RESOLUTION OF THE GENERAL EXECUTIVE BOARD OF UNITE! ON IRAQ

Our union, UNITE, represents working men and women across this continent. But we are also soldiers, reservists and veterans. We have served honorably in each of our nation’s wars in the past Century, and we understand the need for sacrifice and security. The United States has been attacked and remains vulnerable to international terrorism, and we stand ready to protect our country and our loved ones.

But we, the elected leadership of UNITE, strongly oppose any preemptive unilateral attack against the state of Iraq. It is clear that Saddam Hussein is an oppressive and totalitarian ruler. He has committed serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. Saddam Hussein is a brutal dictator, but he is not an imminent threat to our country. Nor has convincing evidence of Iraqi ties to al-Qaeda or to the events of September 11th been presented to the American people. There is, therefore, no justification for a unilateral preemptive war with Iraq.

Moreover, we believe a unilateral preemptive war with Iraq would serve to aggravate the problem of terrorism, rather than reduce it. Such a war would jeopardize our relations with allies, intensify hostility in the Arab world, and entangle us in further conflicts in that region. This war is a cynical attempt to distract attention away from the real concerns of American citizens -- a faltering economy, declining education budgets, state and local fiscal crises, increasing unemployment, inadequate social services, the erosion of civil liberties, and a federal government that is giving massive tax breaks to the rich.

We know first-hand that if there is a war with Iraq, we will do the fighting and we will suffer the consequences. Our families will be changed forever. And for what? This war is not about security for Americans. It is about George Bush’s reelection campaign. It is about oil.

February 13, 2003