Source: kucinich.house.gov

Washington, Feb 22, 2012 - 

Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), who has consistently highlighted the similarities between the march to war in Iraq and the current coverage of Iran, today urged fellow Members of Congress to recognize the parallels.

Kucinich wrote to colleagues to share a recent article in the Huffington Post which documents the similarities. Kucinich wrote, “As the U.S. only now begins to extricate itself from devastating military confrontations in Iraq and Afghanistan, we must not allow the United States to be plunged into yet another disastrous war.”

The full text of Kucinich’s letter follows. Read the Huffington Post article by Michael Calderone and Joshua Hersh here.

“Wait. Haven’t We Seen This Movie Before?”

Stop the Drum Beat for War with Iran

Dear Colleague:

I write to commend your attention to a recent article published in the Huffington Post regarding the parallels between the media coverage on Iran and the lead up to the disastrous U.S. war in Iraq.  Almost a decade after a U.S. war in Iraq based on lies, we are treading down a similar and dangerous path with Iran.   

As the U.S. only now begins to extricate itself from devastating military confrontations in Iraq and Afghanistan, we must not allow the United States to be plunged into yet another disastrous war.  Top members of the U.S. military, including Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and former Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen have warned against a strike on Iran and a lack of dialogue with the country.

Congress and the United Kingdom have passed crippling sanctions on Iran, with many touting them as a last best effort to prevent war with Iran.  Yet history does not support that claim.  Tensions with Iran are escalating rapidly and it is critical that we do everything necessary to prevent war, not take further steps that would undermine future negotiations.  Yet such negotiations will take time.  As Trita Parsi, founder and president of the National Iranian American Council recently stated:

“Ultimately, the failure of diplomacy between the U.S. and Iran came down to insufficient political will and the atmosphere of mis­trust that granted neither side any margin for error. The proposals put on the table may have been flawed; at different points either side may have played for time or sought to delay talks and goodwill measures may not have been reciprocated. But these phenomena do not make U.S.-Iran talks unique; they are common features in almost all negotiations. Talks that succeed do not do so because the pro­posals are flawless and because both sides play fair. Rather, they succeed because the many flaws associated with the talks are over­come by the political will to reach a solution.”

Congress and the media have a responsibility to create the political space needed for sustained diplomatic engagement with Iran.  The United States cannot afford to repeat the mistakes it made with the war in Iraq.

Sincerely,
/s/
Dennis J. Kucinich
Member of Congress