Peace/No War | Rainforest Information Centre

Oh Oh, not Iran Next!

If you have a moment, please write to Alexander Downer, opposition shadow foreign affairs spokesperson Kevin Rudd, and Prime Minister Howard (Fax numbers on sample letter), urging them:

--Not to contemplate military action against Iran
--Urging them to make strong representations to the Bush administration against any such action.

Please write in your own words, and preferably handwritten - the sample letter below is a guide, but it is preferable if you don't follow it word for word.

The Foreign Minister
Alexander Downer, 02-6273-4112, 08-8237-7950
CC John Howard, Prime Minister, 02-6273-4100, 02-9351-5454
Kevin Rudd, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs 07-3899-5755, 02-6277-0508

RE: WAR WITH IRAN

Dear Mr Downer,

In recent months there have been increasing rumours of military action and preparations for military action, against Iran.

I am writing to convey my extreme concern over this possibility and specifically that the Australian government may be drawn into this.

Australia should in no way support or encourage any use or any threat of use of any military option with respect to Iran and must visibly do its utmost to discourage our great and powerful ally from any such course of action.

Limited, so called 'surgical' military strikes against Iran can be gauranteed to produce exactly the opposite result to that desired.

So-called 'surgical' strikes will transform a nuclear program that is ambiguous into an unambiguously military program designed to obtain nuclear weapons at any cost, and will accellerate rather than prevent, Iran developing nuclear weapons. Even talk of military action inevitably pushes the Iranian government toward the nuclear weapons option that we say we do not want them to take.

An invasion of Iran will be a catastrophe. Occupation and pacification of Iran will prove impossible and lead to never-ending war in which there cannot be a victory. Even an attempt to occupy Iran's oil-rich western province will only be successful in provoking an all out war against the occupying forces.

There are even reports in some quarters that the use of nuclear weapons may be contemplated. These rumours/threats must be stopped immediately, and Australia must be visible in calling for them to stop. Australia must make it clear that this possibility, however remote, is absolutely unacceptable and would place the US outside the community of civilised countries.

The Australian government must do all that is in its power including in the leadup to the meeting of the UN Security Council on March 6th, to press this message as strongly as possible. Australia should lobby both its ally and the Security Council itself to ensure that military options and talk and planning for military options are entirely excluded.

This is not the world that we want for ourselves or our children. Please, let us find a peaceful way to live together.

Signed....