Congress Votes on War with Iran!

[liberal N proud]

77 House Democrats and 92 House Republicans have co-sponsored a bill that approves an act of war against Iran.

Urge your Representative to vote AGAINST this provocative resolution!

As early as next week, the House may vote on H.Con.Res. 362 – a resolution that demands Bush initiate an international effort to effectively impose a land, sea, and air blockade on Iran.

Without United Nations authority, such a blockade would be an act of war. A likely Iranian response might be an act of violence to break the blockade, which could spark a chain of events leading to total war.

http://advocacy.clw.org/clw/issues/alert/?alertid=11547056

[midnight]

1. No war we can't fight..........Spying , waring, and deppression

age wages........

[Purveyor]

2. Thank you for posting this. Keeping my eyes on this one... K&R EOM

[slipslidingaway]

11. I believe you had started a thread on this subject, would you

post a link to the thread? TIA.

[Purveyor]

19. Here you are: House Resolution Calls for Naval Blockade against Iran

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=103&topic_id=367051

Sorry I took so long but I've been away from the computer for most of the afternoon.

[slipslidingaway]

23. Thank you :) I started a thread in the Congress Forum to

keep track of and consolidate threads on this bill, so this can be another point of reference. Hope that makes sense :)

Here's the link and my thoughts in a reply on that thread.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=308&topic_id=699&mesg_id=699


The Congress forum could be a great place to track pending bills and consolidate any threads that relate to them. What would be most helpful is if that the Congress forum was part of the "Big Forums" list and was automatically displayed on everyone's page. Several months ago I made these suggestions in GD, but that thread also had few replies.

I made a weak attempt to do that with the Terrorism Prevention Act and the FISA bill, if the topic comes up again then one can easily point to the thread in this forum or have readily available links for others.

What really needs to be done is to make our voices heard in the beginning and not wait til the last minute.

Not sure why we are not paying attention to what Congress is saying about Iran, we definitely should be and the threads should not be sinking or slipping.

[Chulanowa]

3. Who are the dems?

We need to get them the fuck out. And let's take those Republicans with them, too.

Fucking sickening. Is this the Republican strategy? Throw a war at the democrats every election year? To use the armed forces as a partisan gamble? What the fuck can we do to get these people - and I use the term loosely - incarcerated ASAP?

[slipslidingaway]

7. Both the House and Senate bills were introduced by Democrats

:eyes:

[Hydra]

4. Thanks for posting this

And I thought they couldn't sink any lower this week.

[Initech]

5. Shit. Iran would be a suicide mission. We need this stopped ASAP.

[Triana]

6. As I suspected - sometime before the Nov elections, bu$hit, Inc. would pull this...

...and God knows what else to either manipulate or have the election cancelled.

[Old and In the Way]

8. Mind boggling... Who are the 77 Dems?

That would be a good start in voting them out in their next primary. We really need to start holding these DINO's accountable for their part in enabling the war criminals who are running our goernment today.

A blockade is a clear act of war....the world will not fall behind us on this action. I suspect that it will be the US and Israel against the world. Iran has had plenty of time to prepare themselves for a confrontation. Somehow, I doubt that this will bode well for us or the troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

[European Socialist]

9. When Israel says jump--Congress says how high.

[Chulanowa]

12. I don't think so, in this case

Bush's dad threw us into Somalia when he left office. This was used to paint Clinton as a failure - It's amazing how many people truly believe that it was Bill Clinton who sent troops there.

The same thing is being attempted this time. Only in typical fashion, Boosh wants to fuck up things on a far grander scale than his father ever did. If he dumps us into military action against Iran... What is Obama going to do? it's, politically (both domestic and foreign) a no-win situation.

[slipslidingaway]

10. Both bills were introduced by Democrats, links below...

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=hc110-362

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=sr110-580


There were a couple of other threads on these bills, one of them is here.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=3503273&mesg_id=3505435


About 'Sense of Congress' Resolutions

"They do not make law and are not enforceable"

That being said I do believe we need to speak out now on this bill and the Senate bill if we do not like the direction we are headed.


http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/uscongress/a/senseof.htm


"Sense of" resolutions are typically used as:

...On foreign affairs: a way to express the opinion of the people of the United States to the government of a foreign nation; and

..Although "sense of" resolutions have no force in law, foreign governments pay close attention to them as evidence of shifts in U.S. foreign policy priorities.

-------------

Also if one listens to certain speeches at the recent AIPAC conference, you will hear that some of the ideas in these bills were mentioned.


McCain prepared speech at AIPAC
http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=39526


Obama prepared speech at AIPAC
http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=39525

Olmert prepared speech at AIPAC
http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=39515%20%20%20

[Dr.Phool]

13. Sense of Congress is unenforcable .

But the chimp ain't got any good sense.

A dangerous combination.

[slipslidingaway]

16. True, just pointing out that Democrats introduced the bills...

maybe this is how we open up communications with Iran.

:shrug:


Maybe it's just me, but I find the fact that all three speeches at AIPAC contained similar suggestions a bit troublesome???


McCain

"...Over a year ago I proposed applying sanctions to restrict Iran's ability to
import refined petroleum products on which it is highly dependent and the
time has come for an international campaign to do just that. A severe limit
on Iranian imports of gasoline would create immediate pressure on Khomeini
and Ahmadinejad to change course and to cease in the pursuit of nuclear
weapons..."


