Oppose Pipes Nomination

THIS MONDAY, JULY 21st, National Call-In to Oppose Pipes Nomination (7/18/03)
Encourage Committee Members to Vote NO

Issue:

Next Wednesday, July 23, 2003, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will vote on the nomination of Daniel Pipes to the United States Institute for Peace, whose stated goal is “to promote the prevention, management, and peaceful resolution of international conflicts.” Therefore, this Monday, July 21st, AAI encourages you to participate in a National Call-In Day to encourage members of the committee to Vote NO on Daniel Pipes’ nomination.

Throughout his career as a commentator and regular contributor to the New York Post and the Jerusalem Post, Pipes has demonstrated an unbalanced and virulent perspective on Arabs and Islam. His approval will do little but further alienate Arab and Muslim communities in this country and abroad.

What You Can Do:

On Monday, July 21st, call, fax and email the members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, chaired by Sen. Gregg (R-NH), and express your strong opposition to the nomination of Daniel Pipes to the United States Institute for Peace. Pipes will not contribute to the mission of the Institute. His approval will only serve to further divide people and nations rather than to bring them together to foster peaceful resolutions of conflicts.

1) To email members of the committee click here, select a member, click on email link and select the message titled "Oppose Pipes Nomination."

2) To call or fax members of the committee use the numbers below:

Democrats:
Kennedy (MA) - Phone: (202) 224-4543, Fax: (202) 224-2417
Dodd (CT) - Phone: (202) 224-2823, Fax: (202) 224-1083
Harkin (IA) - Phone: (202) 224-3254, Fax: (202) 224-9369
Mikulski (MD) - Phone: (202) 224-4654, Fax: (202) 224-8858
Bingaman (NM) - Phone: (202) 224-5521, Fax: (202) 224-2852
Murray (WA) - Phone: (202) 224-2621, Fax: (202) 224-0238
Reed (RI) - Phone: (202) 224-4642, Fax: (202) 224-4680
Edwards (NC) - Phone: (202) 224-3154, Fax: (202) 228-1374
Clinton (NY) - Phone: (202) 224-4451, Fax: (202) 228-0282

Republicans:
Gregg (NH) - Phone: (202) 224-3324, Fax: (202) 224-4952
Frist (TN) - Phone: (202) 224-3344, Fax: (202) 228-1264
Enzi (WY) - Phone: (202) 224-3424, Fax: (202) 228-0359
Alexander (TN) - Phone: (202) 224-5721, Fax: (202) 224-8149
Bond (MO) - Phone: (202) 224-2315, Fax: (202) 224-6519
DeWine (OH) - Phone: (202) 224-2315, Fax: (202) 224-6519
Roberts (KS) - Phone: (202) 224-4774, Fax: (202) 224-3514
Sessions (AL) - Phone: (202) 224-4124, Fax: (202) 224-3149
Ensign (NV) - Phone: (202) 224-6244, Fax: (202) 228-2193
Graham (SC) - Phone: (202) 224-5972, Fax: (202) 224-3808
Warner (VA) - Phone: (202) 224-2023, Fax: (202) 224-6295

Independents:
Jeffords (VT) - Phone: (202) 224-5141, Fax: (202) 228-0776

Articles by Daniel Pipes

Daniel Pipes, Peacemaker?

Daniel Pipes says the only path to Middle East peace will come through a total Israeli military victory. So why has President Bush nominated him to the board of the government's leading peace think-tank?

By Michael Scherer
May 26, 2003

His solution is simple: The Israeli military must force what Pipes describes as a "change of heart" by the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza -- a sapping of the Palestinian will to fight which can lead to a complete surrender. "How is a change of heart achieved? It is achieved by an Israeli victory and a Palestinian defeat," Pipes continued. "The Palestinians need to be defeated even more than Israel needs to defeat them."

Obviously, such extreme views put Pipes at odds with the stated policies of the Bush administration, and even Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who has indicated he will accept the "road map" for peace. So it took many by surprise last month when President Bush nominated Pipes to the board of the United States Institute of Peace, a Congressionally sponsored think tank dedicated to "the peaceful resolution of international conflicts." >> Complete Story

Has anyone noticed the difference in the way America's two wars are approached?

When the subject is Iraq, the U.S. government is proactive, articulate, and specific. But when it comes to militant Islam, officialdom is reactive, awkward, and vague.

Take the issue of preventive security. To stop Iraqi sabotage and terrorism, the New York Times recently reported, Washington tracks thousands of Iraqi citizens and Iraqi-Americans who might pose a domestic risk. It even has plans in place to arrest Saddam Hussein's sympathizers suspected of planning terrorist operations.

No comparable program exists in the war against militant Islam. (I define militant Islam as not Islam, not terrorism, but a terroristic reading of Islam). Fearful of being accused of "profiling," law enforcement treads super gingerly around those who back this totalitarian ideology. Thus, the airline security system randomly harasses passengers instead of looking for travelers known to sympathize with the likes of Ayatollah Khomeini and Osama bin Laden. Immigration officials focus on superficial characteristics (nationality, criminal record) and ignore what is truly relevant (ideology).

The White House would not consider inviting Baghdad's apologists to festive functions. But it welcomed many of militant Islam's sympathizers at a Ramadan dinner hosted by the president earlier this month.

Or consider this: When did you last hear praise for Saddam's regime on an American television talk show? It does not happen. But media outlets routinely offer a platform to those promoting militant Islam.

If "war on Iraq" is easy to say, "war on militant Islam" is not. Instead, the Bush administration adopted the euphemistic "war on terror." >> Complete Story