Progressive Democrats Endorse Victory for Diplomacy

WASHINGTON - Sept. 10, 2013 - PRLog -- PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS ENDORSE VICTORY FOR FORCEFUL DIPLOMACY

Who: Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) a federal PAC, founded in 2004

What: Hails breakthrough towards peace by Obama's forceful diplomacy, calls for dropping war authorization and rapid steps towards broader settlement

Where: On Capitol Hill and in Congressional Districts Nationwide

Why: President Obama's intention of forcefully responding to the use of chemical weapons can be achieved without descending into war

Contacts: Tom Hayden via Emma Taylor (Peace and Justice Resource Center) 216-577-0805 or 310-559-9522 emmataylor.1509@gmail.com
   Mike Hersh, PDA National Communications Coordinator 301-602-9388 mike@pdamerica.org
  Tim Carpenter, PDA National Director 413-320-2015 tim@pdamerica.org

Washington, D.C.--Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) National Advisory Board Member, and renowned peace activist Tom Hayden has issued the following statement for quotation and publication on behalf of PDA:

The grinding wheels of war have been thrown in reverse by Russia, Syria and Iran's acceptance of President Obama's proposal for the supervised elimination of chemical weapons stockpiles. There is no need for a Congressional war authorization. Public opinion has been heard. Hopefully an agreement on disposal of chemical weapons will lead promptly to an international conference to bring peace and stability to the suffering Syrian nation.

The super-hawks will have to retreat from their dreams of US military intervention leading to chaos and regime change. As amended, the resolution which passed a Senate committee went far beyond a "shot across the bow", and authorized instead a wider, longer intervention in Syria's civil war. That would have been a disaster for Syria and for ourselves.

With the new breakthrough, the president's original stated intention of forcefully responding to the use of chemical weapons can be achieved without descending into war. The Russians, Iranians and Syrians deserve credit for agreeing on the internationally-supervised destruction of chemical stockpiles.

From the viewpoint of their interests, they can claim success in blocking forcible regime change against a sovereign country. The United Nations has achieved an important and enhanced role in assuring that the chemical weapons stockpiles are banned or brought under international control.

As PDA's advertisement in Roll Call (to be published September, 10), reads: "As an immediate step, our government should insist on an enforceable global ban of chemical precursors and delivery systems from Russia, Iran, China and Western firms." Please click here to see the advertisement:
https://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/1987/images/SyriaAd.pdf

We believe it was crucial to separate the issue of preventing chemical attacks from the plan to open the gates to massive military intervention in a quagmire. With the overwhelming support of American public opinion and the courage of a dissenting Congress, we can begin to retreat from the brink.

Progressive Democrats of America is a federal PAC, founded in 2004 to transform American politics and reform the Democratic Party to focus on principles including: economic and social justice; environmental protection; healthcare as a human right; ending corporate rule; election integrity; fair—not "free"—trade; equality for all; and ending wars and occupations. See: http://www.pdamerica.org/

Contacts: Tom Hayden via Emma Taylor (Peace and Justice Resource Center) 216-577-0805 or 310-559-9522 emmataylor.1509@gmail.com
   Mike Hersh, PDA National Communications Coordinator 301-602-9388 mike@pdamerica.org
  Tim Carpenter, PDA National Director 413-320-2015 tim@pdamerica.org