Are we (and Wes) making a difference regarding Iran?
Submitted by WantMyCountryBack on February 23, 2007 - 2:34pm.
Iran
I just received a reply from one of my Rebublican senators whom I wrote regarding potential war with Iran. It may not read as encouraging to you, but since I have been writing and receiving stock replies from him for years now, I can tell you that this is subtly different in tone from what I'm accustomed to getting.
Yes, he's still a right-winger, and yes, he still defends Bush to some degree. However, it's the closest I've ever seen either of my senators come to even HINTING that they might consider a vote against, or disagreeing with the president on anything at all. It's nuanced, but it's there. (And trust me, I've read plenty of form replies from these guys.)
I find a spark of hope in that, that maybe sanity is making a dent. Not much, but a spark. Here's the letter (emphasis mine):
"Thank you for contacting me regarding your opposition to American military action in Iran . I appreciate you taking time to write me.
As you may know, factions of the Iranian government have been responsible for supplying terrorists in Iraq and destabilizing the nation. As a result, the U .S. government has stressed the need to control Iraq 's borders with Syria and Iran , and Iraqi forces are doing so. Despite Iran 's material and ideological support of terrorists in Iraq , President Bush and his administration have not proposed military action in Iran . The proposals focus solely on the borders within these countries.
Like you, I am concerned about all of our issues with Iran , including their nuclear programs. However, diplomacy with Iran is just beginning and we must give this process time to work. I am especially encouraged by the willingness of Germany and other nations to consider tighter sanctions and other methods of diplomacy with Iran . Rest assured, I will continue to closely monitor the issues between the United States and Iran , and I will keep your thoughts in mind if and when legislation comes to the Senate floor regarding Iran.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. Please feel free to contact me again with anything that is important to you or your family. It is an honor to serve you and the people of South Carolina."
Sincerely,
Jim DeMint
United States Senator
I would love for all of us to post the text of replies we receive in this thread, so that perhaps we get a feel for what sort of response we are getting from our congresspersons.
Dear xxxx:
Thank you for contacting me with regard to Iran. I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with me on this important issue.
On February 4, 2006, the Board of Governors for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) voted to report Iran to the United Nations Security Council. This vote was spurred by Iran's repeated violations of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Safeguards agreement. In defiance of demands made by key actors in the international community, Iran broke seals on equipment at the Natanz facility for the expressed and prohibited purpose of enriching uranium. The United States is currently working with members of the U.N. Security Council to address the serious violations mentioned in the IAEA report.
President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice have said that the IAEA's referral of Iran to the Security Council is one of many diplomatic steps to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Additionally, the IAEA and international partners are involved in meetings with Iranian government officials and will report to the U.N. Security Council on these negotiations. I strongly support this approach to dealing with Iran, and I support efforts to promote a diplomatic solution to dealing with Iran's nuclear program.
Because Iran did not comply with the provisions of U.N. Security Council resolution 1696, including suspension of enrichment-related and reprocessing activities; did not resume its cooperation with the IAEA; and did not take other steps required of it by the IAEA Board of Governors, the U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted U.N. Security Council resolution 1737.
Resolution 1737 requires Iran to suspend nuclear proliferation activities, which must be verified by the IAEA. The resolution also states that all States should prevent the supply, sale or transfer of equipment and technology to Iran if the items would contribute to enrichment-related or nuclear weapon development activities. Under the terms of the resolution, the IAEA must report to the U.N Security Council within 60 days on whether Iran has suspended the proliferation activities mentioned in the resolution and complied with all steps required by the IAEA. The U.N. Security Council intends to review Iran's actions in light of this report, and I will closely monitor both the report and the U.N Security Council's actions in response to that report.
Given the importance of this issue, and my role as ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, please be assured that I will continue to monitor the developments of Iran's nuclear program. I also will pay close attention to our government's response to this situation as it develops further.
The thoughtful input of New Mexicans has always been and continues to be of the utmost importance to me as your U.S. Senator. I have always believed that it is essential to know what is on the minds of the people it is my honor to represent in Washington, and I assure you that I will keep your concerns in mind.
Sincerely,
Pete V. Domenici(R)
United States Senator
This man doesn't care about anything but oil
and world domination. Just my honest opinion.
He's dug in deep with Bush.