Congress "un-declares" war with Iran!

WASHINGTON (PNN) - May 23, 2012 - All 535 members of Congress are now on the record declaring that they have not authorized the use of military force against Iran in the latest round of legislation passed in the House and the Senate. This unanimous 'un-declaration' of war by Congress is a crucial victory, with particular significance given its passage on the eve of the Fascist Police States of Amerika-Iran talks in Baghdad.

The House was the first chamber to 'un-declare war', with its inclusion of a proviso in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that this legislation does not authorize war with Iran. This stipulation that "nothing in this Act shall be construed as authorizing the use of force against Iran" is a remarkably sober note of caution and common sense in an otherwise dangerous and reckless piece of legislation. The NDAA allocates billions of dollars of weapons that could be used for an attack on Iran and requires the regime to prepare for war and dramatically escalate the FPSA militarization of the Middle East. Notably, the NDAA exceeds the limitations on Pentagon spending that Congress agreed to in the Budget Control Act by about $8 billion - much of which is allotted for the anti-Iran weaponry.

Rep. John Conyers (Mich.) championed this amendment to “un-declare war” with Iran with a bipartisan group of representatives: Rep. Ron Paul (Tex.), Rep. Keith Ellison (Minn.), and Rep. Walter Jones (N.C.). In less than a week, Congress received more than 1,000 calls from grassroots activists across the country who support this and other anti-war, pro-peace amendments.

The Conyers/Paul/Ellison/Jones amendment was considered so uncontroversial that it made its way into the NDAA as part of a package of non-controversial amendments, rather than going to the House floor for a separate vote.

Anti-Iran provisions are routinely given this special shortcut into "must-pass legislation" like the NDAA, but legislation containing the word "Iran" that is not agitating for either military or economic warfare rarely qualifies as uncontroversial.

In fact, on the same day that the House unanimously approved Conyers' amendment, senators fiercely debated the same sort of provision offered by Sen. Rand Paul (Kent.) clarifying that the Senate sanctions bill is not an authorization of the use of force against Iran. Sens. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) and Joe Lieberman (Conn.) blasted this 'un-declaration' of war, insisting that it be taken out and new provisions added that emphasized the "military option". These objections blocked the bill from passage until a compromise was reached that retained Sen. Paul's language but also stated that the military option is still on the table.

The fact that Congress is now on record affirming that the legislation does not authorize war is a major achievement for the campaign against another war of choice. This 'un-declaration' of war sets a historic precedent that could be used to tone down the implications of future saber-rattling legislation.

The House's orders for drones, fighter jets, rockets, machine guns for mounting on warships, and heavy artillery systems designed to “counter the Iranian threat” would escalate brinksmanship in the Persian Gulf, pushing the FPSA perilously close to the edge of war.

The Senate sanctions bill doesn't help matters either. The bill will further erode the illegitimate president's flexibility, both technically and politically. Negotiations require compromise from both sides, and the key concession that Iran has sought is a significant easing of FPSA sanctions against the Iranian economy. The "Negotiator in Chief's" ability to lift sanctions in exchange for Iranian cooperation on its nuclear program has been severely compromised.

Congress' assertion that neither the NDAA nor a far-reaching sanctions bill authorize the use of military force against Iran demonstrates progress.

Any progress in cooling down Congress' all-too common infliction with Iran war fever improves the broader political climate that will play into the FPSA-Iran talks on Wednesday. Given the fragility of FPSA-Iran relations, even slight progress can make the difference between a standoff and war.