UCSC says NO! to War against Iraq

On Tuesday November 12th the UCSC Student Union Assembly unanimously passed a resolution condemming a pre-emptive military attack against the nation of Iraq. The resolution was drafted by the organization Standing United for Peace, a peace coalition of students, staff and city residents.

The resolution urges a peaceful resolution while putting pressure on the University's chancellor MRC Greenwood to take a stance against the war. The students are asking for UCSC's Faculty Senate to vote on a similar resolution as well.

Similar student government resolutions have been passed nationwide, in cities including Berkeley CA, Ithaca NY, and Austin TX.

RESOLUTION TEXT:

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

Whereas, unilateral action against Iraq by the United States would undermine the basic foundations of international law, and

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

Whereas, a war with Iraq would jeopardize the lives of innocent people and American soldiers, and

Whereas, the doctrine of ‘pre-emptive’ puts at risk precisely those Americans who are of draft age, this includes students of UCSC and their peers, and

Whereas, a war with Iraq would jeopardize the lives of Iraqi civilians who have already suffered enormously under the current Iraqi regime, United Nations sanctions and US/UK bombings , and

Whereas, a war with Iraq would further aggravate the situation in the Middle East, possibly leading to a wider, regional war, and

Whereas, a war with Iraq would escalate anti-American sentiment, increasing support for Al-Queda and other extremist groups, threatening the safety of people around the world, including Americans, and

Whereas, this war will cost billions of US taxpayer dollars and has the potential to stall and threaten the stability of the US economy, and

Whereas, UCSC students have voiced their opposition to a war against Iraq in the form of a ‘Not In Our Name Pledge of Resistance’ and through hundreds of UCSC student’s petitions to Chancellor MRC Greenwood asking her to take a stance against this war.

Therefore, Be It Resolved, that the University of California, Santa Cruz Student Union Assembly is firmly opposed to U.S. military intervention in Iraq. And furthermore, the SUA urges the U.S. and Iraqi governments to work in good faith towards ensuring the return of UN weapons inspectors, alleviating the suffering of the Iraqi people through an end to UN sanctions, and through abiding by the framework of international law. Lastly, be it resolved that the UCSC Student Union Assembly urges the UCSC Academic Senate to vote on a resolution concerning the United States’ foreign policy with regards to a possible war against Iraq.