Position Paper - Explanatory cover letter
June 2001

U.S. Policy Toward Iraq:
Policy Alternatives

Prepared by Phyllis Bennis, Stephen Zunes, and Martha Honey

The document that follows is the result of two meetings initiated in 2001 by Foreign Policy In Focus (FPIF) to examine the failure of current U.S. policy toward Iraq and to draw up a statement outlining the components of a new, more humane, and effective policy.

The following people attended the initial meeting, held in late January at the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS) in Washington, DC: Martha Honey, codirector of FPIF and fellow at IPS; Phyllis Bennis, director of the New Internationalism project and fellow at IPS; Stephen Zunes, a professor at the University of San Francisco and Middle East/North Africa editor of FPIF; Clovis Maksoud, director, Center for the Global South at American University; Joe Stork, advocacy director, Middle East, Human Rights Watch; and Alistair Millar, vice president, Fourth Freedom Forum. This group recognized that while there is growing awareness of the grave shortcomings of U.S. policy toward Iraq, there has been relatively little work done to build a broad consensus of policy alternatives. The group decided to convene a larger meeting of grassroots activists, academics, and representatives from human rights, faith-based, Middle East, and policy organizations to try to find common ground around a set of policy alternatives.

Phyllis Bennis wrote an initial draft of an alternative policy which served as the basis of the second meeting at IPS in late March. The following people participated in that meeting:

• Nick Arons, Institute for Policy Studies, Washington, DC
• Phyllis Bennis, Director, New Internationalism Project, Institute for Policy Studies, Washington, DC
• Sharon Burke, Amnesty International, Washington, DC
• Lauren Fleer, Fellowship of Reconciliation, Nyack, NY
• Tony Fleming, World Federalists Association, Washington, DC
• Rend Franke, Iraq Foundation, Washington, DC
• Erik Gustafson, Education for Peace in Iraq Center, Washington, DC
• Joost Hilterman, Human Rights Watch, Washington, DC
• Martha Honey, Foreign Policy In Focus, Institute for Policy Studies, Washington, DC
• Doug Hostetter, Fellowship of Reconciliation, Nyack, NY
• Anne Joyce, Middle East Policy Council, Washington, DC
• Kathy Kelly, Voices in the Wilderness, Chicago, IL
• Erik Leaver, Foreign Policy In Focus, Institute for Policy Studies, Washington, DC
• Peter Lems, American Friends Service Committee, Philadelphia, PA
• Rahul Mahajan, National Network, Austin, TX
• Clovis Maksoud, Center for the Global South, American University, Washington, DC
• Lucy Mathiak, independent researcher/writer, Madison, WI
• Alistair Millar, Fourth Freedom Forum, Washington, DC
• Shehzad Nadeem, Foreign Policy In Focus, Institute for Policy Studies, Washington, DC
• Miriam Pemberton, Foreign Policy In Focus, Institute for Policy Studies, Washington, DC
• Colin Rowat, Center for Economic and Social Rights, Brooklyn, NY
• Joe Stork, Human Rights Watch, Washington, DC
• Chris Toensing, Middle East Research and Information Project, Washington, DC
• Barbara Wein, U.S. Institute of Peace, Washington, DC
• Marvin Wingfield, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, Washington, DC
• Stephen Zunes, Foreign Policy In Focus and University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA

Although there was not agreement on all points, the meeting was remarkable in that there was wide consensus on most of the elements that should be incorporated into a reformed U.S. policy. Based on minutes from this meeting, Phyllis Bennis wrote up a new document, which has since been revised and edited by Stephen Zunes and Martha Honey. It should be noted that the participation by individuals and organizations in the discussion should not be seen as an endorsement by them of this draft.

We hope that this draft can form the basis of a unified challenge by the progressive community and others concerned with U.S. policy toward Iraq to work for a change that reflects concerns about the nature of the Iraqi regime—including its potential threat to its neighbors and its own people—and shifts the direction of U.S. policy toward one centered on demilitarization, international law, and human rights.

We are seeking endorsements of this policy platform. If you and/or your organization wish to have your name added as endorsing these policy alternatives, please email or telephone Stephen Zunes <zunes@usfca.edu>; (831) 425-2975. Comments and suggestions are also welcome.

Position Paper