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The New York City Council And War


Last week, the City Council debated and passed Resolution 549-A calling on the United States to go to war with Iraq only as a last resort. The council, which usually votes unanimously, was divided - the measure passed with 30 "yes" and 18 "no" votes. (For a list of how each council member voted, click here.)

It is not unusual for the City Council to delve into foreign affairs. In the last year, the City Council has introduced over 600 resolutions - including calling on the United States Navy to stop test bombing in Vieques, urging an "even-handed policy in the Middle East," condemning "terrorist attacks against civilians in Israel," and giving official recognition of Filipino-American World War II veterans. (Read the article "New York's Foreign Policy" for why city officials think globally when they legislate locally.)

However, it is unusual for the City Council to spend so much time debating an issue, particularly one that is out of its control. Decisions of whether to cut recycling programs, ban smoking in public places, or raise the property taxes did not generate anywhere near such heated public debate.

Some council members argued that the council should instead focus on local issues like the fiscal crisis, education, and housing. "We have spent more time and more energy, both publicly and privately, on this issue than we did on the property tax vote," said Councilmember James Oddo.

But others argued that because New York City is an international city - home to the United Nations, the media, and millions of recent immigrants, that foreign affairs is a local issue. "Whether we like it or not - and most of us do like it - we live in the capital of the world," said Councilmember Phil Reed.

And for some, the location of City Hall just blocks from Ground Zero, made the debate not only relevant, but personal. "I don't want to be back here in six months, naming streets for dead New Yorkers because our country did nothing," said Councilmember Lewis Fidler.

Here are some excerpts from the City Council debate.

 

"WORK FOR PEACE" - Bill Perkins (Primary sponsor of the bill)

...On April 4, thirty-six years ago Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. made an historic speech right here in New York at Riverside Church deploring the war in Vietnam. King's sentiment at that time was that the war abroad was crippling our domestic agenda and could not be more salient than what is going on with us today.

With our local and national economy in peril, a war in Iraq will drain urgently needed resources from our cities, our suburbs, and our small towns. We can not afford to engage in such costly diversions. Not to mention the recent polls reflecting enormous concern on the part of New Yorkers for new acts of terrorism if the war begins with Iraq. And there is the human cost of war. I know that I am not alone when I pray that our troops will not be asked to make the ultimate sacrifice. Let us not forget that those who declare war are usually not those who have to fight it...

 

"NO MORE STREET NAMES FOR DEAD NEW YORKERS" - Lewis Fidler

...We know that in any war innocent men, women, and innocent civilians die. But we have to remember why we are here.

Iraq and Saddam Hussein violated the terms of a peace resolution that was necessitated because they invaded a sovereign neighbor. And during the course of that invasion, they launched missiles at a sovereign neighbor with whom they were not at war. They have gassed and oppressed minorities in their own country. Not to mention how they treat their women. They have given support and assistance to the exportation of terrorism around the world. And in all probability are sitting on a stockpile of dangerous nuclear, chemical, and germ weapons.

History reminds of what happens when the world does nothing, when a madman and imperialist rolls his tanks into a neighboring country. I am sure that Prime Minister Tony Blair, for whom I have the greatest respect, won't make the mistake Neville Chamberlain made in thinking that appeasement was necessarily buying peace in our time. And I am certainly not going to wait for Jacque Chirac's permission to defend myself.

We are sitting today in what should be the shadows of the World Trade Center. I don't want to be back here in six months, naming streets for dead New Yorkers because our country did nothing.

 

"LET THE HAWKS SEND THEIR KIDS" - James Sanders, Jr.

...I am no bleeding-heart liberal. I am a former U.S. Marine Corp grunt, front-line trooper. That means the ones who actually do the fighting. My godson and my nephew are in the Gulf right now awaiting the call to war.

...I am not against all war. World War II was a just war. The battle to find Bin Laden is a just battle. But I am reminded of what Congressman Charles Rangel said a couple of days ago - that we need a draft to give the opportunity to defend our country to all of the American people. Not just the working class and the poor stiffs who have to get out there, but all American people.

...I am kind of nervous when the war hawks (or are they chicken hawks?) have other people's children go forward. I will be more convinced of this when our federal officials - those who beat the drums of war the loudest - have their children sign up first...

 

"CITY POLICY, NOT FOREIGN POLICY" - James Oddo

...I am opposed to this resolution on the merits and because of the process.

