of the widely-acclaimed book “A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide,” who discussed the use of force, diplomacy and the Bush doctrine of preemptive warfare in the post 9/11 world.
“In the 20th century, power was typically measured in terms of a nation’s military assets and economic gross domestic product. But in the 21st century, America’s power and that of any other nation will be gauged by its influence,” Power stressed. “Our power will not be so much measured by our military arsenal and economic clout, but also by the credibility and competence attributed to the Government of the United States in the international community as a whole.”
Also featured was Dr. Jessica Tuchman Matthews – President of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and author of “Power Shift,” which was chosen by the editors of Foreign Affairs Magazine as one of the most influential articles in that journal’s 75 years of publication. She discussed U.S. – Iran Relations and whether war with Iran would help or hurt U.S. national security.
“The Bush Administration is backing our country down a cul-de-sac on Iran,” Dr. Matthews underscored. “If we don’t change course, we will be confronted with two horrible consequences: either a war that will prove far more catastrophic and costly than our military intervention in Iraq or a nuclear Iran. Our government immediately needs to engage directly in diplomacy with the Government of Iran and take regime change off the table. The principal purpose of diplomacy is to talk with other governments with whom we have problems, not our friends.”
This is the first in an on-going series of public forums and ad hoc Congressional hearings planned by the Progressive Caucus to examine the growing confrontation with the government of Iran and the Bush administration’s doctrine of preemptive warfare as national security strategy.
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