It is time Hawaii’s political leaders ― from Senators Inouye and Akaka and Congresswomen Hirono and Hanabusa to candidates running for office from all political parties and our Governor and mayors ― to speak out loudly, clearly and in unity against U.S. participation in a pre-emptive military strike on the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Why?

In a word: madness. An attack launched with U.S. involvement or support would be sheer madness and a disaster for the people of Iran and yes, Hawaii too.

But why should we worry about what happens to Iran?

First, the imported food we eat, the products and services we buy, the cars we drive and the barges that connect us with the world depend on oil. A war in the Persian Gulf or a major disruption in the Straits of Hormuz would impact us almost immediately.

According to a 2009 DBEDT Energy Report, nearly a quarter of Hawaii’s crude oil imports (24 percent) come from Iran’s neighbors Saudi Arabia and Oman. An attack on Iran would send prices soaring and we would feel the effects not only at the pump but throughout our state’s economy.

What about tourism?

During a crisis (remember September 11, SARS or the U.S. invasion of Iraq), people are less likely to fly 3,000 miles for a vacation. We could expect, at least in the short term, cancellations from Sydney to Osaka and to LA to London. Any sort of Iranian retaliation or other terror incidents would set off reactionary panic waves in the travel industry and a tightening of security measures which never makes flying to Hawaii easier.

Beyond our own self-centered concerns about how war with Iran would affect Hawaii, the potential for unintended consequences if almost guaranteed. There are too many heavily armed players that would likely become involved in one way or another, from Iraq and Pakistan to Syria, Turkey, Gulf Arab states, NATO allies to India, China, and Russia. Do we really want to go there?

What about the bomb?

What about it? According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the United States has 8,500 nuclear weapons. Israel maintains a policy of nuclear ambiguity but is recognized as a nuclear state by friend and foe. The Natural Resources Defense Council’s Nuclear Notebook estimates Israel has between 75-200 nuclear weapons, at least as many as both India and Pakistan. Even if Iran had half that number (they do not), would they try to use them against Israel or America who have declared they are willing to strike first?

Earlier this year Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta admitted Iran is not trying to build nuclear weapons, the same conclusion reached by National Intelligence Director James Clapper and the Israeli intelligence community.

The oft-repeated concern that Iran’s pursuit of nuclear technology could trigger a Middle East arms race is a flawed argument. That race began with Israel decades ago and continued when Pakistan tested their own nuclear weapon in 1998. Even if Iran tried to build nuclear weapons (a goal they have repeatedly renounced) they would not be starting an arms race, but reacting to it.

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has called nuclear weapons “un-Islamic” and gone so far as to issue a fatwa (religious decree) against them.

Mahmoud ‘the Mouth’

Much as been made of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s many outrageous declarations, the most famous (and most misquoted) of which is “to wipe Israel off the map.” Did he actually say that? The interpretation and literal meaning of this statement have been the subject of much analysis and debate with his offensive words (he was actually quoting the late Ayatollah Khomeini) open to interpretation.

Iranian-American author Hooman Majd, who has interpreted Ahmadinejad’s speeches before the UN General Assembly, says that misinterpretations and mistranslations confound communications between Washington and Tehran. “It’s a recurring problem in US-Iran relations,” Majd says. He adds that Americans tend not to distinguish between political rhetoric and real intentions which can lead to misunderstandings.

Remember, it was Senator Hillary Clinton (then a presidential candidate) who said that if she were the president and Iran launched a nuclear attack on Israel, “We would be able to totally obliterate them.” So while we fret endlessly about Ahmadinejad’s undeniably caustic outbursts and inflammatory political hyperbole, we should also recognize our own leaders’ threats of total destruction which are backed up by not just a big mouth, but the actual weapons to do so.

Outside of the U.S., other nations marvel at our ability to declare nuclear technology absolutely forbidden to Iran while giving ourselves and other countries a pass to indulge to their heart’s content.

Deja vu

Once again we are being frog-marched into another war in the Middle East by many of the same deceptive means from our politicians and largely unquestioning media. Just days ago President Obama said, “…the window for solving this issue diplomatically is shrinking.” If this ends with a military attack or full-blown war, it will be a multi-level calamity which is why even the majority of Israeli public is opposed to unilaterally launching an attack.

To strike Iran, no matter how the US might be involved, would render Hawaii complicit in supporting yet another war by virtue of being home to the U.S. Pacific Command which would play a role in that war. Is sending soldiers and military hardware from Hawaii to the other side of the world to control, contain and kill people really consistent with the values we profess to hold in the Aloha State? Is a US war against Iran (or anywhere else) in even the slightest way pono?

But the biggest reason Hawaii’s politicians should stand up now to loudly and clearly speak out against a war on Iran is because it’s wrong. It is wrong to bomb other countries. It is wrong to destroy other nation’s infrastructure, to choke their citizens and businesses economically, to clandestinely assassinate their scientists and most of all, it is wrong to kill their people.

Attacking Iran would most certainly kill innocent people. No matter how many “smart bombs” we might employ or how carefully we administer “surgical strikes,” innocent people with eyes, hair and blood like ours would die. That’s just how war works. Look at our track record for protecting civilians in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and elsewhere ― not very good.

The results of a military confrontation with Iran would be exceedingly grave. It would make the world less safe, not more. The time to speak up is now ― not some day after the fact. You cannot un-attack a country and so Hawaii’s political leaders, who are obligated to act on our behalf, should take the lead and show the world that Hawaii rejects a war that would be disastrous for Iran and yes, Hawaii too.

About the author: Jon Letman is a freelance writer on Kauai.