Action Network & Wired for Change & Just Foreign Policy – 2016-08-25 01:07:23
https://actionnetwork.org/letters/sign-the-petition-congress-must-stop-the-saudi-arms-sale-civilians-are-being-bombed-6
ACTION ALERT: Appeal to Congress. Stop the Saudi Arms Sale: Civilians Are Being Bombed
Andrea Miller / Action Network & Wired for Change
(August 23, 2016) — Despite previous promises to stop targeting civilian targets earlier this year, the Saudi-Ied, US-supported coalition continues to bomb civilians in Yemen with US-made weapons, killing more than 20 in just the last several days.
The United States should not supply weapons to a country bombing civilians. I urge you to support calls to put the recently-notified Saudi arms deal on hold until Saudi Arabia actually stops bombing civilians in Yemen and international humanitarian organizations are able to safely re-enter the country.
Please take immediate action and sign onto the Lieu-Yoho-Conyers-Mulvaney letter to President Obama urging him to postpone the Saudi arms deal until the deal can receive full Congressional consideration. Email your Member of Congress
ACTION ALERT: Sign the petition:
Congress Must Stop the Saudi Arms Sale:
Civilians Are Being Bombed
The Obama administration has notified Congress of intent to sell $1.15 billion of weapons to Saudi Arabia, including tanks which would replace tanks destroyed in Saudi Arabia’s war against Houthi rebels in Yemen.
But just in the last several days, a Saudi airstrike on a school in Yemen killed 10 children, and a Saudi airstrike on an MSF (Doctors Without Borders) hospital in Yemen killed 11 people. Amnesty International has documented airstrikes by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition across Yemen that appear to have deliberately targeted civilians and civilian facilities, such as hospitals, schools, markets, and places of worship.
Continued US arms sales to Saudi Arabia could make the US complicit in potential war crimes committed by the Saudi-led coalition.
The New York Times [1] and a bipartisan group of Congresspeople, including Senator Chris Murphy [2] say Congress should put the Saudi arms deal on hold until Saudi Arabia stops targeting civilians.
Democratic Representatives Ted Lieu and John Conyers, along with Republicans Ted Yoho and Mick Mulvaney, are circulating a bipartisan House letter to President Obama urging him to postpone the Saudi arms deal. [3]
Email your Representative now. Ask them to support the bipartisan letter to put the arms deal on hold.
Participating organizations:
CODEPINK, Daily Kos, Just Foreign Policy, People Demanding Action, RootsAction.org, The Yemen Peace Project, Watchdog.net
US Weapons Responsible for Saudi
Atrocities in Unauthorized Pentagon War
Senator Chris Murphy / The Lead, August 16, 2016
Let Congress Debate New Weapons Sale to Saudi Arabia
Robert Naiman / Just Foreign Policy
(August 18, 2016) — Rep. Ted Lieu [D-CA], Rep. Ted Yoho [R-FL], Rep. John Conyers [D-MI], and Rep. Mick Mulvaney [R-SC] are circulating the following letter asking President Obama to postpone the planned arms sale to Saudi Arabia so that Congress can meaningfully debate it.
Dear President Obama,
On August 9, your administration notified Congress of intent to sell $1.15 billion of weapons to Saudi Arabia, including tanks which would replace tanks destroyed in Saudi Arabia’s war against Houthi rebels in Yemen.
We respectfully urge you to postpone this plan and withdraw the notification for the following reasons.
Past Congressional concerns about Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen have not been addressed. In October, Members of Congress wrote to you urging greater efforts to avoid civilian casualties in Yemen and achieve a diplomatic solution to the conflict.
In June, 204 Members of the House, including 40 Republicans and all but 16 Democrats, voted to block the transfer of cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia after reports of their use in civilian areas in Yemen. Yet, just in the last several days, a Saudi airstrike on a school in Yemen killed 10 children — some as young as 6-years-old — and a Saudi airstrike on an MSF hospital in Yemen killed 11 people.
Indeed, Amnesty International has documented at least 33 unlawful airstrikes by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition across Yemen that appear to have deliberately targeted civilians and civilian facilities, such as hospitals, schools, markets, and places of worship. These attacks may amount to war crimes.
This military campaign has had a deeply troubling impact on civilians. According to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, 3,704 civilians, including 1,121 children have been killed during the conflict. 2.8 million Yemenis have been internally displaced by the fighting, with 83% of the population now dependent on humanitarian assistance for survival. Any decision to sell more arms to Saudi Arabia should be given adequate time for full deliberation by Congress.
We are concerned, however, that the timing of this notification during the August Congressional recess could be interpreted to mean that Congress has little time to consider the arms deal when it returns from recess within the 30 day window established by law.
We are not aware of any compelling reason why Congressional approval of the sale could not be postponed to allow for meaningful Congressional debate on this issue that has major implications for both civilians in Yemen as well as our national security.
In announcing your decision to seek Congressional authorization for the use of force against the Syrian government in 2013, you stated that:
“I’ve long believed that our power is rooted not just in our military might, but in our example as a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.”
We strongly agree. We urge you to delay this proposed arms deal so that the people’s representatives in Congress can give these issues the full deliberation that they deserve.
Thank you kindly for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
[Members of Congress]
Pentagon Approves Sale of $1.15 Billion
In Tanks and Weapons to Saudi Arabia
David Pakman Show
(August 12, 2016) — The US State Department has approved the potential sale of more than 130 Abrams battle tanks, 20 armored recovery vehicles and other equipment, worth about $1.15 billion, to Saudi Arabia.
Military Media Records Saudi Military Losses in Jizan
Airstrikes Are Fueling Anti-American Anger in Yemen
(August 16, 2016) — The aftermath of war. Military media records Saudi military devastation in Yemeni villages of Qamar and Khal in Jizan. August 16, 2016.
Posted in accordance with Title 17, Section 107, US Code, for noncommercial, educational purposes.
