We have been wasting lives and money in Afghanistan for so long that now even our "friends" are shooting at us. It is time to bring everyone home without delay.

International law and common decency

The U.S. Trade Embargo with Cuba which was created in 1961 has run its course and now is the time to normalize relations with our southern neighbor nation. We should not be influenced by those Cubans who now live in South Florida and hold grudges against the Castro regime. The American government needs to act to encourage a period of healing which will follow the eventual death of Fidel and Raul Castro and free this island nation to create a self-determined form of government.

The U.S. government has been increasingly carrying out drone strikes in countries with which America is not at war. The Washington Post reported that the CIA had asked for authority to expand its drone strike campaign in Yemen by launching strikes even when it does not know the identities of those who could be killed. Such "signature strikes" allow the CIA to hit targets based solely on intelligence indicating patterns of "suspicious behavior." These "signature strikes" have allegedly gone on in Pakistan for years now.

Give peace a chance.

The United States has systematically avoided falling under the jurisdiction of international courts, including the International Criminal Court and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights within the Organization of American States. In essence, the United States has avoided international oversight with respect to human rights, yet claims to be an international defender of these same rights. Isn't it about time for the United States to become a citizen of the world?

In 1983 the Iranian government directed terrorists to do something "spectacular" against the Marines on a peacekeeping mission in Beirut. It resulted in the Marine Barracks bombing—killing 241 American Marines. In 2002, the survivors and families of the fallen Marines won a judgment against Iran for $2.6 billion. Recently, investigators found $1.8 billion of Iran's money in a frozen bank account in the United States. We have two choices: 1) Pass HR 4070 and S 2101 allowing these funds to settle the judgment in favor of our Marines OR 2) Send the $1.8 billion back to the Iranian government to use for more terrorism YOUR CHOICE— Sign this petition, and call your Congressman (1-202-224-3121) to pass HR 4070 and S 2101. Thank you.

As responsible citizens in a democracy, we cannot accept the calls for war that would commit crime in our name and leave blood on our hands while driving a spike of oil prices into our barely recovering economy. We call on our elected representatives in Congress and the White House to Stop! Don't do it! Don't attack Iran: It will not make us, Israel or anyone else safer; it will likely spread into a regional war while we are trying to disengage from Iraq an dstill mired in Afghanistan. It will kill many thousands of innocents, damage the air, water and soil for generations, and fuel the spread of nuclear weapons as the only deterrent to attack.

No more war without paying for it.

With 70% of America believing that we are not accomplishing anywhere near worth the $8 billion per month spent on war--time to bring our troops home from the Middle East.

2,969 Palestinian civilians were killed by the Israeli military between 2000-2009, many with weapons paid for by American taxpayers. Israel continues to misuse U.S. supplied weapons like white phosphorous and high velocity tear gas canisters against Palestinian civilians in violation of U.S. laws. Ask Members of Congress and President Obama to ensure that laws like the Arms Export Control Act and Foreign Assistance Act are enforced, and work to uphold the human rights of both Palestinians and Israelis.

U.S. wars against the people of Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, Uganda, Syria, Iran, Congo, Central African Republic, and Sudan, plus more than one thousand U.S. military bases around the planet, are now wasting lives and hundreds of billions of dollars, creating even more enemies who want revenge, making us less safe, and only benefiting politicians and their war-profiteering corporate donors. It is time we dismantled this U.S. Empire; brought our soldiers home; and used all those funds here for vital needs such as jobs, housing, education, building a sustainable energy system to reverse catastrophic climate change and repairing our tattered social safety net.