December 6, 2005

U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton
United States Senate
Washington, D.C.



Dear Sen. Clinton:

Thank you for your communication to constituents dated Dec. 2, 2005, clarifying your stand on the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq, commonly referred to as the "Iraq War." I have many thoughts after reading your email.

First of all, I believe it should have been obvious to all that the President George W. Bush's purpose in invading Iraq had nothing to do with those stated as a justification for the invasion. As you must remember, American troops were already massed in the region, after which the Administration began formulating any number of pretexts for why it would invade. It was quite apparent from the very beginning that none of these were the reasons why the Administration decided to invade Iraq. The failure of Iraq to admit inspectors, or their alleged interference with the inspectors' duties, once admitted, was not a reason either, since American troops were mobilized and ready to go in, and it was highly unlikely they would not be used at that point, whether or not the inspections were successful. The true reason for the invasion remains a mystery to the American people.

I do believe that giving the president blanket authority to use force was an illegal and unconstitutional abdication of power on the part of the Senate and the House of Representatives. This must be remedied at the soonest possible moment.

I also believe that the invasion of Iraq was a violation of international law and treaties of which the United States is a signatory and to which Congress has passed legislation affirming American commitment, making violation of their terms a violation of U.S. as well as of international law.

This situation regarding the violation of international law and treaties must be remedied at the soonest possible moment, so that the United States stands in compliance with its own laws, international agreements and treaties.

The United States invaded a country under totally unjustifiable circumstances. In the process, this country has wreaked untold suffering on the beautiful people of Iraq, creating a sad legacy for our nation. If the people of Iraq had been asked whether the destruction of hundreds of thousands of lives and of hundreds of billions of dollars in life-sustaining infrastructure was indeed a worthwhile price for what appears to at best be a very tenuous chance at establishing an American-style democracy in that country, I believe they would answer in the negative.

It is obvious that the United States invaded Iraq based on the perceived U.S. self-interest on the part of policy-makers. But self interest is not justification for aggressive action. Only legitimate self interest, such as self defense, for example, balanced by a consideration of the interests and well-being of the people of other nations in the world community, can enter into the equation that justifies such action.

Unfortunately the American people were not privy to these policy-makers' objectives in invading Iraq, but by now, they certainly know it was not for the reasons stated by the current administration.

Private organizations like the Council on Foreign Relations, which form a closed society of policy makers removed from the influence of the electorate, are a great harm to a functioning democracy, as they do all in their power to exert their influence in deleterious ways. I recommend that you withdraw your membership and support from the Council on Foreign Relations, and investigate the role that it may be playing in influencing public policy. It is easy for a legislator to believe that his or her constituency consists of the elitist members of such organizations, and not the people whom they were elected to represent. All tax exemptions for nonprofits should be eliminated, so that each citizen is free to support whatever cause they want out of the surplus of their funds after taxes have been taken out. I hope you can work toward the removal of the tax exempt status of all nonprofits.

Senator Clinton, I am supremely disappointed that you did not exercise more leadership in stopping the Iraq war at its inception. However, I am also guilty of not voicing my opinion at the time, which opinion may have influenced you to act differently. We are thus all guilty of the events that transpired.

At the same time, I am quite happy to hear of your opposition to a policy of pre-emtive war, which I believe is illegal. The illegal policies of this administration must be stopped, and the individuals responsible for their creation and implementation prosecuted in a court of law, without delay.

I would like to suggest the following course of action to extract our country from the reprehensible position that it has taken regarding Iraq and the Middle East.

1. The United States must apologize to the people of Iraq and to the world community for the invasion  of that country.

2. The United States must hand over all decision-making regarding the future of Iraq to the United Nations. It must withdraw all troops, and allow United Nations peacekeeping forces to move in in their stead, giving countries of the region a particular role in the process of international amelioration and reconstruction.

3. Under United Nations supervision, the United States must pay reparations for the damage it has wrought in Iraq and the Middle East.

4. Congress must repudiate the granting of any powers unconstitutionally ceded to the executive branch of government, such as powers to exercise force that constitute acts of war without a specific declaration of war approved by Congress.

5. Congress must once again bring the United States into compliance with domestic and international law, and make sure all parties that have violated such laws be brought to speedy justice, including the executive leadership of the current administration.

I would add a sixth item. Homeland security and all items of legislation added in reaction to the tragedy of 9-11 should be repealed. Let me make this clear. Additional layers of bureaucracy are not a solution to bungling and irresponsibility. Those individuals who were responsible for allowing the 9-11 tragedy to happen should be called on the carpet, and where appropriate, disciplined or prosecuted. This has not happened, and it is up to your office to insist on it. Our system of intelligence was functioning well. It was individuals in the intelligence community acting irresponsibly that permitted 9-11 to happen. The new layers of bureaucracy will just add to the confusion. If, however, 9-11 was used as a pretext to add these additional layers for another reason to which the American public is not privy, then of course that is all the more why these new departments and laws should be disbanded.

If the above points are carried out, I do believe that America could once again be on the road to regaining respect and support from the world community. If you push for the implementation of the above points, and others that harmonize with them, I do believe that your chances of succeeding will be excellent.

Avoid entangling yourself with the policy-making antics of the Council on Foreign Relations and other similar nonprofit organizations, the judgement of which has been shown to be of the worst and most damaging variety, as it appears to be based on a "real politik" that replaces true human values with a cynical and dehumanizing view of the world. The CFR and other similar nonprofits divert public funds, through accepting tax exempt contributions, to causes which are not in the best interest of Americans, but only benefit a select few who have provided us with poor public policy choices.

In closing, I want to compliment you on your interest in bringing balance to the debate on abortion and other pro-life/pro-choice issues. You have exercised leadership in this area, and I hope that your efforts will bear fruit.

Senator Clinton, it is not too late to exercise leadership and begin to undo the terrible damage that has been done over the past five years. I hope you and former President Clinton will distance yourselves from the Council on Foreign Relations and other similar organizations that have proven to have misled the American people and damaged the future of this great nation, and that you will support policies that will put America on the road to international peace and cooperation.

Kindest regards,


Peter Duveen