End the “Scourge of War” and End U.S. Combat Operations in the Middle East
(passed by UNA-GM on Sept 12, 2015)
Whereas, one of the primary purposes of the UN is to end the “scourge of war”
Whereas, there is continuing military conflict in the Middle East, leading to the continued loss of lives, injuries and economic destruction; Whereas, a solution to these conflicts is desperately needed; Whereas, the United States military has no moral or legal authority to conduct combat operations in the Middle East because the United States conducted an illegal and immoral invasion and occupation in Iraq that, to a large extent, led the current conflict with ISIL and because the United States military has not been given U.N. authority to enter these conflicts; Whereas, the United Nations, not the United States, is the appropriate institution for determining the legal response to conflict within the Middle East; Whereas, continued U.S. combat operations in the Middle East serve as an excellent recruitment tool for ISIL and other groups and, therefore, perpetuate these conflicts; Therefore, Resolved, the U.S should end combat operations in the Middle East, including attacks using aircraft and drones; Further Resolved, the community of nations should collectively develop strategies, within the U.N. framework, to overcome tyranny, such as ISIL, and end the cycle of violence in the Middle East, and this strategy should not use the U.S. military; Further Resolved, that bombing and shelling that kills civilians and creates refugees, even though non-combatants are not directly targeted, is not an acceptable solution to overcome tyranny and end the cycle of violence; Further Resolved, the U.S., as a form of reparation payments for the Iraq War, should help pay the humanitarian costs, such as the refugee costs, resulting from these conflicts; Further, resolved that the U.N. needs to quickly move forward on strategies for permanently ending military conflict as an acceptable option for resolving disputes, while recognizing the on-going need for police work and criminal justice systems; Further Resolved, the United Nations of Greater Milwaukee should distribute this resolution to other UNA Chapters for their consideration; Further Resolved, the United Nations Association of Greater Milwaukee should present this resolution to the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., to our elected federal officials and those seeking elected federal offices, including presidential candidates, and urge other UNA chapters to do likewise. (note: Congresswoman Gwen Moore referred to the Iraq War as an “illegal and immoral war” during her speech at a peace rally a few years ago.) |