Opposition to war against Iran
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Opposition to a perceived risk of a military attack on Iran by the United States (US) is known to have started during 2005-2006. Claims that a risk of military attack existed were made by people such as Seymour Hersh, Scott Ritter, Joseph Cirincione and Jorge E. Hirsch. Majority public opinion in the US in late 2006 was reported to be opposed to an attack. Several individuals, including former US military intelligence officer and then United Nations weapons inspector in Iraq, Scott Ritter, made many public speeches and published articles opposing a would-be attack on Iran. Grassroots organisations, including Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran in the US and the United Kingdom (UK) and Don't Attack Iran Coalition in the San Francisco Bay Area as well as national governments, including the Non-Aligned Movement of 118 states, declared their opposition to an attack on Iran. Mass street protests around the world and especially in the UK and cyberspace actions were carried out in opposition to the would-be attack.
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[edit] Perceived risk of a military attack on Iran
Opposition to a would-be military attack on Iran followed several claims that the risk of a military attack on Iran by the United States and/or Israel really existed. Starting in 2005, several analysts, including Seymour Hersh<ref name="seymourhershone">http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/?050124fa_fact</ref>, former UN weapons of mass destruction inspector in Iraq from 1991-1998, Scott Ritter<ref name="rittersleep">Sleepwalking To Disaster In Iran, April 01, 2005, Scott Ritter</ref>, Joseph Cirincione, director for non-proliferation at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace<ref name="foreignpolcirin">Fool Me Twice, March 27, 2006, Joseph Cirincione, Foreign Policy</ref>, Professor at the University of San Francisco and Middle East editor for the Foreign Policy in Focus Project, Stephen Zunes<ref name="Zunesusiranisrael">The United States, Israel, and the Possible Attack on Iran, Stephen Zunes, May 2, 2006, ZNet</ref> claimed that the United States planned a military attack against Iran. Philip Giraldi, a former CIA officer<ref name="amcon"> Deep Background, August 1, 2005, Philip Giraldi, The American Conservative</ref>, physicist Jorge E. Hirsch<ref name="hirsch"> A 'Legal' US Nuclear Attack Against Iran, Jorge Hirsch, November 12, 2005</ref> <ref name="hirschabyss"> America and Iran: At the Brink of the Abyss ,Jorge Hirsch, February 20, 2006</ref>, Michel Chossudovsky<ref name="chossu"> Nuclear War Against Iran, Michel Chossudovsky, January 3, 2006</ref>, and Seymour M. Hersh <ref name="newyorker"> The Iran plans, Seymour Hersh, The New Yorker Mag., April 8, 2006</ref> claimed that the attack could be expected to use nuclear weapons, in line with the US Doctrine for Joint Nuclear Operations which was revised in March 2005.
[edit] Public opinion
A Reuters/Zogby opinion poll taken in the United States and published on September 28, 2006 found a large majority (70 percent) opposing an attack on Iran if it were to involve a land attack by US soldiers. Small minorities supported a land attack (26 percent) or an air attack against military targets (9 percent).<ref name="reuterspoll060928">Reuters (September 28, 2006). Americans favor diplomacy on Iran: Reuters poll. Yahoo. Retrieved on 2006-10-24.</ref>
[edit] Individuals
Scott Ritter, a former U.S. military intelligence officer and then a United Nations weapons inspector in Iraq, who is an active opponent to the Iraq War, has made several strong public statements opposing war against Iran, such as: "The alleged Iranian threat espoused by Bush is based on fear, and arises from a combination of ignorance and ideological inflexibility." and referred to what he called "numerous unconfirmed reports that the United States has already begun covert military operations inside Iran, including overflights by pilotless drones and recruitment and training of MEK, Kurdish and Azeri guerrillas."<ref name="casmii_ritter">Ritter, Scott. "The Case for Engagement", The Nation, November 3, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-11-05.</ref>
[edit] Organisations
[edit] Grassroots and non-governmental organisations
The organisation Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran (CASMII) was officially founded on December 1, 2005 in London and claimed its first success to be the inclusion of opposition to an attack on Iran as part of the aims declared by the International Peace Conference in London on December 10, 2005.<ref name="declarationpeacelondon2005">Declaration of International Peace Conference, London, 2005. Stop the War Coalition (December 10, 2005). Retrieved on 2006-10-23.</ref>. Two UK organisations opposed to an attack on Iran, Action Iran<ref name="actioniran">http://www.actioniran.org.uk</ref>, and Iran Solidarity<ref name="iransolidarity">Iran Solidarity. End of Empire. Retrieved on 2006-11-07.</ref> joined together with CASMII UK on November 6, 2006 to form a new organisation in the UK called Campaign Iran, which remains part of the international CASMII.<ref name="casmii_actioniran_unite">"UK peace groups consolidate under "Campaign Iran"", Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran, November 7, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-11-07.</ref>
Several peace organisations, mostly in the San Francisco Bay Area in the USA, organised themselves together as the Don't Attack Iran Coalition. In November 2006, they called for various actions including direct contact between US leaders and/or members of US Congress and Iranian leaders and members of parliament.<ref name="dontattackcoalition">"Don't Attack Iran", Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran, November 11, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-11-11. (in English)</ref>
[edit] National governments
On May 30, 2006, representatives of the 118 states of the Non-Aligned Movement made a statement supporting Iran's civilian nuclear program and opposing military attacks against nuclear facilities, stating "The ministers reaffirmed the inviolability of peaceful nuclear activities and that any attack or threat of attack against peaceful nuclear facilities, operational or under construction, poses a great danger to human beings and the environment, and constitutes a grave violation of international law, principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations and regulations of the IAEA. They recognized the need for a comprehensive multilaterally negotiated instrument, prohibiting attacks, or threat of attacks on nuclear facilities devoted to peaceful uses of nuclear energy."<ref name="NAMmay2006">Non-Aligned Movement (May 30, 2006). NAM Coordinating Bureau's statement on Iran's nuclear issue. globalsecurity.org. Retrieved on 2006-10-23.</ref>
[edit] Street actions
During global anti-war protests on March 18, 2006, in addition to protests against the Iraq War, many of the protests were directed against the perceived threat to attack Iran.<ref name="indymedia18march2006">Worldwide Anti-War Protests - March 2006. Indymedia (22 March 2006). Retrieved on 2006-10-23.</ref>.
On September 23, 2006, one of the main slogans and themes of speakers at a demonstration of about 50,000 people criticising British prime minister Tony Blair at the Labour Party Annual Conference in Manchester was the call "Don't attack Iran".<ref name="casmii_laborpartymeeting">Massoumi, Nariman (September 24, 2006). Action Iran and CASMII march together against war. Campaign Against Sanctions and Military Intervention in Iran. Retrieved on 2006-10-24.</ref>
[edit] Cyberspace actions
On April 12, 2006, the political group MoveOn, which organises and informs an online community estimated at 3 million people, called on its supporters to lobby the United States Congress to prevent US president George W. Bush from attacking Iran with nuclear weapons.<ref name="zmagsolomon_moveon">Solomon, Norman (April 18, 2006). How Long Will MoveOn.org Fail to Oppose Bombing Iran?. Z Communications. Retrieved on 2006-10-24.</ref>
[edit] See also
[edit] References
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