Immediate Action

Urgent Call

Date: November 27th, 01

From Eric Reevesereeves@email.smith.edu

Supporters of an effective Sudan Peace Act need to be aware that our moment of critical effort has arrived. We will need to work extremely hard to keep alive the bill's key provision---the Bachus amendment---as the Sudan Peace Act moves to a House/Senate conference committee. This essential amendment would deny oil companies operating in Sudan access to US capital markets. The effect would be to bring severe pressure on Khartoum to negotiate a just peace with the people of southern Sudan. Wall Street lobbyists are confident that they can circumvent the overwhelming legislative will represented by the House vote of 422 to 2 on June 13, 2001. We for our part must communicate vigorously our support for the bill as passed by the House in this historic vote

The House has now officially named a slate of 15 conferees to the House/Senate conference committee, charged with deciding whether the Sudan Peace Act will contain the Bachus amendment, which would impose US capital market sanctions on companies like Talisman Energy of Canada and PetroChina (China National Petroleum Corp.).

But of the 15 conferees named, only five (all from the House Financial Services Committee) will represent the House in conference negotiations on the Bachus amendment. And right now, two of the five seem committed to opposing the capital market sanctions provision. This is very troubling, given the 422 to 2 House vote the House supporting such sanctions. The conference committee composition should have reflected this overwhelming majority.

The coordinates for the two House conference members who are in a position to subvert the Sudan Peace Act are below, as is a sample letter that might be mailed, faxed, or emailed to them. Please communicate urgently **today** your wish to see the Bachus amendment preserved and oil companies operating in Sudan denied further access to American capital. Please urge friends, colleagues, fellow church and synagogue and mosque members, to register their opinions with these decisive House members. Please forward this communication to others.

SEND YOUR LETTER TO THESE HOUSE CONFREES

House conferees from the Financial Services Committee presently believed to be opposing the Sudan Peace Act with capital market sanctions against oil companies in Sudan:

[1] Richard Baker, (R-LA 6th), 341 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-1806. 202-225-3901. Fax: 202-225-7313. Email at: http://capwiz.com/nyt/mail/?id=279&type=CO&state=LA

[2] Michael Oxley, (R-OH 4th), 2233 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515-3504. 202-225-2576. Fax: 202-226-0577. Email at: Mike.oxley@mail.house.gov

Sample letter:

[date]

Dear Congressman _________________________:

As a member of the House/Senate conference committee for the Sudan Peace Act, you have an historic opportunity to help bring peace to this torn land. But peace will not come as long as the Khartoum regime, the National Islamic Front, believes that it can prevail militarily in the war by means of oil revenues. We must signal to Khartoum that American capital will not fund its oil development and accelerating military purchases, and will not support scorched-earth warfare against the people of southern Sudan.

Without the Bachus amendment, without US capital market sanctions against oil companies operating in Sudan, we have no effective means of pressuring Khartoum to negotiate a just peace. A war that is the most destructive in the world today will continue to be sustained and exacerbated by oil revenues and oil development.

American capital markets are no place for companies deeply complicit in this unfathomable human suffering and destruction. I/we strongly urge you to support the Bachus amendment.

Sincerely,