My opposition on the merits can be summed up best in the words of Winston Churchill when he said, "An appeaser is someone who feeds the crocodile hoping it will eat him last."

I am opposed to the process because we are the City Council, not the Security Council... I have said time and time again that I think this body spends way too much time on issues outside of our immediate jurisdiction. I think we need to shed the criticisms of this body. We should not be focusing on street name changes and we should not be focusing on things outside of what our constituents elected us to do.

We have an incredible fiscal situation in this city, we have a high unemployment rate, we have welfare, and we have an education system that is being revolutionized. We have spent more time and more energy, both publicly and privately, on this issue than we did on the property tax vote. Those are the issues we were elected to talk about, not foreign affairs...

 

"A MIDDLE AND PROPER COURSE" - G. Oliver Koppell

...This is not an anti-war or a pro-war resolution. It is a resolution that says killing people should always be a last resort... It councils a middle course, a proper course, a course that both rejects Saddam Hussein and says give peace a chance whenever a chance remains...

 

"WE ARE NOT PREPARED FOR THE NEXT ATTACK" - Yvette Clarke

...Our first line of defense - not just our Army, our Navy and our Air Force - but our local first line - police, fire, and emergency medical services must be taken care of first. Before we go off to other nations to liberate their people, New York City is not prepared for its next terrorist attack. If we are not safe on Wall Street, we are not safe on Main Street.

...If we are going to be looking for a fight, let's fight poverty here in New York City. Let's fight firehouse closures here in New York City. Let's fight racism and sexism. Mr. Bush, get your house in order before you go and burn down someone else's...

 

"ABOLISH THESE RESOLUTIONS" - Simcha Felder

...City Council resolutions are meant to project "a sense of the body." It makes no sense for the City Council to involve itself in international resolutions that have no real impact. No matter what the issue - these resolutions should be abolished...

 

"STAND BY BUSH" - Allan Jennings

...I want you to know that right now in Kuwait City, there is a camp called Camp New York, where men and women in uniform are there fighting for our freedom and for our democracy. We should stand behind our troops. As leaders and elected officials, we must stand behind our President as good Americans...

 

"THE TIME IS NOT NOW" - Gifford Miller

...I will not surrender to any country or to anyone outside of this country our right to determine our own foreign policy. But neither will I surrender my responsibility as an American citizen, as an elected official to speak out about what I think is the right conduct for our country. And I certainly won't surrender my responsibility to think strategically about this subject...

 

"SUPPORT OUR TROOPS" - Michael Mcmahon

...As nearly 300,000 American service men and women sit in the very real dangers of a theater of war, I do not believe that the New York City Council should be conducting national security policy.

...You can hear it in the debate this afternoon, we are not even sure what the message of this resolution is. But I am sure that the men and women in uniform that sit in harms way will only see it in one way...

 

"NYC IS AT RISK" - Helen Sears

...Three months ago, I would have voted for this resolution. Not because the U.S. should not use its military if called for, but because the case for war had not yet been made. I have discussed this issue with my colleagues in past weeks. I have come to the conclusion that the case has been made. New York City, as the world's premier international city, is at great risk...

 

"THE COST OF INACTION IS TOO GREAT" - Peter Vallone, Jr.

...Just blocks from the Ground Zero, we debate whether we have the ability to defend ourselves from terrorists and we debate the financial costs of a war. What is the cost of 3,000 lives? In the next attack, when we lose 10,000 people, will that justify the cost?

New York City was attacked by terrorists. Saddam Hussein supports terrorists. He is a terrorist. He has weapons of mass destruction. He has used them on his own people. The risks of inaction are too great. If we don't disarm Saddam now, we won't have enough streets to name after the victims.

 

"DON'T USE 9/11 AS AN EXCUSE" - Charles Barron

...We are sending a message to the president today, at least I am, I'm not going to speak for everybody, that you can no longer use 9/11 as an excuse for war. There is no linkage of Saddam Hussein to 9/11. There is no linkage of Saddam Hussein to Al Aqaeda...

 

"GO TO GROUND ZERO" - Andrew Lanza

...I suggest that you take a walk down the street and take a long, hard look at that gaping hole in the ground, at that gaping hole in our lives...

 

"CAPITAL OF THE WORLD" - Phil Reed

...Whether we like it or not - and most of us do like it - we live in the capital of the world. And the challenge for us is to balance the democracy that our constituents ask for as well as to be a representational body as an experiment that proves to the world that democracy works...

