A less-than-anticipated number of people remained after the Feb. 11 City Council presentation on wave energy to hear a resolution opposing war in Iran.

According to staff reports, the item was brought forward by Council member Meg Courtney.

"The initial request was made by Global Exchange, a membership-based, international human rights organization dedicated to promoting social, economic and environmental justice around the world," said staff reports.

After being adopted, 4 to 1, the resolution, patterned after a similar proclamation by the City of Sebastapol, was forwarded to congressional representatives.

City Manager Linda Ruffing said city staff had no recommendation for the council, prior to discussion.

Courtney said while she expected a resolution opposing war in Iran would be "a slam-dunk," she was surprised to have gotten calls, comments and emails from other council members on the subject.

"It solidifies my beliefs about why it is important to do this," she said. Courtney referred to an email from Fort Bragg area attorney Sean Hogan, which asked for substantiation of claims made in the resolution.

Hogan's letter expressed dismay about the U.S. handling of the Iraq war, and concern for the level of rhetoric about Iran.

"I personally agree with the specific points resolved but question your ability to individually make findings of fact to support the recitals in all the whereas paragraphs of the proposed resolution," Hogan wrote "... Before voting for something you each ought to be certain of the facts and demand proof, not just hearsay."

Google it

"I did some research on Google and came up with quite a bit of information," Courtney said. "There has been a lot of sword rattling' around Iran. We know what happened in Iraq, we went to war, a war that may go on, what we now hear, for another decade. We are losing a lot through this, money, morale, human lives, ours [and] theirs. We have lost face in the world, there's so much going on."

She said that, according to the British American Security Council Website, the U.S. has been looking into the creation of "Bunker Busters," to destroy "hardened, deeply buried targets."

Courtney read a quote from Jim Morgan, a Virginia Democrat on the House defense spending committee, who said the only place to use bunker busters is Iran, because Iraq and Afghanistan have no underground facilities known of by the U.S.

"There has been talk about improving our effectiveness by having these nuclearized bunker busters, so to speak," she said. "I got a Wikipedia description of a bunker buster, how it attacks underground concrete blocks. Apparently, Iran is riddled with these [underground bunkers], according to our intelligence, and so we are looking for new weapons, new ways to do this."

Courtney said a hypocrisy exists on the part of the U.S. in regard to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, which Iran has signed, and India has not.

"We are threatening sanctions against Iran at this point, even though it's supposed to be legal under the treaty to pursue uranium enrichment to facilitate energy development," she said. "So there is a hypocrisy here that we are supporting India, which is not a member of this organization, and we are causing sanctions against Iran, so this is more weapon rattling, as far as I can see."

Reading a report from Reuters, dated Oct. 2007, Courtney said the Bush Administration has asked for $88 million to fit bomber aircraft with bunker busters.

"The question was asked, Why is this needed when the war we are currently fighting is in Iraq?' We have troops in Iraq in Afghanistan which don't need this type of weaponry," Courtney said.

Mayor Doug Hammerstrom said the heart of the resolution comes in the last part of the resolution, where it is suggested that funds should be cut off for any military action against Iran without congressional authorization, ensure that relations with Iran are consistent with international law and encourage talks with Iran about nuclear issues and ending the conflict in Iraq.

Vice Mayor Dave Turner suggested some changes to the resolution, including striking "unsubstantiated" from a line referring to U.S. accusations about Iraq's nuclear program. He also suggested removing references to the use of bunker busters, saying he did not support a strike against Iraq, regardless of what weapons might be used.

Hammerstrom suggested changing language to include "seemingly" in a line saying the Bush Administration is following the same strategy that led to the Iraq conflict. He said the change would show the council was not making an absolute assertion of fact about U.S. intentions for Iran, but expressing the opinion.

Stick to business

During public comment, Fort Bragg resident Sharon Lee opened with, "I can't believe you are discussing such a thing as the war." She suggested the council stick to local business, such as housing, public safety, streets and jobs.

"This little group," she said, referring to the City Council, "What are you going to do as far as the war is concerned?" She said she was insulted by the notion that the council would claim to represent her and the residents of Fort Bragg.

"I am not for war," she said, "I just want to see city business get done."

Susan Lightfoot opened by thanking Courtney for bringing the resolution forward, adding, "This is one of the things that democracy is all about."

