The Honorable (name)
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC  20515- (+4zip)
 

Dear Representative (last name),

Thanks for adding your name to the Congressional letter calling for the lifting of economic sanctions on Iraq.  We appreciate your giving attention to the dire humanitarian consequences for the people of Iraq of the sanctions - the most comprehensive imposed in modern history - which have been in place for over nine years.  We hope you will continue to encourage your Congressional colleagues to ask the President to work with the Security Council to bring an end to the economic sanctions.

The top leaders of churches and organizations that make up Churches for Middle East Peace joined the leaders of the National Council of Churches and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops in a similar appeal to the President  in September, 1999.  In their letter these Christian religious leaders urged that the economic embargo be ended quickly while retaining the political sanctions and strict embargo on military-related items.  "Taking these steps should not be seen as rewarding irresponsible behavior on the part of the Iraqi government, but as necessary to relieve a morally intolerable situation for which the international community bears a share of responsibility."

These Christian leaders do not underestimate the challenges posed by the Iraqi government and its determination to retain weapons of mass destruction. But they ask that the "continued effort to restrain Iraq's acquisition of these weapons ... be pursued through more focused and morally defensible means."  They write that  "fresh efforts toward regional disarmament should also be undertaken" and that the United States make a serious effort to act on the provision of UN Security Council Resolution 687 that says that disarming Iraq is to be a step toward  "establishing in the Middle East a zone free of weapons of mass destruction."
 

With sincere appreciation,

James H. Matlack        Corinne Whitlatch
Chair                           Director