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From: "Eli Pariser, MoveOn.Org" <[log in to unmask]>
To: "Tamar Raine" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Important: Letters on the future of Iraq
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Date: Thu,  3 Apr 2003 13:28:00 -0800 (PST)


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Dear MoveOn member,

The war with Iraq continues.  No one knows if it will last weeks,
months, or years.  Even after the fighting stops in Iraq, the fallout
from this war could span decades.  We can only hope that it ends
quickly, with an absolute minimum loss of life.

Even as the troops march towards Baghdad, a big controversy is brewing
over what will happen when the war does end.  The neoconservatives
like Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, and Richard Perle envision a
longer U.S. occupation of Iraq, directed entirely by the Pentagon and
with only minimal participation by other countries and the U.N.  Their
scheme calls for setting up a provisional government in which
Americans head each of the 23 ministries.  In essence, they want to
win the peace the way the U.S. has pushed for war: alone.

The U.S. State Department, the C.I.A., Prime Minister Tony Blair, the
major humanitarian relief organizations, France, Germany, and most of
the rest of the countries in the world disagree with this plan.
They'd like to see the reconstruction of Iraq as a collaborative,
international effort lead by the U.N.  And many of them believe the
Pentagon plan is a recipe for disaster.

The decision on how post-war Iraq is to be managed will be made in the
next several days, and the Administration is split.  The consequences
will play out in Iraq and around the world for generations.  By writing=20
a letter to the editor of your local newspaper, you can help to sway=20
the balance away from the unilateralism that has done so much damage=20
and toward a collective rebuilding process.

We've made it easy for you to send a letter by providing some detailed
talking points below.  Here are some tips on how to make the most of
them:

(1) Your newspaper's letters page should give you an email address or
fax number to use, or you can try this website:

   http://congress.org/congressorg/dbq/media/

(2) Your own words, written from the heart, are always best.

(3) Brevity is the soul of wit.

(4) The key to publication is to pounce on something specific you've
seen in the newspaper -- especially an editorial or op-ed article.
The issue of post-war Iraq has been in the news a lot lately -- try to
cite a specific article when you write.

(5) Be sure to include your name and address, and especially your
phone number when submitting your letter.  Editors need to call you to
verify authorship before they can print your letter.  They don't print
your phone number.

(6) Please let us know when you've sent your letter by going to:

   http://www.moveon.org/futureofiraq.html

Here's why big parts of our own government, and the governments of
many other countries, oppose having the Pentagon reconstruct Iraq:

 * Many major relief organizations believe that it will be difficult
or impossible to help starving or malnourished people in a
Pentagon-controlled Iraq.  Relief has never been a priority for the
Pentagon, and in many cases the U.S. simply lacks the expertise to
distribute food and medical aid effectively. (For more info, go to:
http://www.interaction.org/library/detail.php?id=3D1441 )

 * At the State Department, officials worry that not including the
U.N. in post-war planning could heighten tensions between the U.S. and
other important allies.  A recent L.A. Times article quoted one
Administration official as saying, "We're on the verge of further
alienating allies. . . And it looks like we're going to do exactly
what we promised we wouldn't -- take small groups of exiles with
limited influence in Iraq and bring them in as the bulk of a
transition government." (The article is linked to below.)

 * Many Administration officials worry that a U.S.-led reconstruction
effort will be regarded with suspicion or even hostility by Iraqis,
who have already shown that they do not welcome foreign intruders.
(Washington Post, April 2, 2003) In other words, if lead by the U.S.,=20
an Iraqi government may simply fail. That could leave Iraq in the=20
hands of another Saddam Hussein.

 * British Prime Minister Tony Blair worries that if post-war Iraq is
not in the hands of the U.N., other countries may be reticent to play
a significant role in the reconstruction of the country.  According to
the L.A. Times, "Blair sees the move as critical to winning support
from donor nations and to preventing a political backlash and new
terrorism from an increasingly angry Arab world."

Your letter doesn't have to go into these details.  Here are some key
points you can touch on:

 * A U.S. occupation of post-war Iraq could incite anti-American
hatred in the Arab world, and could breed more terrorism.

 * Major humanitarian organizations believe the Pentagon's leadership
could put relief workers and starving and malnourished Iraqis at risk.

 * U.S. control of the reconstruction process will further alienate
our already estranged allies, and could create a permanent rift
between us and the countries we rely upon for cooperation in the war
on terrorism.

