Diplomacy Is a Marathon, Not a Sprint!

A Marathon to Help Prevent War with Iran: Help FCNL Get to the Finish Line!

FCNL's Kate Gould is running her first marathon on October 13th to raise money for FCNL's work to prevent war with Iran. Will you help Kate and the whole FCNL running team get to the finish line by making a donation of $1 for each mile she will run, or $26.20? Or can you donate $10 for each mile, or $262? Or donate any amount you can to support this important work to help prevent another war of choice in the Middle East.

Kate, along with the six other FCNL runners, will be wearing a t-shirt that says "Don't Iraq Iran" on the front and "Diplomacy: It's Not a Sprint, It's a Marathon" on the back, spreading the message for diplomacy, not war, among the tens of thousands of runners and spectators at the Baltimore Marathon/Running Festival. You can also support the team with a “LIKE” or a “SHARE” on the team’s Facebook page, and send a message to the president and Congress: Don’t Iraq Iran!

Experts Speak Out Against War with Iran

Col. Wilkerson (ret.) at the FCNL office.

A star-studded panel of former U.S. military officials and national security experts warn of the devastating costs of war with Iran, concluding that attacking Iran could engulf the already-explosive region in a multi-year conflict and encourage Iran to race toward the bomb. Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, the Chief of Staff for former Secretary of State Colin Powell, was one of the nearly three dozen experts who signed on to the Iran Project Report.

Read Kate’s summary of this experts report, and find out why the latest IAEA report on Iran demonstrates once again that diplomacy remains the single best way to prevent a devastating war and a nuclear-armed Iran.

Widespread Protests and Tragedy in Libya

Anti-U.S. government protests continue to rock the Middle East, sparked by a U.S.-made amateur film mocking the Prophet Muhammad and fueled by longstanding resentment to U.S. militarism in the Middle East. As protests have spread to more than 35 countries, they highlight the tensions and confusion that continues in the Middle East and North Africa since the Arab Awakening began. See Kathy Zager's blog post reacting to the violence in Libya that led to the death of U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and two other U.S. officials and discussing the importance of supporting diplomacy. Also, see these five steps the U.S. can take to support nonviolence and democracy in the Middle East.

Photo Tweeted By: Ahmed Sanalla

Afghan War Strategy Continues to Falter; Robust Diplomacy Needed

The U.S. war strategy continues to have devastating consequences for Afghanistan. A recent Taliban attack on a NATO base in southern Afghanistan caused some $200 million in damages. Attacks by Afghan Security Forces against their NATO partners are at record highs. Prominent war supporters, including Sen. John McCain (AZ), are shifting their positions. The U.S. public is also increasingly skeptical of the “success” narrative. After over a decade of war and hundreds of billions of dollars spent, it is now clearer than ever: the conflict does not have a military solution, and a robust, civilian-led diplomatic strategy is essential to quelling the violence in Afghanistan. Read Matt Southworth’s blog for more analysis.

Kenya Witnesses Rising Uncertainty

Since our last update, violence in Kenya has been on the rise. Clashes in Tana River, southeastern Kenya, have underscored the immediate need for investing in violence prevention and peacebuilding. Kenyan Friends’ efforts to develop a grassroots early warning system to prevent mass atrocities in their communities has taken on a new sense of urgency. Take a look at this new flyer to see what people in the U.S. can do to help support their work toward peace.

Lobbying to Prevent War in Texas

Did you know that Fort Worth, Texas is in the most important congressional district for funding key war-prevention accounts? Rep. Kay Granger, who represents Fort Worth, is chair of the subcommittee that determines the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development’s budget. Read Mary Stata’s reflection on a lobby training she recently conducted in Texas that focused on funding the peaceful prevention of deadly conflict.

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