Open Letter to Federal Chancellor Mrs. Angela Merkel, EU Council President

Dear Mrs. Federal Chancellor and EU Council President

We, the undersigned of this open letter are turning to you with the
urgent request to do anything in your power to prevent a US war against Iran.

Everything points to an impending comprehensive aerial war against Iran
waged by the United States of America. Studies of the International
Crisis Group show that an attack would not be confined to the
destruction of nuclear facilities alone. The aircraft carriers Stennis
and Eisenhower have already been stationed in front of Iran’s shores and according to The Guardian of February 10th there is a third aircraft
carrier on its way to the Persian Gulf.

Those three aircraft carriers and their formations are equipped with
weapons, sufficient to completely wipe out all military and civil
infrastructure of Iran, including bridges, highways, power plants,
refineries and water supply facilities. To protect US warships against Iranian missiles, Patriot rockets have been installed in the South of Iraq. With alarming appeals renowned experts such as Sam Gardiner, Seymour Hersh and Daniel Elsberg have been
warning for many weeks against a new war of the US-Administration. On
February 4th three former commanders of the US military spoke up in the
Sunday Times to warn most urgently against the disastrous consequences of an air strike. A similar warning was expressed by former NATO commander-in-chief Wesley Clarke in Munich.

The New York Times of 9th of February is bluntly supplying some pretexts
for the attack on Iran by holding Iran responsible for the death of 170
US-soldiers in Iraq. No one less than Zbiniew Brzezinski turned against
the distribution of such pretexts. Early in February he warned President
Bush at the US-Senate’s Foreign Affairs Committee not to make up fake
evidence for a “defensive” military action against Iran. The situation
today reminds us of the false propaganda during the months prior to the
Iraq war. Unfortunately there are no indications that the US-President
is working towards a diplomatic solution. He declines the dialogue with
Iran in spite of the recommendations of the Baker Commission. His
permanent protestations that he would prefer a diplomatic solution just
serve to cheating the American people as well as the Europeans.

It seems, that within the political leadership of the United States those
have succeeded, who are determined to eliminate the regime of the
Islamic Republic and want to bomb the Iran back into a completely
irrelevant political factor in the region by the destruction not only of
its nuclear facilities but also of all its military and relevant economic capacities. If this actually happens, the entire region of the Middle East will tumble into chaos, which will cause a major threat for peace in the world - not to mention the political and economic effects for the world, last not least also for Germany.

With his insane war plans the US-President is acting against the majority of the Americans as well as against many of his own party. In our opinion, there is no political and moral legitimacy whatsoever for any further co-operation with Bush in the Iran conflict since any such co-operation would be understood as consenting to his aggression plans.

Dear Mrs. Merkel we ask you to act because danger is looming. Do prevent this war! Otherwise Germany and the European Union could be made responsible for a disaster of unthinkable dimensions.

Declare an unmistakable refusal to military aggression against Iran in
the name of Germany.

Demand the EU and its member states to express themselves accordingly.

Speak out in favour of new negotiations with the Iranian leaders without
preconditions but on the legal basis of the Non-Proliferation-Treaty.

Stand up for a Conference of Security and Co-operation in the Middle
East to begin as early as possible, in order to start the peaceful
dialogue in the region. Either there is a common solution for the actual
conflicts in the region or there will be a fire storm, chaos and new
calamity for the whole of mankind.

Hoping that peace can be secured through the efforts from many sides we remain

Yours sincerely

Hans Christoph Graf von Sponek (former UN-Representative of the project “Oil against food” in the Irak)
Koppe (peace researcher)
Krippendorf (politics scientist)
Schorlemmer (civil rights activist)
Negt (sociologist)
Morgenroth (physiotherapist)
Grottian (politics scientist)
Mader (peace researcher)
Ruf( politic scientist, North Africa expert)
Buro (peace researcher)
Massarrat (politics scientist, Middle East expert)
Strutynski (peace researcher)
Claussen (chairman of German section of IPPNW)
Gottstein (Honorary chairman of IPPNW German Section)
Dürr (core physicist)

Signed by Prof. Dr. Mohssen Massarrat