ACTION ALERT: Ban US/Middle East Arms Sales Corruption

Win Without War

(June 9, 2019) — News just broke that senior official Charles Faulkner — a former Raytheon lobbyist — has been forced out of the State Department. And what does this have to do with arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates?

Everything. Faulkner was KEY in the Trump Administration’s declaration of an “emergency” over tensions with Iran to fast-track $8 billion in arms sales — including $2 billion in Raytheon’s precision-guided missiles. [1]

There’s more. Some members of Congress are alarmed about this blatant corruption, and are calling for a hearing — on Wednesday.

And that’s where we come in. 

We have a new opening to demand Congress stop the flow of US weapons used to bomb Yemenis in the Saudi- and Emirati-led coalition war. But we have to act FAST. 

Can you tell your Representative and Senators to ban Saudi and Emirati arms sales NOW?

Normally, arms sales must be reviewed by Congress. But because the Trump administration declared an emergency, these weapons were flowing straight through to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — above Congress’ head.

But because of this Faulkner news, now we have some members of Congress’ attention.

The House Foreign Affairs Committee is holding a hearing on Wednesday on Charles Faulkner’s role in the State Department given his Raytheon past because — and this really, really, really should go without saying — we shouldn’t have people in government whose primary loyalty is to ANY corporate profits, let alone WAR PROFITS. 

And that’s why it’s so important that Congress move quickly. Congress shouldn’t allow a single penny or missile to be exchanged until it gets to the bottom of this. Congress must immediately begin an investigation into potential corruption. And Congress should use pending, must-pass legislation like the Defense Appropriations bill and the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to put a full ban on arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Congress is debating what to do and how serious to take this. That’s why we need to make sure they hear our voices. RIGHT NOW.

We don’t often have clear openings into blocking the trillion-dollar global arms trade that fuels war and conflict around the world — where we can create a ruckus in the media, in Congress, and amongst regular people like you and me.

Let’s take this opening. Because any chance we have to stop US support for the brutal Saudi- and Emirati-led war in Yemen has to be taken. We got this. Let’s go!

ACTION: Tell Congress and the Senate to ban Saudi and Emirati arms sales!

Thank you for working for peace,

Tara, Stephen, Amy, and the Win Without War team

“State Dept. Forces Out Official Who Worked on Plan That Led to Ex-Employer’s Arms Deals,” The Wall Street Journal

State Dept. Ousts Official Who Worked on Plan That Gave His Ex-Employer Raytheon Billions in Arms Sales

Julia Arciga / The Daily Beast

(June 6, 2019) — The State Department has ousted a senior official who was involved in a plan that gave his former employer—defense contractor Raytheon—billions of dollars in weapons sales, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Charles Faulkner, who was a deputy assistant secretary at State, reportedly resigned in early May after working on an emergency declaration that “fast-tracked $8 billion in arms sales” to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

 Faulkner used to be an “outside lobbyist” for Raytheon.

The emergency declaration used reportedly cited rising tensions between US and Iran to bypass congressional oversight. Democrats are now reportedly looking into whether Faulkner violated Trump’s ethics rules by partaking in the discussions on the declaration, and the House Foreign Affairs Committee will scrutinize Faulkner’s actions at a hearing scheduled for next week. Faulkner reportedly declined to comment.

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