Lightfoot said previous resolutions opposing the war in Iraq created a buzz on a national level and showed that Americans do not support a "military industrial complex."

"I think very much that there is power in these resolutions," said Lightfoot, "especially if it's before the fact. Hundreds of cities sending forth these kinds of resolutions can show something really powerful about how what we want is national security here, meaning no more poverty, we want jobs, we want to save the environment, all these things, that what we are focused on, not international conflicts."

She suggested the council continue to pursue such efforts.

"I agree with the lady that we do have a lot of things to be talking about, but the war is a pretty huge issue, and if we can make a statement about it here, then let's do it."

Mike Ball said he looked on the Internet and found a military strategy group's disturbing prediction that the U.S. could lose all its military personnel stationed in Iraq if Iran attacked from the Persian Gulf.

He said he favored the resolution, for fear of what could happen if a conflict with Iran breaks out.

"The entry into the Persian Gulf is controlled by our cruise missiles in the hands of our enemies, so we have a precarious military situation," he said. "If we went to war in Iraq, we could lose our entire army and become powerless. We're making more enemies where we should be making friends."

Resident George Reinhardt said he spoke as a citizen of the world, and that simpler is better in regard to the resolution.

"This is, by its very nature, is a symbolic act. I'm hopeful that it might be something that can have some kind of an impact," he said. "But we have to remember before the Iraq war the largest demonstrations in history took place and those bozos went ahead and did it anyway, and of course, they did it with false information."

Reinhardt said he felt the U.S. is in a state of economic disaster, partly due to the Iraq conflict, and that environmental damage done will only increase.

"Unfortunately, bad decisions are often met with denial by the people making bad decisions," he said, "and are often followed by equally bad or sometimes even more disastrous decisions. We can't assume rational behavior on the part of the people who led us into the Iraq war."

He said the issue was not one of political affiliation, saying both parties have failed the American people and the rest of the world.

"It's a local issue," he said, "because we are squandering our nation's wealth and so many of our young people are dying and being maimed."

Reinhardt encouraged the council to support the resolution, saying that many small communities around the nation have passed similar resolutions.

Local foreign policy

Mayor Hammerstrom thanked and agreed with speaker Sharon Lee, saying he did not want consideration of the resolution to exclude other city business. It is not known whether Lee acknowledged, since she stormed out of the room during Lightfoot's comments.

"But I'm in my fourth year on the council, and I think this is the first time this kind of resolution is coming up, so I don't think we are in danger of over-occupying ourselves with these things," Hammerstrom said.

He said local elements, such as budget constraints caused by the Iraq conflict, affect local governments.

"We are not only citizens of Fort Bragg, but citizens of the country and citizens of the world, and we need to not exclude ourselves from participating in these things that are broader."

Hammerstrom said the council does not intend to join other councils in overthrowing the federal government, but to send along some wise counsel to national decision-makers.

"I do feel that's what we are doing," he said.

"I'm not going to support the resolution," said Council member Jere Melo, "because I don't think the City of Fort Bragg should have a foreign policy."

Melo noted that the resolution was based on a template from Global Exchange.

"I don't believe that organization really has an interest in this city," he said. "We have no staff expertise in foreign relations and I think we'd do well to just concentrate on providing municipal services and various policy things such as we have done this evening."

Melo also disagreed with the resolution's attention to bunker buster bombs, saying they are just one of many types of weapons. He said all types of weapons can cause damage, death and injury, and are regularly used by antagonistic groups.

"I say, let Global Exchange work in the Middle East to reduce human rights offenses before we put a priority on a resolution from this City Council."

"I'm not under the illusion that this City Council will have great effect on national policy," said Turner. Saying more people will oppose a war in Iran than opposed war in Iraq before the conflict, he said the Global Exchange example resonates a local sentiment.

"Foreign policy is us," said Courtney. "Over 60 percent of our taxes go to the military in this country, so I'm paying for this war that I don't want."

Courtney said men and women from this community go to the Middle East, making it a local issue.

"There is this sense of shame that I live in this country that is doing this kind of stuff," she said. "I see no bent at all for any kind of diplomacy. It's always sword rattling, that's the first thing that comes. I'm ashamed and I know this is shared by many people I know."

Courtney closed by saying similar resolutions have been signed by other cities, and Global Exchange only served as a method for getting the message to those councils.

The council adopted the resolution 4 to 1.