Win Without War & Julia Conley / Common Dreams & World BEYOND War & Hon. Tom Udall / US Senate & CREDO Action – 2018-09-27 00:44:42
https://act.winwithoutwar.org/act/Tell-senate-block-trump-path-war-iran
Trump Got Laughed at on the World Stage.
And Here’s Why it Matters.
Win Without War
(September 26, 2018) — The Trump-Bolton war machine just laid war with Iran on the table. Yesterday, at the United Nations, Trump demanded a roomful of world leaders get behind “regime change” in Iran. That’s Washington-speak for war. Then, ultra-hawk John Bolton followed that up by threatening that Iran would have “HELL to PAY.”
We cannot let this terrible administration drag us into war with Iran, one childish threat on the world stage at a time. We’ve got to fight back the best and strongest way we know how: People power.
Senator Tom Udall is planning to introduce a bill to put up a giant roadblock to Trump’s plans for a war with Iran. We MUST raise our voices to make it crystal-clear that Congress must not turn their back on diplomacy with Iran.
The Trump administration has already been putting the pieces in place for war with Iran. Trump is turning his back on diplomacy, making threats, and slapping sanctions on Iran that effectively declare economic war on everyday Iranians. But yesterday’s speech was a turning point.
Yesterday, Trump bragged about his presidency — and a room full of world leaders laughed at him.
So to recap . . .
* Our thin-skinned president is furious about being laughed at and desperate for a way to feel powerful.
* He gloated about trashing the historic Iran deal and then threatened regime change in Iran on the world stage.
* John Bolton — who engineered the Iraq war and has been thirsting to bomb Iran for years — is openly hurling threats of attacking Iran.
This situation is legitimately terrifying. But Sen. Udall’s new bill gives us a huge piece of leverage to slam on the brakes.
This bill is our chance to get Congress to send a message, loud and clear: The American people will NOT let Trump and Bolton drag us into a reckless war with Iran. Now, we need to get our senators on board immediately. Add your name: Demand the Senate support Sen. Udall’s bill opposing war with Iran.
ACTION: Tell the Senate to support Sen. Udall’s bill. Block a reckless and unauthorized war with Iran.
THE PETITION
To: The United States Senate
Please support Sen. Udall’s upcoming bill to prevent a reckless and devastating Trump-Bolton war with Iran.
When I say I’m scared about what this administration will do next, I really mean it. And I know it’s only through people power that we’re going to stop Trump’s war machine.
Thank you for working for peace,
Stephen, Ben, Erica, and the Win Without War team
Warnings of US Attack on Iran
After ‘Cartoon Villain Rhetoric’ of John Bolton
and Trump’s Warmongering at the United Nations
Julia Conley / Common Dreams
“The Trump administration pretends that
this is their way to get diplomacy going.
The rest of the world fully understands that
this is their way of starting war.”
(September 26, 2018) — Experts warned of the possibility of war as Senate Democrats prepared to introduce legislation aimed at stopping the Trump administration from attacking Iran on Wednesday, following a belligerent speech by National Security Adviser John Bolton at a meeting of anti-Iran groups.
Bolton, who helped lead the Bush administration into the war in Iraq and has pushed for the US to overthrow Iran’s government for years, told his audience that Iran would have “hell to pay” if the country did not change its “behavior.”
“The United States is not naïve,” Bolton said. “We will not be duped, cheated, or intimidated. The days of impunity for Tehran and its enablers are over. The murderous regime and its supporters will face significant consequences if they do not change their behavior. Let my message today be clear: We are watching, and we will come after you.”
Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) said Tuesday afternoon that he would introduce a bill to require President Donald Trump to acquire Congressional approval for any action against Iran.
The speech came as tensions between the US and Iran have risen over President Donald Trump’s decision to exit the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, painstakingly brokered by the Obama administration and called the “best way” to ensure that Iran would not proliferate nuclear weapons by several world leaders. The United States’ withdrawal from the pact was vehemently opposed by the UN and international leaders as well as the majority of Americans.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani also blamed US-backed Persian Gulf state actors for a terrorist attack at a parade that killed nearly 30 people over the weekend. Rouhani’s remarks echoed a theory that was supported by analysts including Trita Parsi, president emeritus of the National Iranian American Council, in which Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, or both had a played role in the attack.
Parsi was among the critics who called Bolton’s bellicose address on Tuesday the Trump administration’s “way of starting war.”
