Webb: "We do have an amendment on Iran"

The Just Foreign Policy Blog

Webb: “We do have an amendment on Iran”

March 27th, 2007

If you do a news search today on Senator Webb, you find many variations on: “Webb’s Aide Pleads Not Guilty to Gun Charges.” That’s a terrible shame, because as Think Progress notes, the Webb story should be: “Webb says he will introduce amendment to bar the President from attacking Iran without Congressional authorization.” This is a big deal. Everybody who is anybody - Peace Action, United for Peace and Justice, the Council for a Livable World - all of Rabbit’s friends and relations - is calling their Senators today and tomorrow and asking them to support the Webb amendment. (The Capitol switchboard is 202-224-3121. Bonus points if you can get the Senate staffer to tell you if your Senator is supporting the amendment and report the result here.)

Of course, I am not in favor of anyone packing a loaded weapon in violation of the law. But the President of the United States is packing two loaded aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf in violation of international law. Under international law, it is a crime - the highest crime - to attack another country, and it is a crime to threaten to do so. Whoever says that “we cannot take anything off the table” in dealing with Iran - including even the use of nuclear weapons - is saying that the United States cannot forswear the “option” of committing war crimes. And unfortunately, at this moment the group of people taking this position includes not just the President and his deputies but the leading Democratic Presidential candidates: Senator Clinton, Senator Obama, and former Senator Edwards.