Rod Driver, inveterate thorn in the buttocks of the corpus politicus status quo, sent some questions to U.S. Representative Jim Langevin by email, by fax
and by certified snail mail on July 3. As of this writing, he hasn’t “yet received even the ‘I-appreciate-hearing-from-you’ form letter.”
The letter below was published in the Warwick Beacon on July 10, the Westerly Sun on July 17, the online edition of the Providence Journal on July 24, and possibly elsewhere.
Our representatives need to answer questions about Iran
Under orders from AIPAC (the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee), Patrick Kennedy and James Langevin co-sponsored HCR 362—a mysterious and dangerous resolution calling for a blockade of Iran.
Unable to understand the resolution, I called the office of Rep. James Langevin—a congressman who seems to represent AIPAC more than Rhode Island. The gentleman who answered knew little or nothing about it, but he promised to relay my questions to Rep. Langevin. To make sure they got there OK, I also sent Langevin the following questions about HCR 362 in writing:
- How did you learn of “Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons”?
- Why is your source more reliable than the NIE (National Intelligence Estimate) and the reports of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency)?
- Where in the NPT (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty) is development of nuclear energy prohibited?
- How did Hamas “illegally seize control of Gaza”? I thought Hamas was elected in what international observers found to be a fair election. (Besides isn't it Israel which illegally controls Gaza – bombing and starving its residents?)
- How do you know “Iran seeks to establish regional hegemony”? I thought the U.S. and Israel were the nations seeking to dominate the Middle East with massive military force. (In fact your resolution ends with a reference to “America's vital national security interests in the Middle East.”)
- Why is it OK for Israel, India and Pakistan to have nuclear capabilities – but not Iran?
- Why are UN Security Council resolutions on Iran more important than the far-more-numerous and long-standing UN resolutions on Israel?
- Most important: What do you expect the consequences will be if you succeed in getting George Bush to increase pressure on Iran by
- “prohibiting the export to Iran of all refined petroleum products;
- “imposing stringent inspection requirements on all persons, vehicles, ships, planes, trains, and cargo entering or departing Iran; and
- “prohibiting the international movement of all Iranian officials not involved in negotiating the suspension of Iran's nuclear program.”?
- How would we respond if some power tried to do these things to the U.S.?
- Do you expect the war you propose will go better than the wars we are already fighting against countries much smaller than Iran?
More than three weeks later I have not received an answer to even one of these questions.
—Rod Driver, Richmond