Rouhani opened the door to speaking with Trump at the UN General Assembly this week following the attack, but the president brushed off the possibility of a meeting, calling Rouhani “an absolutely lovely man” but saying Tuesday that he had no plans for talks — going against the wishes of more than 50 foreign policy leaders who urged Trump to forgo his administration’s aggressive tactics and engage with Iran diplomatically.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License
Which US Senators Want War on Iran
World BEYOND War
(September 25, 2018) — Let’s do the count:
Senators rallying and whipping their colleagues to support the Iran agreement: 0
Senators admitting that Iran has had no nuclear weapons program and has never threatened or been a threat to the United States: 0
Senators pushing the false idea that Iran is a nuclear threat but indicating they will vote to support the agreement precisely in order to counter that threat: 16
(Tammy Baldwin, Barbara Boxer, Dick Durbin, Dianne Feinstein, Kirsten Gillibrand, Martin Heinrich, Tim Kaine, Angus King, Patrick Leahy, Chris Murphy, Bill Nelson, Jack Reed, Bernie Sanders, Jeanne Shaheen, Tom Udall, Elizabeth Warren)
Republican (and “Libertarian”) senators indicating they will try to kill the agreement, thereby moving the United States toward a war on Iran: 54
(All of them.)
Democratic senators inspired during the repulsive Republican debate Thursday night to announce that they will try to kill the deal (and would rather have a war): 1
(Charles Schumer.)
Democratic senators who haven’t clearly stated a position: 29
The number of those 29 who would have to join Schumer to kill the agreement and set the United States on a path toward self-isolation, international disgrace, and disastrous illegal immoral catastrophic war that will make Iraq and Afghanistan look like diplomacy: 12
Can we keep the agreement protected from such a fate? Of course we can. We’ve been stopping a war on Iran for many years now. We stopped it in 2007. Such things never enter US history books, but wars are stopped all the time. In 2013, the push for a massive bombing campaign on Syria was hard and absolutely bipartisan, yet public pressure played the key role in stopping it.
Now we have the White House on our side for godsake. When Obama wants a horrible corporate trade agreement fast tracked or a supplemental war spending bill rammed through or a “healthcare” bill passed, he twists arms and offers bribes, he gives rides on his airplane, he sends cabinet secretaries to do PR events in districts. If he really wants this, he’ll hardly need our help. So one strategy we need to keep after is making clear he knows we expect this of him.
Senator Sanders has a gazillion fans now, and something like all but 3 of them believe he is a hero for peace. If you’re a Bernie supporter, you can urge him to rally his colleagues to protect the Iran agreement.
In states like Virginia where one senator is taking the right position and one is keeping quiet, urge the first one (Kaine) to lobby the other one (Warner).
Would-be senators like Alan Grayson who want people to think of them as progressives but who have been pushing to kill the deal since before Schumer slithered out from under his rock, should be hounded everywhere they show their faces.
Schumer himself should not be permitted to appear in public without protest of his warmongering.
Just as in the summer of 2013, most senators and house members are going to be at public events in the coming weeks. Email and call them here. That’s easy. That’s the least anyone can do. And it had an impact last time in 2013. But also find out where they will be (senators and representatives both) and be there in small or large numbers to demand NO WAR ON IRAN.
The most expensive weapons system they’ve got (“missile defense”) has been using the mythical Iranian threat as a ridiculous justification for picking your pocket and antagonizing the world in your name for years and years. But Raytheon wanted those missiles to hit Syria, and Wall Street believed they would.
The Israel lobby has much of Congress bought and paid for. But the public is turning against it, and you can shame its servants.
In the long run, it’s useful to remember that lies do not set us free.
If both proponents and opponents of the agreement depict Iran falsely as a nuclear threat, the danger of a US war on Iran is going to continue, with or without the deal. The deal could end with the election of a new president or Congress. Ending the agreement could be the first act of a Republican president or a Schumerian Democratic Leader.
So, don’t just urge the right vote while pushing the propaganda. Oppose the propaganda as well.
Sign the Petition: Defend the Iran Deal and
Stop Republicans from Starting a War with Iran
Stop War with Iran
This is the final showdown to stop Republicans from starting a war with Iran.
The United States, Iran and five other world powers announced a historic deal to dramatically curb Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for easing international sanctions on Iran.
Republicans are trying to sabotage the deal, put us back on the path to confrontation with Iran and start a war — but they can’t do it unless Democrats help them.
We need to build an impenetrable firewall in Congress to prevent Republicans from passing any legislation to kill the deal and putting us back on the path to confrontation and war.
ACTION: Tell Democrats to go on record in support of the deal.
We’ll send your message to your senators and member of Congress, as well as to House and Senate Democratic leadership.
The petition reads:
Republicans are trying to take us to war by sabotaging the Iran nuclear deal. I urge you to support the deal and stop the Republicans from starting another war of choice in the Middle East.
The Prevention of Unconstitutional
War with Iran Act of 2018
Senators Introduce Bill to Prevent
Unconstitutional War with Iran
Hon. Tom Udall / US Senate
WASHINGTON (September 26, 2018) — Today, US Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.), along with US Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), introduced legislation to prohibit the United States from expending funds which could lead to war with Iran without express approval from Congress, as required by the Constitution.
