Can Iranian and US Veterans Talk Peace?

By Harold Burbank

Attorney Harold Burbank, 2008 candidate for the US House, District 5,
Connecticut, has learned from the Iran UN Mission that it will puruse
Burbank's proposal that Veterans for Peace USA, a 7000 member US war
veterans peace group, and Iran war veterans begin a cultural exchange for
peace. Burbank made the proposal in his capacity as a Veterans for Peace
observer for this week's UN General Assembly High Level Dialogue on Religion
and Culture, scheduled by the General Assembly in part to address religion
and culture issues raised by the 9/11 tragedy.

"If the US and Iran governments will not or cannot talk to each other
sensibly, it is time for those who have implemented war policy, the US and
Iran war veterans whose lives and families have been or could be affected by
a US war with Iran, to try to talk sense to each other and perhaps in time
to their governments on how to end Middle Eastern wars and threats of wars.
Ideally this dialogue will lead to new champions for peace on both sides
that cannot be ignored to prevent war in Iran." Burbank said the Iran UN
Mission press secretary was trying to schedule a meeting for him for
detailed talks with appropriate Iran staff this week, to coincide with work
that Iran and Veterans for Peace are doing for the High Level Dialogue on
Religion and Culture. Burbank said he got his idea after hearing Iran
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad challenge the UN community in his General
Assembly speech last week to join Iran for a "Coalition for Peace". "I
think that Veterans for Peace should accept Ahmadinejad's challenge. Both
Iran and Veterans for Peace have responded positively," Burbank said. "Our
Maine chapter has already promised to fund several delegates. It is up to
Iran to advise us on how to take the next step."