Posted by Lilly from ? (160.129.27.22) on Tuesday, September 24, 2002 at 3:10PM :
ADC Urges No Attack on Iraq, Creation of WMD-Free Zone in Middle East
Washington, D.C., Sept. 20 -- The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination
Committee (ADC), in response to a draft bill sent to Congress by the
White House yesterday seeking legislative approval for a possible
United States attack against Iraq, today once again voiced its
opposition to such an attack. ADC urged the international community to
instead work seriously towards the creation of a Middle East entirely
free of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs).
ADC welcomed Iraq's announcement that it was prepared to permit United
Nations weapons inspectors back into the country. ADC has been
arguing, and continues to believe, that international concerns about
Iraqi special weapons programs can and must be dealt with
diplomatically and not by a military attack against Iraq. ADC
reiterated that an attack on Iraq was not in the interests of either
the American or the Iraqi peoples, and would severely complicate the
war on terrorism. ADC is deeply concerned that such an attack would
profoundly increase alienation between Arabs and American societies,
and play directly into the hands of extremist groups such as Al-Qaeda.
ADC believes that an attack on Iraq is unnecessary and fraught with
dangers, and urges senators and members of Congress not to approve the
president's proposed authorization bill.
ADC notes that the relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions calling
for Iraqi WMD disarmament also commits the international community to
working purposively toward the creation of a Middle East free of all
such weapons. In particular, UN Security Council Resolution 687 (April
3, 1991), which is the main resolution demanding Iraqi WMD disarmament
and imposing sanctions against Iraq, commits the Council to this
objective. The resolution describes the Council as "recalling the
objective of the establishment of a nuclear- weapons-free zone in the
region of the Middle East," and as being "conscious of the threat that
all weapons of mass destruction pose to peace and security in the area
and of the need to work towards the establishment in the Middle East of
a zone free of such weapons."
To date, no international effort or attention by the Council has been
paid to this goal. Many countries in the Middle East maintain WMD
programs, particularly Israel, which reportedly has hundreds of nuclear
weapons and manufactures its own missile delivery systems. ADC
strongly believes that the issue of weapons of mass destruction in the
Middle East can only be dealt with effectively on a regional and
equitable basis which results in the elimination of all such weapons
from the entire area.
-- Lilly
-- signature .