Afghanistan RPCV Courtney Siceloff sends an open letter to Senator Zell Miller on Iraq
An Open Letter to Zell Miller
The following letter was written by two members of Atlanta Friends Meeting:
Dear Senator Miller:
We have been trying for months to see you in order to get answers to our questions about war on Iraq. You have consistently refused to meet with us stating that as an ex-Marine your job was to take orders from the President. We thought that your job was to represent us. All we were asking was that you listen to us, take our questions seriously, and do your best to get answers from the Administration. Finally, out of frustration, we staged a peaceful sit-in at your Atlanta office on November 4th. Our only request was for an appointment to meet with you anytime in November. Again you refused and when we refused to leave without an appointment, your staff called the police. We are deeply disappointed that you found it necessary to have us arrested rather than to meet with us. Does your refusal to see us mean that you only meet with people who agree with you? Why is it a crime to want answers to our questions? Something is very wrong with our government when elected officials refuse to meet with their constituents. All we are asking is that you get answers to our questions and report back to the people of Georgia before the Administration launches a war on Iraq. The people expect nothing less from their Senator. We have trying for the past month to schedule a meeting with you to no avail. We are here again today (Dec. 6) to ask for an appointment to see you. Please don't refuse to see us. We represent thousands of Georgians who need you to represent us and carry our message to the White House. Tell the President that your constituents want answers to these questions BEFORE war is allowed to begin:
1. How will war with Iraq affect the war on terrorism? Will such a war increase the probability of increased terrorist attacks on the U.S.? Will such a war completely distract us from finding those who were really responsible for 9/11?
2. What impact would war on Iraq have on an already shaky American economy? Tell us the real costs of such a war. Won't the billions of dollars spent on an Iraq war impact directly on our children's education, our health care, our Social Security, and the many other programs that people really care about?
3. What role does oil play in the Administration's desire to invade Iraq? Are we really after Saddam Hussein or is the real objective the world's second largest oil reserve under the sands of Iraq?
4. What are the long-term consequences of a U.S. "go-it-alone" approach? Why do virtually all of our allies oppose a U.S. preemptive strike against Iraq? Do we really want to become the policeman of the world? Do we really want to be the nation that says "Do it our way or else"? Won't a preemptive attack on Iraq completely destroy America's credibility in the world and give a clear signal to other nations that attacking first and asking questions later is acceptable behavior?
5. How would a war on Iraq affect the stability of the Middle East? Won't such a war completely undermine the prospects for peace between Israel and the Palestinians? What happens if Israel responds to an Iraqi attack by launching a nuclear strike on Baghdad? What will happen to the governments of Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan? Will a U.S. attack cause their overthrow by Islamic fundamentalists?
6. The Administration has indicated that over 200,000 U.S. troops will be needed for an invasion of Iraq. Military experts say that Hussein would likely concentrate his forces in Baghdad and other densely populated urban centers. How many of our soldiers and how many Iraqi civilians are predicted by the Pentagon to be killed in an urban warfare scenario? Will our use of depleted uranium weapons turn Iraq into a radioactive danger zone?
7. How many years and how many dollars is the Administration prepared to commit to Iraq? Is the Administration committed to a 5-10 year U.S. military occupation and a $100 billion+ rebuilding program for Iraq? How will the Administration keep Iraq from becoming an ungovernable region of warring ethnic and religious groups?
We are counting on you as our representative to do your duty. Too much is at stake. As a former Marine, you, most of all, should want answers before our soldiers are sent into combat. We will gladly go to jail if that is what it takes to get answers to these questions.
Most sincerely,
Joe Parko
Courtney Siceloff
Of the Atlanta Friends Meeting
Please contact Zell Miller:
* phone: (404) 347-2202
* fax: (404) 347-2243
