Via Volokh comes the link to this article about the City of L.A. considering adopting one of two anti-war resolutions. One is from Councilpersons Eric Garcetti and Ruth Galanter, and the other is from Councilman Tom LaBonge.

According to a representative of Garcetti's office, their resolution was created with the cooperation of the Neighbors for Peace and Justice. I previously discussed the problems with the Neighbors' resolution here. You can read the Neighbors' resolution here.

The Garcetti resolution suffers from some of the same problems, but at least it doesn't insert an impossible condition regarding when we can take action (i.e., only when directly and militarily attacked).

However (and don't tell anyone) it does have its own impossible condition: it says "OPPOSES a unilateral war against Iraq." However, at the least we'll have bilateral support because of Britain. So...

The LaBonge resolution seems much more reasonable.

These will be discussed Thursday, Feb. 13, 2003 in ROOM 1050, CITY HALL - 9:30 AM 200 N. SPRING ST., LOS ANGELES, CA 90012. To see the PDF file concerning this meeting, go here and click the link for 2/13 at 9:30am.

The full text of both resolutions follows:

Text: Garcetti and Galanter

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, any official position of the City of Los Angeles with respect to legislation, rules, regulations or policies proposed to or pending before a local, state or federal governmental body or agency must have first been adopted in the form of a Resolution by the City Council with the concurrence of the Mayor; and

WHEREAS, the United States is poised on the brink of a war against Iraq; and

WHEREAS, generation after generation has recognized that war brings great suffering to combatants and non-combatants, leaves human, social, and environmental devastation beyond recognition, and must only be seen as a last resort to resolve disputes among nations and people; and

WHEREAS, the Congressional Budget Office estimates a military action against Iraq will cost the taxpayers of the nation between $9 billion and $13 billion a month, likely resulting in further cuts in federally funded projects and programs that benefit our city and its residents at a time when state and local governments are in crisis; and

WHEREAS, that cost would be borne by the people of the city of Los Angeles, who rely on federal funds for anti-poverty programs, for workforce assistance, for housing, for education programs, for infrastructure, and for the increased demands of homeland security; and

WHEREAS, we recognize that Saddam Hussein has perpetuated great human rights abuses and is a despot with aims contrary to peace, and that the United Nations Security Council accordingly approved a program of weapons inspections; and

WHEREAS, a preemptive attack by any nation acting alone sets a dangerous precedent for the international community, and undermines the international law that the United States has helped build since the end of World War II; and

WHEREAS, the "first-strike" use of nuclear weapons in such a war, as proposed by members of the Administration, would create instability and a precedent for destructiveness that has thus far remained outside of the realm of possibility; and

WHEREAS, war in Iraq would take the lives of untold Iraqis, the vast majority of whom would be noncombatants; and

WHEREAS, our unquestionable pride in and support for the men and women of the Armed Services prevents us from supporting their deaths in an unjustified war;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, with the concurrence of the Mayor, that by the adoption of this Resolution, the City of Los Angeles hereby includes in its 2003-2004 Federal Legislative Program SUPPORT for all international diplomatic efforts to resolve the current conflict with Iraq, and OPPOSES a unilateral war against Iraq.

PRESENTED BY: ________________________

SECONDED BY: _________________________

(LaBonge's)

RESOLUTION
REGARDING POSSIBLE U.S. MILITARY ACTION AGAINST IRAQ

WHEREAS, any official position of the City of Los Angeles with respect to legislation, rules, regulations, or policies proposed to or pending before a local, state, or federal governmental body or agency must first have been adopted in the form of a Resolution by the City Council with the concurrence of the Mayor; and

WHEREAS, on October 11, 2002 the United States Senate voted 77-23 to authorize the President to use military force against Iraq if he deems necessary, stating "The President is authorized to use all means that he determines to be appropriate, including force, in order to enforce the United Nations Security Council Resolutions referenced above, defend the national security interests of the United States against the threat posed by Iraq, and restore international peace and security in the region"; and

WHEREAS, the President and the Congress based this decision on their shared belief that Iraq is an untrustworthy nation that threatens the security of the United States and other nations by continuing to build and sustain a chemical and biological weapons programs; and

WHEREAS, members of Congress and the President have access to classified information that is not available to the public or local elected officials regarding Iraq's chemical and biological weapons programs; and

WHEREAS, the President on Tuesday, January 28 in his State of the Union address laid out his case to the American people as to why Saddam Hussein should be removed from power; and

WHEREAS, Chief United Nations Weapons Inspector Hans Blix recently released an evaluation that listed numerous examples of Iraq's failure to comply with United Nations mandates to dissolve their chemical and biological weapons program; and

WHEREAS, Secretary of State Colin Powell on February 5 released varied and detailed evidence concerning Iraq's efforts to hide evidence of their weapons programs to the United Nations Security Council; and

WHEREAS, the United States should make every effort to work within the United Nations framework and leave war as an option of last resort; and

WHEREAS, California is home to more veterans than any other state in the nation, and Los Angeles has 597 employees, including 271 LAPD officers, on military reserve who stand to be called to active duty, and as veterans and patriots, these brave men and women know well the consequences of war and the human cost involved.

WHEREAS, we give our unconditional support to U.S. military personnel serving at home and abroad in their tireless battle against global terrorism; and

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, with the concurrence of the Mayor, that by the adoption of this Resolution, the City of Los Angeles urge the President of the United States as well as the U.S. Congress to exhaust all diplomatic options available to them in dealing with the growing crisis in Iraq, before resorting to using military force; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Secretary of State of the United States be strongly encouraged to share as much information as can be safely released when he speaks to the United Nations about evidence that the United States has gathered about Iraq's chemical and biological weapons programs; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the California congressional delegation and the President of the United States.

CO-PRESENTED BY:

________________________ _______________________

________________________ _______________________

SECONDED BY ________________________

February 7, 2003