To: MCC Middle East Advocates
From: Rachelle Lyndaker Schlabach, MCC Washington Office
Date: April 14, 2009
Re: Encourage Your Member of Congress to Co-Sponsor Iran Resolution

Issue:
A bipartisan resolution has been introduced in the House of Representatives, in support of an "incidents-at-sea agreement" between the United States and Iran. Please encourage your representative to co-sponsor this bill, H. Con. Res. 94.

Background:
Representative John Conyers (D-Mich.) and Representative Geoff Davis (R-Ky.) have introduced a bipartisan resolution (House Concurrent Resolution 94) to reduce the risk of an accidental war with Iran.

The resolution calls on the U.S. government to negotiate an "incidents-at-sea agreement" with Iran. Such an agreement would establish a set of "rules for the road" for the Persian Gulf. In the Gulf, U.S. and Iranian naval vessels are in constant proximity without any established procedure for how to respond to a possible confrontation between U.S. and Iranian ships. Without preventative measures, a collision between U.S. and Iranian vessels could dangerously destabilize the region. At their narrowest point the shipping lanes of the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf are only two miles wide, yet much of the world's oil passes through its waters. An agreement to prevent any type of escalation between the United States and Iran could be modeled on the Incidents at Sea agreement between the United States and the Soviet Union, which was signed in 1972.

The Obama administration has recently indicated its willingness to begin diplomatic engagement with Iran. While we welcome these steps, many in Congress continue to take a harder line on Iran. This resolution calls for a common sense agreement and has bipartisan support. Passing it would send a positive signal from Congress.

Faith Reflection:
Mennonite Central Committee has worked in Iran since 1990. Over the years MCC workers have built up relationships of trust with their Iranian counterparts. It is because of these relationships that MCC's programs have been able to expand into new areas.

Relations between our two nations, however, have been marked by distrust and suspicion, despite the fact that there are many areas of common interest between the United States and Iran. An incidents-at-sea agreement provides one small, tangible way for representatives from both countries to engage and slowly begin to build trust with one another.

Action:
Please contact your representative and encourage him/her to co-sponsor H. Con. Res. 94, in support of an "incidents-at-sea agreement" between the United States and Iran. Call the congressional switchboard at 202-224-3121 or send an email through the representative's website (see <http://www.house.gov/>).

Sponsors of H. Con. Res. 94, as of April 13: Rep. Conyers (D-Mich.), Davis (R-Ky.), Jim Moran (D-Va.), Hinchey (D-N.Y.), Jackson-Lee (D-Tex.), and Jones (R-N.C.).

Portions of this email have been adapted from an alert sent out by Friends Committee on National Legislation.

Visits, e-mails, phone calls, faxes and letters are all good ways to contact your legislators. E-mails, phone calls and faxes are good for time-sensitive issues. Postal mail travels slowly in the Capitol, but letters have long-term impact. Be sure to include your mailing address in all correspondence to confirm your residency in a particular district and state.

We would be grateful for copies of your correspondence and any responses you receive! Please send them to rals@mcc.org

Representative _____
House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 224-3121
<http://www.house.gov>