 

Other Links:

 

Transcript of President Bush's Speech on Iraq


My fellow citizens, events in Iraq have now reached the final days of decision.

For more than a decade, the United States and other nations have pursued patient and honorable efforts to disarm the Iraqi regime without war. That regime pledged to reveal and destroy all of its weapons of mass destruction as a condition for ending the Persian Gulf War in 1991.

Since then, the world has engaged in 12 years of diplomacy. We have passed more than a dozen resolutions in the United Nations Security Council. We have sent hundreds of weapons inspectors to oversee the disarmament of Iraq.

Our good faith has not been returned. The Iraqi regime has used diplomacy as a ploy to gain time and advantage.

It has uniformly defied Security Council resolutions demanding full disarmament.

Over the years, U.N. weapons inspectors have been threatened by Iraqi officials, electronically bugged and systematically deceived. Peaceful efforts to disarm the Iraq regime have failed again and again because we are not dealing with peaceful men.

Intelligence gathered by this and other governments leaves no doubt that the Iraq regime continues to possess and conceal some of the most lethal weapons ever devised. This regime has already used weapons of mass destruction against Iraq's neighbors and against Iraq's people.

The regime has a history of reckless aggression in the Middle East. It has a deep hatred of America and our friends and it has aided, trained and harbored terrorists, including operatives of Al Qaeda.

The danger is clear: Using chemical, biological or, one day, nuclear weapons obtained with the help of Iraq, the terrorists could fulfill their stated ambitions and kill thousands or hundreds of thousands of innocent people in our country or any other.

The United States and other nations did nothing to deserve or invite this threat, but we will do everything to defeat it. Instead of drifting along toward tragedy, we will set a course toward safety.

Before the day of horror can come, before it is too late to act, this danger will be removed.

The United States of America has the sovereign authority to use force in assuring its own national security. That duty falls to me as commander of chief by the oath I have sworn, by the oath I will keep. Recognizing the threat to our country, the United States Congress voted overwhelmingly last year to support the use of force against Iraq.

America tried to work with the United Nations to address this threat because we wanted to resolve the issue peacefully. We believe in the mission of the United Nations.

One reason the U.N. was founded after the Second World War was to confront aggressive dictators actively and early, before they can attack the innocent and destroy the peace.

In the case of Iraq, the Security Council did act in the early 1990s. Under Resolutions 678 and 687, both still in effect, the United States and our allies are authorized to use force in ridding Iraq of weapons of mass destruction.

This is not a question of authority, it is a question of will.

Last September, I went to the U.N. General Assembly and urged the nations of the world to unite and bring an end to this danger. On November 8th, the Security Council unanimously passed Resolution 1441, finding Iraq in material breach of its obligations and vowing serious consequences if Iraq did not fully and immediately disarm.

Today, no nation can possibly claim that Iraq has disarmed. And it will not disarm so long as Saddam Hussein holds power.

For the last four and a half months, the United States and our allies have worked within the Security Council to enforce that council's longstanding demands. Yet some permanent members of the Security Council have publicly announced that they will veto any resolution that compels the disarmament of Iraq. These governments share our assessment of the danger, but not our resolve to meet it.

Many nations, however, do have the resolve and fortitude to act against this threat to peace, and a broad coalition is now gathering to enforce the just demands of the world.

The United Nations Security Council has not lived up to its responsibilities, so we will rise to ours. In recent days, some governments in the Middle East have been doing their part. They have delivered public and private messages urging the dictator to leave Iraq so that disarmament can proceed peacefully.

He has thus far refused.

All the decades of deceit and cruelty have now reached an end. Saddam Hussein and his sons must leave Iraq within 48 hours. Their refusal to do so will result in military conflict commenced at a time of our choosing.

For their own safety, all foreign nationals, including journalists and inspectors, should leave Iraq immediately.

Many Iraqis can hear me tonight in a translated radio broadcast, and I have a message for them: If we must begin a military campaign, it will be directed against the lawless men who rule your country and not against you.

As our coalition takes away their power, we will deliver the food and medicine you need. We will tear down the apparatus of terror and we will help you to build a new Iraq that is prosperous and free.

In free Iraq there will be no more wars of aggression against your neighbors, no more poison factories, no more executions of dissidents, no more torture chambers and rape rooms.

The tyrant will soon be gone. The day of your liberation is near.

It is too late for Saddam Hussein to remain in power. It is not too late for the Iraq military to act with honor and protect your country, by permitting the peaceful entry of coalition forces to eliminate weapons of mass destruction. Our forces will give Iraqi military units clear instructions on actions they can take to avoid being attack and destroyed.

I urge every member of the Iraqi military and intelligence services: If war comes, do not fight for a dying regime that is not worth your own life.

And all Iraqi military and civilian personnel should listen carefully to this warning: In any conflict, your fate will depend on your actions. Do not destroy oil wells, a source of wealth that belongs to the Iraqi people. Do not obey any command to use weapons of mass destruction against anyone, including the Iraqi people. War crimes will be prosecuted, war criminals will be punished and it will be no defense to say, "I was just following orders."

Should Saddam Hussein choose confrontation, the American people can know that every measure has been taken to avoid war and every measure will be taken to win it.

Americans understand the costs of conflict because we have paid them in the past. War has no certainty except the certainty of sacrifice.

Yet the only way to reduce the harm and duration of war is to apply the full force and might of our military, and we are prepared to do so.

If Saddam Hussein attempts to cling to power, he will remain a deadly foe until the end.

In desperation, he and terrorist groups might try to conduct terrorist operations against the American people and our friends. These attacks are not inevitable. They are, however, possible.

And this very fact underscores the reason we cannot live under the threat of blackmail. The terrorist threat to America and the world will be diminished the moment that Saddam Hussein is disarmed.

Our government is on heightened watch against these dangers. Just as we are preparing to ensure victory in Iraq, we are taking further actions to protect our homeland.

In recent days, American authorities have expelled from the country certain individuals with ties to Iraqi intelligence services.

Among other measures, I have directed additional security at our airports and increased Coast Guard patrols of major seaports. The Department of Homeland Security is working closely with the nation's governors to increase armed security at critical facilities across America.

Should enemies strike our country, they would be attempting to shift our attention with panic and weaken our morale with fear. In this, they would fail.

No act of theirs can alter the course or shake the resolve of this country. We are a peaceful people, yet we are not a fragile people. And we will not be intimidated by thugs and killers.

If our enemies dare to strike us, they and all who have aided them will face fearful consequences.

We are now acting because the risks of inaction would be far greater. In one year, or five years, the power of Iraq to inflict harm on all free nations would be multiplied many times over.

With these capabilities, Saddam Hussein and his terrorist allies could choose the moment of deadly conflict when they are strongest. We choose to meet that threat now where it arises, before it can appear suddenly in our skies and cities.

The cause of peace requires all free nations to recognize new and undeniable realities. In the 20th century, some chose to appease murderous dictators whose threats were allowed to grow into genocide and global war.

In this century, when evil men plot chemical, biological and nuclear terror, a policy of appeasement could bring destruction of a kind never before seen on this earth. Terrorists and terrorist states do not reveal these threats with fair notice in formal declarations.

And responding to such enemies only after they have struck first is not self defense. It is suicide. The security of the world requires disarming Saddam Hussein now.

As we enforce the just demands of the world, we will also honor the deepest commitments of our country.

Unlike Saddam Hussein, we believe the Iraqi people are deserving and capable of human liberty, and when the dictator has departed, they can set an example to all the Middle East of a vital and peaceful and self-governing nation.

The United States with other countries will work to advance liberty and peace in that region. Our goal will not be achieved overnight, but it can come over time. The power and appeal of human liberty is felt in every life and every land, and the greatest power of freedom is to overcome hatred and violence, and turn the creative gifts of men and women to the pursuits of peace. That is the future we choose.

Free nations have a duty to defend our people by uniting against the violent, and tonight, as we have done before, America and our allies accept that responsibility.

Good night, and may God continue to bless America.





New York City Council STATED MEETING - MARCH 12, 2003


New York City Council Stated Meeting Report

Every two weeks the New York City Council meets for its Stated Meeting, where the 51 members of the council introduce and pass legislation. As a regular feature, Searchlight covers these meetings and posts a summary of what bills were passed.

STATED MEETING - MARCH 12, 2003

Quote of the Day:
"We have spent more time and more energy, both publicly and privately, on this issue than we did on the property tax vote. Those are the issues we were elected to talk about, not foreign affairs."
Republican City Councilmember James Oddo on the City Council's anti-war resolution.