The Prevention of Unconstitutional War with Iran Act of 2018 makes it clear that a preemptive attack against Iran is illegal under the War Powers Act and the United States Constitution. The bill also affirms the United States’ ability to respond to an imminent military threat from Iran and defend US citizens who may come under threat of physical harm.
The full text of the bill is available here.
As the legislation underscores, Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution of the United States grants Congress the sole power to declare war. The legislation is being introduced at a critical juncture — on the same day that the president chaired a United Nations (UN) Security Council meeting on nonproliferation, and on the heels of the administration’s rejection of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), escalated tensions due to provocative administration rhetoric pushing towards regime change in Iran, and increased international isolation resulting from the president’s foreign policy.
The president threatened Iran with military action on Twitter in July 2018, and just yesterday, National Security Advisor John Bolton publicly threatened Iran at a conference coinciding with the UN Security Council meeting.
The legislation introduced today restores to Congress the sole power to declare war by prohibiting any funding for an unauthorized attack on Iran — and thereby blocking the president from provoking an unnecessary military conflict in the Middle East.
“The administration’s approach to Iran is ripped straight out of the same playbook that launched us into the failed invasion of Iraq, and Congress needs to assert its constitutional authority and halt the march to war,” said Udall, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
“Every day, the president and his saber-rattling foreign policy advisors like John Bolton are inching us closer and closer to conflict, endangering our national security, jeopardizing our diplomatic interests and alarming our allies. The consequences of war with Iran would be catastrophic, risking the lives of thousands of Americans while squandering our global reputation, with little chance of improving our long-term security.
“The only way to stop Iran’s dangerous behavior in the region is with tough diplomacy in league with our allies, not threats and reckless aggression. With this legislation, we can empower Congress to once again assert its Constitutional authority and end the looming threat of war in order to make our nation, and the world, more safe.
“No administration, Democratic or Republican, should be permitted to enter the United States into another war in the Middle East without the approval of the American people and explicit authorization from Congress.”
“The Constitution empowers Congress, not the President, with the sole power to declare war,” said Leahy. “With the White House and Iran seemingly on a collision course, every effort must be made to avoid war. We should be ratcheting down the rhetoric, opening up channels of communication, and reducing the chance of igniting another armed conflict in a region where the consequences could be catastrophic.”
“President Trump’s decision to violate the Iran nuclear agreement and his hostile rhetoric aimed at the country’s leaders could spark another conflict in the Middle East,” said Feinstein. “Our bill makes it clear that President Trump cannot start a war with Iran without explicit congressional authorization, which he does not have. Instead of pushing us closer to conflict, the president should return to the nuclear agreement so we can work with our allies to address Iran’s other destabilizing actions.”
“Unilaterally and petulantly walking away from the Iran Nuclear Deal with no alternative was a rash and reckless move by President Trump,” said Durbin. “This bill is a reminder that he should not do the same in starting a war with Iran without Congressional approval as required by the Constitution.”
“The Constitution is very clear: it is the Congress, not the president, that has the authority to decide when our country goes to war,” said Sanders. “Since taking office, the Trump administration has pursued an extremely hostile and provocative policy against Iran. This bill makes clear that the Trump administration does not have authority to use the military for that purpose. We should be pursuing diplomacy to get Iran to change its problematic behavior, not war.”
“It is essential for the President to respect our Constitution, which delegates to Congress the power to declare war,” said Merkley. “This deliberation is critical to preventing a reckless and potentially disastrous march to war with Iran.”
“We have been at war for 17 years, spent over a trillion dollars, and lost thousands of lives. The last thing our country needs is another war in the Middle East,” said Heinrich. “President Trump is dangerously raising the risks of another war, so Congress should reassert its constitutional authority and require the Administration to receive its approval before it takes any preemptive military action against Iran. That’s exactly what this legislation does.”
“There is no legal authorization for US troops to be fighting Iran in Syria or anywhere else, and yet this administration seems to be spoiling for a fight. Americans are sick and tired of endless, costly wars. Launching a war against Iran, with no consent from Congress and absent a direct threat to the United States or our allies, would be a complete disaster, doing nothing but putting our troops’ lives at risk and making us less safe,” said Murphy.
The legislation is supported by various organizations, including VoteVets, JStreet and the Friends Committee on National Legislation.
ACTION ALERT:
More Ways to Support the Iran Nuclear Deal
CREDO Action
Here are some ways you can spread the word.
Email your friends or forward the message below.
If you are on Facebook, click here to post the petition to your timeline.
If you have a Twitter account, click here to automatically tweet:
Tell Democrats not to help Republicans start a war with #Iran.
Here’s a sample message to send to your friends:
SUBJECT: I just signed this petition — will you?
I just took action to tell Democrats: A vote to derail the Iran nuclear deal is a vote for war. Don’t give Republicans the votes they need to start a war with Iran.
I think you should too: http://www.stopwarwithiran.com
