Draft Resolution on War in Iraq:

Whereas, the President is asking the United States Congress to authorize a war on Iraq, and

Whereas, no proven link has been made between the horrific terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 and the government of Iraq, and

Whereas, many experts including former United Nations Chief Weapons Inspector Scott Ritter, have disputed the President’s contention that Iraq poses a threat to the United States, and

Whereas, diplomatic solutions have not been exhausted and the international community has not lent its support for war against Iraq, and

Whereas, international support for the campaign against Al-Qaeda would be undermined by unilateral action against Iraq, and

Whereas, a war with Iraq will jeopardize the lives of American soldiers and will kill many innocent Iraqi civilians, who have already suffered enormously under the current Iraqi regime, United Nations sanctions(1) , and US/UK bombings(2) and

Whereas, a war with Iraq would further destabilize the Middle East, possibly leading to a wider, regional war, escalating anti-American sentiment, increasing support for Al Qaeda and other groups dedicated to terrorism, making the citizens of the United States and the world less safe, and

Whereas, a war will cost billions of US taxpayer dollars(3) and could stall and further threaten the stability of the US economy,

Be it Therefore Resolved, that, the Graduate and Professional Student Association urges the U.S. and Iraqi Governments to work in good faith to ensure the return of UN weapons inspectors, to alleviate the suffering of the Iraqi people, and to abide by the framework of international law. Thereby, absent new evidence or events that dramatically change the present situation, the Cornell Graduate and Professional Student Association urges representatives in Congress to vote against any resolution that would allow the President to declare war on Iraq.

Footnotes:

 1- According to UNICEF estimates, UN economic sanctions have caused the death of over 500,000 Iraqi children between 1991 and 1999
 2- Since 1992, the US and UK have sporadically bombed civilian infrastructure. The BBC reported that on September 26, 2002, American warplanes destroyed a civilian radar system and the main terminal of Basra’s international airport. (BBC September 26, 2002)
 3- Reuters reported that some Congressional budget estimates predict that 

a war on Iraq could cost $200 billion. (Reuters October 1, 2002)