By any definition, this would constitute an act of war against a sovereign nation and would violate international law, which our county needs more than ever to respect and restore because not doing so can be used by other nations as an excuse to harm us. What goes around comes around-eventually and unfortunately. Has not the Iraq fiasco, despite so-called successes of the "surge" reported to us by the Pentagon and an unquestioning media, shown us that belligerent, illegal actions have terrible consequences? What can House members be thinking , especially Democrats, who seem to find a diplomatic silver lining in H. Con. Res. 362?
If passed, article three of the resolution would be especially dangerous to our soldiers in Iraq and to our national interests-not to mention those of Israel and the entire Middle East-because the article "demands ... the President initiate an international effort to immediately and dramatically increase the economic, political, and diplomatic pressure on Iran to verifiably suspend its nuclear enrichment activities...." This demand completely ignores the most recent National Intelligence Estimate (December 2007), which indicated that Iran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003!!! The NIE, which reflects the expertise of our government's 16 intelligence agencies, is far more credible than anything from the scare-mongers, Bush and Cheney.
By "prohibiting the export to Iran of all refined petroleum products," the same article of H. Con. Res. 362 would, if passed, be counterproductive. The prohibition would not only encourage but also necessitate Iran's efforts to develop electrical power through nuclear energy. Although it has become dangerously fashionable among Republicans (and far too many Democrats) to disregard and bully any nation not a lapdog to U.S. corporate interests, it's worth reminding ourselves that Iran is a sovereign nation and, as such, has the right to economic self-preservation. The resolution would be not only an offense but also a provocation.
According to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which all members of Congress should be required to read (along with our Constitution and several other documents from the civilized past), all signatories (including Iran) have the inalienable right to develop nuclear energy for peaceful economic purposes:
Nothing in this Treaty shall be interpreted as affecting the inalienable right of all the Parties to the Treaty to develop research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. . . . All the Parties . . . have the right to participate in the fullest possible exchange of equipment, materials and scientific and technological information for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. (Article IV)
This is a right established by international law and agreed to by the U.S. (one of the NPT's many signatories). How long can it be countenanced that some countries violate international laws and treaties whereas others are always obliged to observe them? Such double-standards are not only unjust but also hypocritical and the world knows it. Whatever happened to America as a shining example of justice among nations?
Despite obligatory references in H. Con. Res. 362 to exercising diplomacy, the resolution would not forestall more aggressive actions against Iran because, if it is passed, it will be interpreted by the White House as not-so-tacit concurrence with its already bellicose aims toward that sovereign nation. Bush and Cheney have shown repeatedly that they cannot and should not be trusted. In addition to agreeing to a regime of torture against captives that endangers our own military and provokes more and more enemies against the U.S., the president and vice-president have violated international laws and our own Constitution, reducing the legislative branch of our tri-partite government to a band of overly cautious and overly calculating politicos, afraid to utter a peep when the big boogey-men of "national security," who are actually undermining it (!), raise their manipulative and deceitful voices.
Instead of considering H. Con. Res. 362 a stall tactic to keep Bush and Cheney sated until a new (and hopefully law-abiding and civilized) administration takes office, CONGRESS SHOULD REASSERT ITS CONSTITUTIONAL POWERS and stop cow-towing to the White House. Although impeachment should have been undertaken years ago, a much better use of Congressional time at this point would be to pass a resolution censuring Bush and Cheney for their long track record of lies and violations against the Constitution and the public trust. Put mildly, they have encumbered America and its future in every way and beyond measure.
How many more White House signing statements contemptuous of Congress and the Constitution and how many more violations of treaties, of the Geneva Conventions, of Americans' right to privacy, of environmental and labors laws, etc. will be necessary for the legislative branch to stand up to this lame-duck, this extremely unpopular and untrustworthy president?
Please, please deep-six H. Con. Res. 362.