9/11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows

September 23, 2002 President George W. Bush The White House Washington, DC Dear President Bush, Each of us lost a family member on September 11, 2001. We are writing to you now to express our grave concerns about your stated intention to lead our country into a war in Iraq. After what we have endured, no one desires an end to terrorism more than we do. This is why we strongly urge you to pursue diplomatic, multi-lateral and non-violent action to protect the American people from any danger posed by the Iraqi regime. Our group, September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, was formed to work to see that no family anywhere on earth experiences the pain and loss that we have suffered through senseless violence. We know that war in Iraq would cause the suffering of many thousands of innocent Iraqi families, people who, like our family members on September 11th, will find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. A war would also place our military personnel in harms way, causing deaths and the suffering of more American families. It is out of concern for our own service people and for the Iraqi citizens that we implore you to pursue a resolution of the situation in Iraq without war. We are disappointed that you have used the anniversary of our loved ones deaths not as a time to mourn and reflect but as a time to call for war on a country unrelated to the events of September 11th. We are concerned that a war in Iraq will divert the necessary resources from the task of apprehending and bringing to justice those responsible for the September 11th attacks. We fear this war could destabilize the Middle East region and cost the lives of countless, innocent civilians in other nations. We are deeply troubled that more killing will only fuel the fires of terrorism and enable terrorist organizations to recruit more easily those who would harm us. We are worried that a new war will diminish our commitment to bring stability and democracy to Afghanistan. Our group, September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, has sent two delegations to Afghanistan this year. Members of our group met with dozens of ordinary Afghan families that were concerned that the US would abandon their country. The US cannot afford to forsake its responsibilities to assist Afghanistan in her rebuilding. We know more than anyone does how an unstable Afghanistan can affect us in America. Finally, we are deeply troubled that you are proposing war in Iraq as a pre-emptive, and if necessary, unilateral action. This is a dangerous precedent in a world that is growing more closely connected and interdependent. We do not feel the role of the US as a world leader should be to act in ways that might condone other nations taking military action as a first rather than a last option in dealing with their own disputes. During the past year, each of us has tried to respond to the death of our loved ones not out of rage and anger, but out of a sincere desire to create a world in which no family experiences the suffering we have. We hope that you will join us in honoring our loved ones by pursuing the path of peaceful tomorrows. We want America to be safe. And most of all, we do not want to see September 11th repeated anywhere on earth. We look forward to hearing from you about our concerns. Sincerely, September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrows