Resolution In Opposition to an U.S. Preemptive Attack on Iran

WHEREAS, the Bush administration is significantly ratcheting up the threats against Iran and attempting to provoke a conflict by sending several warships into the Persian Gulf off the coast of Iran;

WHEREAS, there is no credible evidence that Iran poses a serious threat to the United States or its allies and that it does not possess a nuclear weapon and has not threatened to attack the United States;

WHEREAS, Iran is a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency has found no evidence of a nuclear weapons program and that it=s nuclear power program, including enriching uranium is legal under the Non-Proliferation Treaty;

WHEREAS, any U.S. strike against Iran would likely result in the deaths of multitudes of civilians, cementing continued hostility toward the U.S. in the Middle East, and further destabilizing the region;

WHEREAS, the 160,000 U.S. troops currently occupying Iraq would be likely targets for Iranian retaliation if attacked, resulting in still more deaths to our service men and women;

WHEREAS, it is hypocritical for the United States to actively support existing nuclear development in neighboring countries such as Israel, Pakistan, and India, while proposing to militarily attack Iran for possible future such development;

WHEREAS, numerous bi-partisan commissions, including the Iraq Study Group, have called for the opening of diplomatic dialogue and the fostering of greater understanding with Iran, as the way to advance foreign policy objectives in the region;

WHEREAS, the Middle East is already highly destabilized as a result of actions of the United States in Iraq and elsewhere in the region and any preemptive attack on Iran would be a violation of international law, further isolating the U.S. in the world community;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that:

The Arizona Democratic Party calls upon its Arizona U.S. Senators and Representatives to vote for any bill or resolution that prohibits the use of funds to carry out any covert action for the purpose of causing regime change in Iran or to carry out any military action against Iran in the absence of an imminent threat, in accordance with international law and constitutional and statutory requirements for congressional authorization.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that:

Officers of the Arizona Democratic Party will within seven days of the passage of this resolution convey this resolution in writing to the leadership of the U.S. House and Senate, to all Arizona U.S. Representatives and Senators and will provide the authors of this resolution verification that this was done.

Officers of the Arizona Democratic Party will within five days of the passage of this resolution send a press release announcing the resolution to statewide news media and will provide authors of this resolution verification that this was done.

Leadership of the Arizona Democratic Party will within three days of the passage of this resolution place a copy of the resolution (for no less then 14 days) on the front page of the Arizona Democratic Party's public web site www.azdem.org. and that after 14 days provide a front page link to the resolution until the crisis with the Bush administration and Iran ends.