Subject: Syria: War Postponed; FCNL telephone conference tonight
This is the text of an email I just received from the Friends Committee on National Legislation. Note that the conference call tonight September 11, 2013 at 8pm EST is still on. (712) 432-1500 and then the access number 380565#
As always, feel free to forward this wherever you like, particularly to people whom you may have asked to help against an imminent attack by the U.S. military on Syria.
---------------------from FCNL September 11, 2013 11:24AM EST----------
Dear Larry A Scott,
President Obama's speech last night offered his reasons for military action in Syria. Overwhelmingly, the U.S. public opposes military strikes and favors diplomatic and political action to resolve this crisis. We agree. The use of military force by the U.S. in Syria counters the diplomatic possibilities and will increase violence in an already devastated and war-torn country.
You can find out more about what's ahead and what FCNL is doing on this critical issue by joining us tonight for a conference call.
Over the last two days, the U.S. has stepped back from the brink of war with Syria and has moved to supporting the kind of diplomacy that FCNL and many others have been advocating.
The immediate crisis of U.S. intervention may have passed, but there's a very long road ahead to resolving this conflict peacefully. The president made it clear that the threat of force against Syria is still on the table. Secretary of State John Kerry and other administration officials are still pressing Congress to pre-authorize military action if the new diplomatic track falters. But diplomacy rarely works at gunpoint.
The next days and weeks will be critical. The Syrian foreign minister has said his country will cease production and give up the use of chemical weapons, but many details remain to be worked out. The United Nations will be a focal point for much of this work in the next few days, and this issue will be high on the agenda when the United Nations General Assembly meets in two weeks.
A Significant Moment
I do hope you'll take a moment and appreciate that thousands and thousands of people—including many of you—have helped pause U.S. military action by taking time to write, call and visit congressional offices; to speak with others in your community; and to attend vigils.
Members of Congress have been eager to hear from you. Many had lengthy town hall meetings or sent out email polls to gauge their constituents' opinions. As the possibility of the U.S. entering yet another "military action" loomed, you played an important role in delivering an emphatic "no." Moreover, you have pushed for negotiations and proposals, such as the one Russia has put forward and President Obama has embraced, to stop the use of chemical weapons in Syria without adding to the violence.
We don't know exactly what will happen next to resolve this conflict. But there are some things we do know:
Diplomacy is a marathon, not a sprint. Diplomacy is not a quick, straight line to a goal. There are ups and downs, advances and setbacks. Members of Congress need to hear their constituents' support for allowing diplomacy time to work. Setting arbitrary deadlines and unrealistic benchmarks for diplomacy—with the threat of falling back on military force if those are not met—would be counterproductive.
Syria can immediately sign the Chemical Weapons Convention; open its storage sites to inspection and cease production of these horrendous tools of war. But Russia has said Syria will only turn its chemical weapons over to international control if the U.S. agrees to stop threatening military action. The goal the president articulated is to prevent the use of chemical weapons and hold those who use them accountable, and the U.S. should stay fixed on that goal.
People are still dying in Syria. A political solution to the conflict in Syria must engage the League of Arab States and Iran as well as Russia and the rest of the international community. Some reports suggest that as many as 100,000 people have been killed in Syria in the last two years. The international community should explore a high-level strategy that implements a ceasefire between Syrian rebels and the Syrian government and, if necessary, a political transition process.
Please Join Us on Tonight for a Conference Call
FCNL's lead Middle East lobbyist Kate Gould will join David Culp, our lobbyist for nuclear disarmament, and Jim Cason, who leads strategic advocacy at FCNL, tonight to talk with you about the most recent information from Capitol Hill and what the U.S.'s decision to back away from bombing Syria means for prospects for peace.
To join the call, dial (712) 432-1500 and then the access number 380565#. If you have a question you'd like to be addressed, please email foreignpolicy@fcnl.org any time between now and the call time at 8 p.m. Eastern tonight. We hope you can join in!
Thank you for your work with us over the past several weeks to prevent a U.S. war with Syria. I hope you'll stay engaged on this issue in the coming days and that you'll join us tonight.
