E-News: Failed War Policy Rebuked, Joe Volk in Iran & More - FCNL

www.fcnl.org * Support FCNL* Sign up for weekly updates from Washington * Update your email address February 20, 2007 Iraq: First Rebuke of Failed War Policy Want More About Iraq? Join FCNL’s Iraq Updates Email List Iran: Executive Secretary Arrives in Tehran Resource: Counting Wars and Organizing for Peace Quote of the Week: E.J. Dionne on U.S. Policy in Iraq Photo of the Week: War is Not the Answer Read this newsletter online at: http://www.fcnl.org/email/e-newsletter/20feb07.htm Iraq: First Rebuke of Failed War Policy Last Friday, the House provided the first rebuke of the president’s policy in Iraq since the war was launched nearly four years ago. By a vote of 246 to 182, the House rejected the president’s escalation of the Iraq war. Although the Senate chose not to debate this measure, the House’s action sets the stage for Congress to legislate a new U.S. policy in Iraq. Find out how your representative voted. What should Congress do next? Read FCNL's recommendations. Want More About Iraq? Join FCNL’s Iraq Updates Email List As the House voted on Friday, people on this email list received an analysis of what this vote means for U.S. Iraq policy as well as summaries of the latest articles and resources to help make sense of the current situation. Read the latest update and sign up for the list on FCNL’s website by selecting the Iraq Updates list. Iran: Executive Secretary Arrives in Tehran Joe Volk arrived in Iran Monday morning to a busy schedule of meetings with several senior ayatollahs, the archbishop of the Armenian Orthodox Church, and others. In these initial meetings, the U.S. religious leaders on the delegation found a very strong will among Iranians to find ways to build bridges with people in the United States. Find out more. Read the Tehran Times report on the delegation. Resource: Counting Wars and Organizing for Peace Each year, Dan Smith, FCNL’s senior fellow for military policy, produces a compilation both of armed conflicts around the world and of efforts to organize for peace that becomes the basis for publications by the Center for Defense Information and the Calvert Fund. This year, Dan notes 15 significant ongoing armed conflicts (with 1,000 or more deaths), unchanged from 2006. In his review of Organizing for Peace, Dan suggests that Mother Nature should perhaps have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 – shocking bitter antagonists into working together. Read more. Quote of the Week: E.J. Dionne on U.S. Policy in Iraq "Two things are now abundantly clear about the future of U.S. policy toward Iraq. First, majorities in both houses of Congress have lost faith in President Bush's approach to the war. Second, the president will do all he can to resist changing his strategy by trying to split his critics into ineffectual factions." - Washington Post (2/20/07) Read more. Photo of the Week: War is Not the Answer January 27, 2007 in Washington, DC. Order your War is Not the Answer sign today! ________________________________________ Contact Congress and the Administration Subscribe to other FCNL legislative, policy, and action alert lists. ________________________________________ Friends Committee on National Legislation 245 Second St. NE, Washington, DC 20002-5795 fcnl@fcnl.org * http://www.fcnl.org phone: (202)547-6000 * toll-free: (800)630-1330 We seek a world free of war and the threat of war We seek a society with equity and justice for all We seek a community where every person's potential may be fulfilled We seek an earth restored.