Obama

"...If Iran fails to change course when presented with this
choice by the United States, it will be clear - to the people of Iran, and
to the world - that the Iranian regime is the author of its own isolation.
That will strengthen our hand with Russia and China as we insist on stronger
sanctions in the Security Council. And we should work with Europe, Japan and
the Gulf states to find every avenue outside the UN to isolate the Iranian
regime - from cutting off loan guarantees and expanding financial sanctions,
to banning the export of refined petroleum to Iran, to boycotting firms
associated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, which has rightly been
labeled a terrorist organization..."

Olmert

"...Sanctions can be imposed on the export of gasoline to Iran and they can be
imposed on countries which refine gasoline for Iran. Governments should
announce that Iranian businessmen are no longer welcome in their countries,
and that funds arriving from or channeled to Iran should not be transferred
through their banks..."

[AllyCat]

15. This makes me feel a little better, but we still have to get on them

I don't think any of us trust this cabal and know that if Congress votes on a "sense of", Shrubomatic will use it as means to attack all the rest of the world.

[slipslidingaway]

17. Personally I would feel better if this was introduced by

the Republicans.

:shrug:

[lovuian]

20. This has got to stop!!!!

Congress has gone crazy and is against Americans

this is the kinda of thing that causes civil war

Congress may pass it but the states don't have to follow it

States will drop out of the Union

[slipslidingaway]

27. We need to keep pressure on elected officials as soon as

these bills are introduced.

[Subdivisions]

14. Roll Call and Text of Resolution here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=3503273

[slipslidingaway]

18. Legislation already passed - H.R. 6198 Iran Freedom Support Act

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h109-6198
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?tab=summary&bill=h109-6198

"To hold the current regime in Iran accountable for its threatening behavior and to support a transition to democracy in Iran..."


And just a reminder of this bill from 1998.

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h105-4655

H.R. 4655 <105th>: Iraq Liberation Act of 1998

To establish a program to support a transition to democracy in Iraq.

[snappyturtle]

21. Whoa! that makes me feel better..........not! nt

[slipslidingaway]

25. This legislation did not get very much attention and only two

replies to this thread of August 2007

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1659784&mesg_id=1659784


A few more replies to this thread from January 2007

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x34614#34667


Sometimes we are so entertained by matters that do not have serious consequences and we let other bills pass us by with hardly any discussion.

:shrug:

[snappyturtle]

31. "Sometimes we are so entertained by matters that do not have serious

consequences and we let other bills pass us by with hardly any discussion." I do think that this happens and what's really sad is that it happens to us who try to pay attention we can only guess what the public-at-large knows. MSM is of no help. Frankly, I think it is part of the overall plan of the new world order types.

[slipslidingaway]

32. Yes and thanks for keeping this issue alive :) n/t

[Initech]

22. Why dont we hold *OUR* administration accountable for threatening behavior?

:banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

[slipslidingaway]

26. Exactly ! My head hurts as well :) n/t

[lovuian]

24. I volunteer these 77 democrats and 92 Repubs get on the

boat and go to the front lines

[windoe]

28. The awesome power of the neo cons...

break through every time there's a spark of hope of their demise, but no, they're still in power. F*ckers.
I sent an email for what good it does, like so many before that.

[slipslidingaway]

29. kick n/t

[slipslidingaway]

30. This bill now has 220 cosponsors and could come up for a

vote shortly after the current recess.

[slipslidingaway]

33. The Senate bill now has 32 cosponsors n/t

[Flabbergasted]

34. This is a sensationalist headline and clearly misleading in a number of ways....

It is not a blockade so there is no need to break one. Yes it does urge prohibiting the export to Iran of refined petroleum products. I'm not positive that this would necessarily cause massive problems for Iran since they already have a huge supply of petroleum and the capability to make most if not all necessary RPP's.

It is a serious sanction, and definitely provocative. It is however not something that is likely going to lead to war.



http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:H.CON.RES.362:

snip

Whereas nothing in this resolution shall be construed as an authorization of the use of force against Iran: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That Congress--

(1) declares that preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability, through all appropriate economic, political, and diplomatic means, is vital to the national security interests of the United States and must be dealt with urgently;

(2) urges the President, in the strongest of terms, to immediately use his existing authority to impose sanctions on--

(A) the Central Bank of Iran and any other Iranian bank engaged in proliferation activities or the support of terrorist groups;

(B) international banks which continue to conduct financial transactions with proscribed Iranian banks;

(C) energy companies that have invested $20,000,000 or more in the Iranian petroleum or natural gas sector in any given year since the enactment of the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996; and

(D) all companies which continue to do business with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps;

(3) demands that 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 by, inter alia, prohibiting the export to Iran of all refined petroleum products; imposing stringent inspection requirements on all persons, vehicles, ships, planes, trains, and cargo entering or departing Iran; and prohibiting the international movement of all Iranian officials not involved in negotiating the suspension of Iran's nuclear program; and

(4) urges the President to lead a sustained, serious, and forceful effort at regional diplomacy to support the legitimate governments in the region against Iranian efforts to destabilize them, to reassure our friends and allies that the United States supports them in their resistance to Iranian efforts at hegemony, and to make clear to the Government of Iran that the United States will protect America's vital national security interests in the Middle East.