What follows is a petition that will be forwarded to President Bush, and other world leaders, urging them to avoid war as a > response to the terrorist attacks against the World Trade Center > and the Pentagon this week. Please read it, sign below, and forward > the link to as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. > We must circulate this quickly if it is to have any effect at all, > as the Congress of The United States has already passed a resolution > supporting any military action President Bush deems appropriate. > > "We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of the United States > of America and of countries around the world, appeal to the > President of The United States, George W. Bush; to the NATO > Secretary General, Lord Robertson; to the President of the > European Union, Romano Prodi; and to all leaders internationally > to use moderation and restraint in responding to the recent > terrorist attacks against the United States. We implore the > powers that be to use, wherever possible, international judicial > institutions and international human rights law to bring to justice > those responsible for the attacks, rather than the instruments > of war, violence or destruction. > Furthermore, we assert that the government of a nation must > be presumed separate and distinct from any terrorist group that > may operate within its borders, and therefore cannot be held > unduly accountable for the latter's crimes. It follows that the > government of a particular nation should not be condemned for > the recent attack without compelling evidence of its cooperation > and complicity with those individuals who actually committed > the crimes in question. > Innocent civilians living within any nation that may be found > responsible, in part or in full, for the crimes recently perpetrated > against the United States, must not bear any responsibility for > the actions of their government, and must therefore be guaranteed > safety and immunity from any military or judicial action taken > against the state in which they reside. > Lastly and most emphatically, we demand that there be no > recourse to nuclear, chemical or biological weapons, or any > weapons of indiscriminate destruction, and feel that it is our > inalienable human right to live in a world free of such arms." > > Your name and email address will not be shared with anyone except > those to whom the petition is addressed, nor will it be used for > mass mailings or commercial purposes of any kind. Click here for > more information.