Resolution Regarding American Military Involvement in Iraq Approved February 24, 2003

Whereas, on October 11, 2002, the United States Congress approved a resolution authorizing President Bush to use U.S. military force against Iraq,

Whereas, United Nations weapon inspectors have been vital in uncovering and destroying Iraqi weapons prohibited by resolutions passed following the Persian Gulf War,

Whereas, no proven link has been articulated between the horrific terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and the Iraqi government,

Whereas, the CIA has warned that Iraq does not present an imminent threat to the people of the United States unless attacked first,

Whereas, a unilateral invasion of Iraq would clearly violate international law as it would be illegal under the recently-passed U.N. Security Council Resolution 1441 which emphasizes that the Security Council “Decides to remain seized of the matter,”

Whereas, diplomatic solutions to the situation with Iraq have not been exhausted, and in some cases not even attempted,

Whereas, starting a war with Iraq would jeopardize the lives of American soldiers, Iraqi civilians and potentially American citizens if Iraq decides to fight back,

Whereas, a war with Iraq would likely escalate anti-American sentiment in the Middle East, thus promoting Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups;

Whereas, a war with Iraq would prioritize military spending over spending on higher education, severely threatening the heavily state-funded Cornell University,

Whereas, an exacerbated economic recession would cripple Cornell students’ ability to receive higher education,

Whereas, U.S. Congressman Charles Rangel has begun drafting legislation to revive the military draft without exemptions for students,

Whereas, France, Germany, China and Russia, and almost all of Iraq’s neighbors, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iran, Oman, Jordan, Egypt, and Syria, have expressed disapproval of U.S. plans to start a war with Iraq,

Whereas, as of January 21, 2003, forty cities, including Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Detroit, Seattle, Baltimore, Syracuse, and Ithaca, have passed resolutions opposing U.S. military involvement in Iraq,

Whereas, as of February 6, 2003, at least twelve university student governments including Cornell’s Student Assembly have passed resolutions opposing U.S. military involvement in Iraq, establishing a strong precedent,

Be it therefore resolved, that the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly supports the goals of the U.N. weapons inspectors and the use of diplomatic means to dispel the current tensions between Iraq and the United States,

Be it further resolved, that the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly condemns any pre-emptive or unilateral use of the United States military against the nation and people of Iraq,

Be it finally resolved, that this resolution be disseminated as widely as possible.

Respectfully submitted,

Amy Levine and Mark McGuire Cornell Anti-War Coalition

Robb Willer Graduate and Professional Student Assembly