Subject: UN Weapons Inspection Process Will Not Deter Bush from war.
From: Larry Fletcher 
Date: 8 Dec 2002 16:50:13 -0600

News Release - Friday, December 06, 2002

Green Legislator Eder Says UN Weapons Inspection Process Will Not
Deter Bush from War.
                                   
THE GREEN PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES MEDIA RELEASE
Contacts:
Nancy Allen, Media Coordinator, 207-326-4576, nallen{at}acadia.net
Scott McLarty, Media Coordinator, 202-518-5624, scottmclarty{at}yahoo.com
Barbara Payne, Party Co-Chair, barbarellaprice{at}hotmail.com
Dean Myerson, Political Coordinator, 202-296-7755, 301-651-5168 (cell)

Exxon/Mobil Buys U.S. Foreign Policy for $47 Million; Gets Bush,
Congress to Prepare for War in Iraq

John Eder, recently elected Green Party Representative for District 31
in Maine, said today that the Bush Administration is headed for war
regardless of what happens with UN weapons inspections. "The war on
Iraq is set to proceed," said Eder. "While the Bush Administration
insists Iraq has a hidden agenda, it is the U.S. that is making a
farce of the weapons inspection process. Bush will find or twist any
information he can to discredit the inspections as proof that we must
go to war. This Administration is using both Americans and Iraqis as
pawns in the quest for U.S. military and oil dominance."

The Green Party of the United States remains adamantly opposed to the
war. Despite the latest U.N. Security Council resolution on November 8
requiring further discussion if Iraq fails to meet weapons inspections
criteria, the Bush administration continues troop and weapons
deployment that point toward war regardless. Defense Department
advisor Richard Perle has stated that nothing Saddam Hussein does will
convince the U.S. that there's no danger coming from Iraq, and that
the U.S. is on a clear path to war.

ExxonMobil Buys U.S. Foreign Policy

With four of the biggest oil companies based in the U.S. and the U.K.,
the effect of lobbying and political contributions by oil companies on
these two nations who have taken the lead in preparing for war against
Iraq cannot be discounted. British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw
conceded in a Commons debate on November 25 that British lawmakers may
be denied a vote on military action in Iraq, giving Prime Minister
Tony Blair the final say.

Greens are targeting ExxonMobil, the second biggest corporation in the
U.S., as a prime example of corporate governance through buying
government influence. In the past five years, ExxonMobil has spent $47
million lobbying officeholders. Their investment was recouped this
year when they won a $47.8 million contract to supply gasoline, diesel
fuel and motor oil to U.S. and NATO forces.

"For this company, there's no doubt that the war on Iraq will let them
gain immensely, putting them in the lead as the largest oil company in
the world. ExxonMobil is the most compelling example of a corporation
getting away with outrageous activities - from practices of
environmental destruction to human rights violations to pushing for
war for their own economic gains," said Annie Goeke, Co-Chair of the
International Committee of the Green Party of the United States.
"Groups such as PressurePoint have founded the Stop ExxonMobil
Alliance, a coalition of environmental, human rights, social justice,
and pro-democracy groups, to pressure ExxonMobil to change its
policies," she added.

"All around the world, people are standing up to ExxonMobil and its
increasingly severe corporate abuses," said PressurePoint Campaigns
Director Chris Doran. "In the U.S. alone, there have been hundreds of
protests over the past year and a half, with many more planned for the
new year. And now people are making the connection between ExxonMobil,
its very close ties to the Bush Administration, and the imminent
invasion of Iraq."

Bush, Congress Rewrite Constitution to Prepare for War

The Bush policy of preemptive military action against any nation
perceived to be a threat is a direct violation of Article I, Section 8
of the United States Constitution. In a joint resolution, both
Democrats and Republicans in Congress have handed over their power to
the President "to use the Armed Forces of the United States as he
determines to be necessary and appropriate in order to defend the
national security of the United States against the continuing threat
posed by Iraq". (Representative Nancy Pelosi and Senators John Kerry
and Joe Lieberman have recently stated that they will support military
action without U.N. approval if necessary.

"Our elected officials are egregiously failing to represent our
interests and needs, while they cater to major corporate campaign
donors," said Barbara Payne, a Green Party Co-Chair. "Experts of all
political affiliations have questioned the 'proof' being presented of
an imminent threat from Iraq. There is no substantial movement in
Congress to avoid war and demand the U.S. complies with U.N.
resolutions - the majority of U.S. citizens have no one to speak for
them," concluded Payne.

MORE INFORMATION

The Green Party of the United States
http://www.gp.org
National office: 1314 18th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
202-296-7755, 866-41GREEN

John Eder westendgreens{at}yahoo.com

Stop ExxonMobil Alliance http://www.stopexxonmobil.org
                                   
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Page link
http://www.greenpartyus.org/press/pr_12_06_02.html

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