 * The amount of money available for the rebuilding of Iraq will
depend on the degree to which other countries feel included in=20
the decision-making process.  A U.S.-only process could lead
potential donor countries to drop out.

 * The U.N. is equipped to build democracies; the United States
government has neither the expertise nor the long-term political will
to see such a process through.

Donald Rumsfeld and the Pentagon want a U.S. occupation of Iraq.
That could have disastrous consequences, not only for the U.S., but
for the future of democracy in Iraq.  As Prime Minister Blair said,
"Iraq in the end should not be run by the Americans, should not be run
by the British, should not be run by any outside force or power. It
should be run for the first time in decades by the Iraqi people."

Sincerely,
--Carrie, Eli, Joan, Peter, Wes, and Zack
  The MoveOn Team
  April 3rd, 2003

P.S. Here's a great L.A. Times article that sums up many of these
issues:
http://www.moveon.org/latimesiraq.html

P.P.S. If you're interested in taking more media-related actions on a
more frequent basis, please join our Media Corps at:
http://www.moveon.org/mediacorps/

________________
This is a message from MoveOn.org. To remove yourself (Tamar Raine)
from this list, please visit our subscription management page at:
http://moveon.org/s?i=3D1280-1752963-XFp7LBPxXehW6hyEHuTeJQ


