Anti-War Resistance Played Key Role in Obama Climbdown

The legacy of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars clearly haunts US opinion at all levels but we must also acknowledge the role of anti-war campaign organisations across America for harnessing and crystallising mass opinion against military aggression against Syria.

The extract below is from the website of USLAW, an organisation that has played a leading role in lobbying the US Congress and galvanising the anti-war movement. But, it is clear, that USLAW is wary of the continued threats of US aerial bombardment - in violation of international law - of civil war-torn Syria.

This past week we’ve witnessed and participated in something amazing and inspiring: people all across the United States saying they are tired of war and speaking up to oppose yet another military intervention. And remarkably, this mobilization was so sudden and so powerful that members of Congress actually listened to the concerns of their constituents.

These developments pressured President Obama to go to Congress, slowing down the process long enough for the Russian proposal to emerge as something positive to explore, rather than an insincere initiative to be dismissed.

But this Syrian crisis is far from over. At any moment, the proposed deal could fall apart, and the Obama Administration may go back to drawing more “red lines.” The administration, despite Russia’s demand, is not yet willing to eliminate the threat of a military attack.

We need to ramp up the pressure even more. It is vitally important that our mobilizations continue and that we continue to send a clear message to the White House and to Congress:

•  A military strike by the United States will not resolve the problem of chemical weapons,  will violate international law, and will risk igniting a wider war.
  
  
• Any Congressional resolution that authorizes the use of military force by the President as a response to the use of chemical weapons in Syria is unacceptable, no matter how many qualifiers or conditions are tacked on.
• No more “red lines.” Support Russia’s plan in the UN Security Council for Syria to relinquish its chemical weapon stocks to international control and join the Chemical Weapons Convention, without imposing arbitrary or artificial deadlines.
• Work to convene an international conference of all interested parties (including Iran) to seek a political solution to the civil war in Syria.