APN calls for Iran engagement

Americans for Peace Now called for limited engagement with Iran. APN “called on the Bush administration to change course on Iran and abandon its longstanding sanctions-only policy in favor of limited, constructive engagement, characterized by a combination of carrots and sticks,” said a letter from the dovish group sent Monday to every member of the U.S. Congress.”How the U.S. deals with Iran has a very real impact on Israel, in terms of not only the direct existential threat to Israel an Iran armed with nuclear weapons would pose, but also in terms of the threat of Iranian retaliation against Israel in the case of a U.S. military action against it, and in terms of continued Iranian support for terrorist organizations in Lebanon, Syria, and, increasingly, the West Bank and Gaza,” the letter said.The letter was aimed in part at countering the mass lobbying effort on Tuesday that will culminate the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s policy forum — nearly 6,000 AIPAC activists will press for tighter sanctions.”For a number of years, some organizations and members of the American Jewish community have taken a very public, leading role in pressing the administration to pursue and escalate its current policy vis-à-vis Iran — a policy which, in our view, is inconsistent with the best interests of both Israel and the United States,” the APN letter said.