Dear President Bush:

We represent over thirty thousand academics who have signed an Open Letter Opposing a US Invasion of Iraq. This letter was posted on the web last fall. Spreading purely by word of mouth, it has already been signed by fifteen thousand professors coming from every state in the US. We have made our case against a US war on Iraq on our web site (www.noiraqattack.org), through radio and TV interviews, and by advertisements that we have placed in the Washington Times and the New York Times.

We are writing to request that you meet with a delegation from our group, to discuss the very grave decision our country now faces. We are concerned that your administration may not have had the opportunity to listen to the powerful arguments against this war. We would like to provide you with that opportunity, by sending a delegation from our group to make the case in person to you (not just your staff).

The decision to start a war is perhaps the most momentous decision the leader of a democracy can make. It requires ordering fellow citizens to kill and be killed in the name of the entire nation, in our names and in yours. For this decision to be just and legitimate, the reasons offered for war must be principled and sound, and they must be supported by a consensus among the American people and among the international community. We believe these conditions have not been met. We oppose a US attack on Iraq for the following reasons:

1.) Attacking Iraq will fuel anti-American sentiment worldwide, increasing the chance of future terror attacks on our country.

2.) No clear consensus now exists among the international community that a war on Iraq is justified.

3.) The U.S. Government and the American people are not unified in support of invasion.

4.) Iraq does not pose an immediate threat to the interests of the United States. Indeed as George Tenet noted, the only serious threat we face from Iraq would arise if we strike first.

You yourself have said that war should be a "last resort". We agree. We do not believe that all peaceful means of conflict resolution have been exhausted.

This will probably be the most important decision you make during your presidency. We urge you to listen to what we have to say. We look forward to meeting with you in the very near future to discuss this urgent matter.

Sincerely,

Dr. Nancy Kanwisher, Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Dr. Ken Nakayama, Professor, Harvard University

Dr. Tom Tritton, President, Haverford College

Dr. Robert Sapolsy, Professor, Stanford University

Dr. Katherine King, Professor, UCLA