Council Wants Troops Home

Stepping forth once again into the arena of foreign affairs, the City Council urged President Bush Monday night to withdraw all U.S. troops from the Persian Gulf and called on city residents to join a last minute grass-roots effort to avoid a war.

In a resolution supported by all nine of its members, the council asked Cambridge citizens to call Bush and member of Congress and ask them "to allow non-military options, including economic and political sanctions to work, and to pursue diplomatic channels for dialogue which would further understanding and peace in the Middle East."

To ensure that the council's resolution reaches the ears of White House officials, Councillor Jonathan S. Myers flew to Washington yesterday and delivered the resolution to Sen. Edward N. Kennedy '54-'56 (D-Mass.). Myers also dropped off copies of the resolution at the offices of Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II (D-Mass.) and Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.). While Myers did not go to the White House he said that members of Kerry's staff would deliver it to President Bush.

"There was an air of gloom," Myers said after returning to Cambridge last night. "People were pessimistic."

At Monday's council meeting Myers conceded that the resolution may have no appreciable effect on Bush's ultimate decision, but he said that although "it may be a drop in the bucket...it's worth doing."

"There's a real opportunity for diplomatic breakthrough," Myers said. "It is really shameful to think that at this time we are on the precipice of going to war again. It is not necessary."

Councillor Edward N. Cyr said that the order will indicate to the community that "we as a city know peace matters."

"I personally have never felt this fear and anxiety, the sense of helplessness," Cyr said, condemning "the failure on the part of any of us to do everything in our power to stop this craziness."

The council also resolved to hold a "day of mourning and anguish" in the event of a war, during which the doors of City Hall would be opened for discussions "about war and peace in which all Cambridge residents...could be together to express their feelings, speak out about the war, gather information and develop individual and citywide responses."

The city Peace Commission is currently organizing a companion event to be held at places of worship throughout Cambridge, and the council voted to support that effort.

Councillor Kenneth E. Reeves '72 praised the resolution for its response to what he termed "a very important hour in the history of this country and of the world."

Last week the council voted 7-2 to permit a group of local residents to hang a banner across Mass. Ave. in front of city hall. The banner, which was in place for yesterday's anti-war protests, proclaimed, "No War: Bring the Troops Home."