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European MEPs Visit Washington With an Appeal for Peace. |
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Friday, March 7, 2003 Contacts: Delegation led by Greens meets with Kofi Annan, Hans Blix, and U.S. Congress members, as well as Ralph Nader and U.S. Green Party members.
WASHINGTON, DC -- At a press conference on Thursday, March 6, a delegation of nineteen Members of the European Parliament finished a stateside visit today with an account of their appeal to U.S. and U.N. officials to seek a peaceful resolution of the Iraq crisis. Paul Lannoye of Belgium spoke for the Green Party portion of the delegation and Francis Wurtz spoke for the European United Left group. They described meetings with United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan and chief inspector Hans Blix at the U. N. as well as meetings with Congressman Dennis Kucinich of Ohio and James McDermott of Washington yesterday and today. They also delivered the text of an appeal for peace to Kofi Annan signed by 460 European parliamentarians, and mentioned the possibility of a similar US delegation visiting Europe soon. Describing Europeans as "allies, but not aligned" with the U.S. on this war, Wurtz described how he plans to establish a permanent relationship with anti-war members of Congress like Rep. Kucinich. Kucinich agreed to form a transatlantic alliance based on opposition to the war in Iraq and will circulate the antiwar appeal among U.S. public officials for them to sign. Greens are confident that a majority of Democrats and some Republicans who oppose the war will sign on to the appeal. Lannoye concluded from his discussion with Blix that "there are no elements [of evidence] that justify the war, we go on facts and not feelings.... Similarly, as to the missiles, Iraq has started to destroy them, that is a fact." Greens noted that with German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer leading the Green Party in Germany and with the Green Party a part of the coalition government in Belgium, Greens are playing a critical role in the global movement to avert the U.S. invasion of Iraq. In the United States, locally elected Greens have led effort to pass many of the city council resolutions opposed to President Bush's war. At least 133 city councils have passed such resolutions, according to CitiesForPeace.org. The delegation also met with Ralph Nader and a group of American Greens. Some of the delegation joined Code Pink at the White House peace vigil Thursday morning in the rain. Emphasizing that the Europeans are not anti-American, just anti-war, the appeal signed by 460 European parliamentarians begins, "Who is a friend? Someone who follows you without asking questions when you are on a dangerous course? No. A friend is someone who warns you and tries everything to prevent you from making a serious mistake." MORE INFORMATION
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