Sincerely,
Diane Randall
Executive Secretary
---------------end of message from FCNL September 11, 2013 11:24AM EST --------
This is the text of an email I just received from the Friends Committee on National Legislation. Note that the conference call tonight September 11, 2013 at 8pm EST is still on. (712) 432-1500 and then the access number 380565#
As always, feel free to forward this wherever you like, particularly to people whom you may have asked to help against an imminent attack by the U.S. military on Syria.
---------------------from FCNL September 11, 2013 11:24AM EST----------
Dear Larry A Scott,
President Obama's speech last night offered his reasons for military action in Syria. Overwhelmingly, the U.S. public opposes military strikes and favors diplomatic and political action to resolve this crisis. We agree. The use of military force by the U.S. in Syria counters the diplomatic possibilities and will increase violence in an already devastated and war-torn country.
You can find out more about what's ahead and what FCNL is doing on this critical issue by joining us tonight for a conference call.
Over the last two days, the U.S. has stepped back from the brink of war with Syria and has moved to supporting the kind of diplomacy that FCNL and many others have been advocating.
The immediate crisis of U.S. intervention may have passed, but there's a very long road ahead to resolving this conflict peacefully. The president made it clear that the threat of force against Syria is still on the table. Secretary of State John Kerry and other administration officials are still pressing Congress to pre-authorize military action if the new diplomatic track falters. But diplomacy rarely works at gunpoint.
The next days and weeks will be critical. The Syrian foreign minister has said his country will cease production and give up the use of chemical weapons, but many details remain to be worked out. The United Nations will be a focal point for much of this work in the next few days, and this issue will be high on the agenda when the United Nations General Assembly meets in two weeks.
A Significant Moment
I do hope you'll take a moment and appreciate that thousands and thousands of people—including many of you—have helped pause U.S. military action by taking time to write, call and visit congressional offices; to speak with others in your community; and to attend vigils.
Members of Congress have been eager to hear from you. Many had lengthy town hall meetings or sent out email polls to gauge their constituents' opinions. As the possibility of the U.S. entering yet another "military action" loomed, you played an important role in delivering an emphatic "no." Moreover, you have pushed for negotiations and proposals, such as the one Russia has put forward and President Obama has embraced, to stop the use of chemical weapons in Syria without adding to the violence.
We don't know exactly what will happen next to resolve this conflict. But there are some things we do know:
Diplomacy is a marathon, not a sprint. Diplomacy is not a quick, straight line to a goal. There are ups and downs, advances and setbacks. Members of Congress need to hear their constituents' support for allowing diplomacy time to work. Setting arbitrary deadlines and unrealistic benchmarks for diplomacy—with the threat of falling back on military force if those are not met—would be counterproductive.
Syria can immediately sign the Chemical Weapons Convention; open its storage sites to inspection and cease production of these horrendous tools of war. But Russia has said Syria will only turn its chemical weapons over to international control if the U.S. agrees to stop threatening military action. The goal the president articulated is to prevent the use of chemical weapons and hold those who use them accountable, and the U.S. should stay fixed on that goal.
People are still dying in Syria. A political solution to the conflict in Syria must engage the League of Arab States and Iran as well as Russia and the rest of the international community. Some reports suggest that as many as 100,000 people have been killed in Syria in the last two years. The international community should explore a high-level strategy that implements a ceasefire between Syrian rebels and the Syrian government and, if necessary, a political transition process.
Please Join Us on Tonight for a Conference Call
FCNL's lead Middle East lobbyist Kate Gould will join David Culp, our lobbyist for nuclear disarmament, and Jim Cason, who leads strategic advocacy at FCNL, tonight to talk with you about the most recent information from Capitol Hill and what the U.S.'s decision to back away from bombing Syria means for prospects for peace.
To join the call, dial (712) 432-1500 and then the access number 380565#. If you have a question you'd like to be addressed, please email foreignpolicy@fcnl.org any time between now and the call time at 8 p.m. Eastern tonight. We hope you can join in!
Thank you for your work with us over the past several weeks to prevent a U.S. war with Syria. I hope you'll stay engaged on this issue in the coming days and that you'll join us tonight.
Sincerely,
Diane Randall
Executive Secretary
---------------end of message from FCNL September 11, 2013 11:24AM EST --------
