Military Spending:

41% of Your Tax Dollars Go To War,

Iran & More - FCNL

www.fcnl.org * Support FCNL* Sign up for weekly updates from Washington * February 15 , 2007 Military Spending: 41% of Your Tax Dollars Go To War Iran: Call for Negotiations, Not More War From the Hill: Bill to Ban Cluster Bombs Introduced Friend in Washington: FCNL Welcomes Helena Cobban Grassroots Action: 2007 Ecumenical Advocacy Days Quote of the Week: North Korea Negotiations a Model? Photo of the Week: War Is Not the Answer Read this newsletter online at: http://www.fcnl.org/email/e-newsletter/15feb07.htm Military Spending: 41% of Your Tax Dollars Go To War FCNL’s budget analyst Ruth Flower has crunched the budget numbers to determine how much of your 2006 federal income tax dollars paid for war. Look for more details in the March FCNL Washington Newsletter. Iran: Call for Negotiations, Not More War President Bush has accused Iran of interfering in Iraq and trying to build nuclear weapons. President Ahmadinejad has contributed to the confrontation by refusing to allow international inspectors access into Iran and threatening the state of Israel. The escalating confrontation and the growing need for dialogue has led FCNL to send our Executive Secretary with a small U.S. ecumenical delegation that will visit Iran. Find out more about FCNL’s efforts to stop a war with Iran. From the Hill: Bill to Ban Cluster Bombs Introduced Senators Diane Feinstein (CA) and Patrick Leahy (VT) have introduced legislation that would ban the U.S. from using cluster bombs in civilian areas and would prohibit the U.S. from exporting cluster bombs to any other country that would use these weapons on civilians. Read FCNL’s press release and find out more about FCNL’s work to ban cluster bombs. Friend in Washington: FCNL Welcomes Helena Cobban FCNL is delighted to announce that Quaker columnist and author Helena Cobban has agreed to begin a six month tenure as an FCNL Friend in Washington. During this collaboration, Helena will continue her work as a columnist for The Christian Science Monitor, as a blogger with “Just World News” and The Nation, and as a writer for other outlets. Grassroots Action: 2007 Ecumenical Advocacy Days Join more than a thousand other faith-based lobbyists for three days of briefings, workshops, and lobbying on a broad range of faith issues. FCNL is working with other faith networks to lead lobbying for peace in the Middle East, nuclear disarmament, and a ban on U.S.-sponsored torture. Registration is now open for the 2007 Ecumenical Advocacy Days, March 9-12. Quote of the Week: North Korea Negotiations a Model? "It is welcome news that North Korea has agreed to move toward dismantling its nuclear weapons program in exchange for fuel oil and international acceptance — including the hope of eventual recognition by the United States. Will President Bush learn from this belated success? Will he finally allow his diplomats to try negotiation and even compromise with other bad and undeniably dangerous governments?" - New York Times Editorial February 14, 2007 - Photo of the Week: War Is Not the Answer Germantown Monthly Meeting members at the Iraq Surge Demonstration. Photo Courtesy: Margaret Mansfield 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.