Meeting Summary:
On March 12, New York City joined some 125 other cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, Milwaukee, and Kalamazoo in passing a resolution urging restraint in a possible war with Iraq.

After significant revisions to the initial resolution and lengthy debate, the New York City Council passed its resolution with 30 "yes" and 18 "no" votes. (For a list of who supported and opposed the resolution, see the list below).

The council's resolution (Res 549-A) opposes a pre-emptive military attack unless it can be demonstrated that "Iraq poses a real and imminent threat to the security and safety of the United States" or unless all other options of achieving compliance with United Nations resolutions have failed.

The resolution also calls on the United States government to:

  • make all efforts to work with the United Nations Security Council
  • take appropriate steps toward securing participation of other nations to ensure that Iraq does not have weapons of mass destruction
  • work with the United Nations and other countries to ensure access of weapons inspectors
  • ensure that inspectors be given a full and fair opportunity to conduct their work

 

The resolution changed significantly from its initial wording, which had sharp criticism for the Bush administration and warned of "devastating consequences" of a war.

The council members who usually vote unanimously on most legislation argued passionately on both sides of the issue.

"We are not being forced into war to protect ourselves," said Councilmember David Yassky, who supported the measure. "We can not push the rest of the world into democracy by ourselves."

"New York was attacked by terrorists," countered Councilmember Peter Vallone, Jr. "Saddam Hussein supports terrorists. He is a terrorist. The risk of inaction is too great."

Some felt that the debate extended beyond the actual wording in the document. "This is not an anti-war or a pro-war resolution," said Bronx Councilmember G. Oliver Koppell. "It is a resolution that says killing people should always be a last resort."

Others argued that the resolution was meaningless and sent the wrong message to members of the U.S. armed forces. "It is evident from this debate that we are not even sure what the message of this resolution is," said Staten Island Councilmember Michael McMahon.

Other legislation was overshadowed by the debate over a possible war with Iraq.

The council unanimously approved a measure (Intro 102-A) requiring future New York City mayors to turn over their records to the city's Municipal Archives upon leaving office.

The legislation was inspired by the actions of former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who removed more than 2,000 boxes of his mayoral records to a Queens warehouse before leaving office. However, Giuliani does not have to immediately turn over his records, an exception negotiated by the Bloomberg administration. Councilmember Bill Perkins, who drafted the legislation, promised that an oversight committee would ensure that all of the Giuliani records are eventually returned to the city.

The council also passed several resolutions urging the State Legislature to preserve rent regulation. These measures were largely symbolic since the City Council does not have the power to change rent laws on its own.

The first measure (Res 690/Intro 367) fulfills the City Council's portion of the legislative process to extend rent regulations. The second (Res 691) calls on Albany to repeal the Urstadt law, which prevents New York City from passing rent laws that supercede state laws. The third resolution (Res 692) supports the State Assembly, which recently passed its rent regulation measure, and urges the State Senate and the Governor to do the same.

The first resolutions were passed by a vote of 45 to 3; the three Republican council members James Oddo, Dennis Gallagher, and Andrew Lanza opposed them. The third passed by a vote of 44 to 4. The three Republicans, joined by Peter Vallone, Jr., voted against it.

The next stated meeting is scheduled for March 26.

CITY COUNCIL VOTE ON THE ANTI-WAR RESOLUTION 549-A

SUPPORT
Maria Baez
Charles Barron
Tracy Boyland
Gale Brewer
Yvette Clarke
Leroy Comrie
James E. Davis
Bill deBlasio
Erik Martin Dilan
Pedro Espada, Jr.
Alan Gerson
Eric Gioia
Sarah Gonzalez
Robert Jackson
G. Oliver Koppell
John Liu
Margarita Lopez
Miguel Martinez
Gifford Miller
Hiram Monserrate
Bill Perkins
Christine Quinn
Diana Reyna
James Sanders, Jr.
Larry Seabrook
Jose Serrano
Kendall Stewart
Albert Vann
David Yassky

OPPOSE
Joseph Addabbo
Anthony Avella
Simcha Felder
Lewis Fidler
Dennis Gallagher
James Gennaro
Allan Jennings
Melinda Katz
Andrew Lanza
Michael McMahon
Michael Nelson
James Oddo
Madeline Provenzano
Dominic Recchia
Joel Rivera
Helen Sears
David Weprin
Peter Vallone, Jr.

ABSENT
Helen Foster
Eva Moskowitz


 



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