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<html><body>
<font face=3D"Arial, Verdana, sans-serif" size=3D2>
Dear MoveOn member,
<p>
The war with Iraq continues.  No one knows if it will last weeks,
months, or years.  Even after the fighting stops in Iraq, the fallout
from this war could span decades.  We can only hope that it ends
quickly, with an absolute minimum loss of life.
<p>
Even as the troops march towards Baghdad, a big controversy is brewing
over what will happen when the war does end.  The neoconservatives
like Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, and Richard Perle envision a
longer U.S. occupation of Iraq, directed entirely by the Pentagon and
with only minimal participation by other countries and the U.N.  Their
scheme calls for setting up a provisional government in which
Americans head each of the 23 ministries.  In essence, they want to
win the peace the way the U.S. has pushed for war: alone.
<p>
The U.S. State Department, the C.I.A., Prime Minister Tony Blair, the
major humanitarian relief organizations, France, Germany, and most of
the rest of the countries in the world disagree with this plan.
They'd like to see the reconstruction of Iraq as a collaborative,
international effort lead by the U.N.  And many of them believe the
Pentagon plan is a recipe for disaster.
<p>
The decision on how post-war Iraq is to be managed will be made in the
next several days, and the Administration is split.  The consequences
will play out in Iraq and around the world for generations.  By writing=20
a letter to the editor of your local newspaper, you can help to sway=20
the balance away from the unilateralism that has done so much damage=20
and toward a collective rebuilding process.
<p>
We've made it easy for you to send a letter by providing some detailed
talking points below.  Here are some tips on how to make the most of
them:
<p><OL>
<LI>Your newspaper's letters page should give you an email address or
fax number to use, or you can try <a href=3D"http://congress.org/congressorg=
/dbq/media/">this website</a>.
<p>
<LI> Your own words, written from the heart, are always best.
<p>
<LI>Brevity is the soul of wit.
<p>
<LI>The key to publication is to pounce on something specific you've
seen in the newspaper -- especially an editorial or op-ed article.
The issue of post-war Iraq has been in the news a lot lately -- try to
cite a specific article when you write.
<p>
<LI>Be sure to include your name and address, and especially your
phone number when submitting your letter.  Editors need to call you to
verify authorship before they can print your letter.  They don't print
your phone number.
<p>
<LI>Please let us know when you've sent your letter by pasting it into
the form below:
</OL>
<p>
<form method=3D"post" action=3D"http://www.moveon.org/survey/process_survey.=
html" method=3D"get" target=3D"_blank">
<INPUT TYPE=3D"hidden" NAME=3D"survey_id" VALUE=3D"Future of Iraq">
<INPUT TYPE=3D"hidden" NAME=3D"redirect_url" VALUE=3D"http://www.moveon.org/=
thanks.html">
<input name=3Duser_name type=3Dhidden value=3D"Tamar Raine" size=3D30>
<input name=3Duser_email type=3Dhidden value=3D"[log in to unmask]" size=3D30=
>
<input name=3Duser_address1 type=3Dhidden value=3D"" size=3D30>
<input name=3Duser_city type=3Dhidden value=3D"" size=3D15>
<input name=3Duser_state type=3Dhidden value=3D"" size=3D2>
<input name=3Duser_zip type=3Dhidden value=3D"">
<center><TEXTAREA NAME=3D"Q_letter" ROWS=3D"10" COLS=3D"30"></TEXTAREA></cen=
ter>
<p>
<center><INPUT TYPE=3D"submit" value=3D"Press here to report your letter."><=
/center>
</form>
<p>
If that doesn't work, go to:<br>
<a href=3D"http://www.moveon.org/futureofiraq.html">http://www.moveon.org/fu=
tureofiraq.html</a>
<p>
Here's why big parts of our own government, and the governments of
many other countries, oppose having the Pentagon reconstruct Iraq:
<p>
<UL>
<LI>Many major relief organizations believe that it will be difficult
or impossible to help starving or malnourished people in a
Pentagon-controlled Iraq.  Relief has never been a priority for the
Pentagon, and in many cases the U.S. simply lacks the expertise to
distribute food and medical aid effectively. (For more info, go=20
<a href=3D"http://www.interaction.org/library/detail.php?id=3D1441">here</a>=
.)
<p>
<LI>At the State Department, officials worry that not including the
U.N. in post-war planning could heighten tensions between the U.S. and
other important allies.  A recent L.A. Times article quoted one
Administration official as saying, "We're on the verge of further
alienating allies. . . And it looks like we're going to do exactly
what we promised we wouldn't -- take small groups of exiles with
limited influence in Iraq and bring them in as the bulk of a
transition government." (The article is linked to below.)
<p>
<LI>Many Administration officials worry that a U.S.-led reconstruction
effort will be regarded with suspicion or even hostility by Iraqis,
who have already shown that they do not welcome foreign intruders.
(Washington Post, April 2, 2003) In other words, if lead by the U.S.,=20
an Iraqi government may simply fail. That could leave Iraq in the=20
hands of another Saddam Hussein.
<p>
<LI>British Prime Minister Tony Blair worries that if post-war Iraq is
not in the hands of the U.N., other countries may be reticent to play
a significant role in the reconstruction of the country.  According to
the L.A. Times, "Blair sees the move as critical to winning support
from donor nations and to preventing a political backlash and new
terrorism from an increasingly angry Arab world."
</UL>
<p>
Your letter doesn't have to go into these details.  Here are some key
points you can touch on:
<p>
<UL>
<LI>A U.S. occupation of post-war Iraq could incite anti-American
hatred in the Arab world, and could breed more terrorism.
<p>
<LI>Major humanitarian organizations believe the Pentagon's leadership
could put relief workers and starving and malnourished Iraqis at risk.
<p>
<LI>U.S. control of the reconstruction process will further alienate
our already estranged allies, and could create a permanent rift
between us and the countries we rely upon for cooperation in the war
on terrorism.
<p>
<LI>The amount of money available for the rebuilding of Iraq will
depend on the degree to which other countries feel included in=20
the decision-making process.  A U.S.-only process could lead
potential donor countries to drop out.
<p>
<LI>The U.N. is equipped to build democracies; the United States
government has neither the expertise nor the long-term political will
to see such a process through.
</UL>
<p>
Donald Rumsfeld and the Pentagon want a U.S. occupation of Iraq.
That could have disastrous consequences, not only for the U.S., but
for the future of democracy in Iraq.  As Prime Minister Blair said,
"Iraq in the end should not be run by the Americans, should not be run
by the British, should not be run by any outside force or power. It
should be run for the first time in decades by the Iraqi people."
<p>
Sincerely,<br>
--Carrie, Eli, Joan, Peter, Wes, and Zack<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;The MoveOn Team<br>
&nbsp;&nbsp;April 3rd, 2003
<p>
P.S. Here's a <a href=3D"http://www.moveon.org/latimesiraq.html">great L.A.=20=
Times article</a> that sums up many of these issues.

<p>
P.P.S. If you're interested in taking more media-related actions on a
more frequent basis, please join our <a href=3D"http://www.moveon.org/mediac=
orps/">Media Corps.</a>
<p>
<hr><br>
This is a message from MoveOn.org. To remove yourself (Tamar Raine)
from this list, please visit our subscription management page at:<br>
<a href=3D"http://moveon.org/s?i=3D1280-1752963-XFp7LBPxXehW6hyEHuTeJQ">http=
://moveon.org/s?i=3D1280-1752963-XFp7LBPxXehW6hyEHuTeJQ</a>
</font>
</body></html>

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