Just Foreign Policy

Campaigns

• Pass the Drone Strike Transparency Bill

  The Senate Intelligence Committee has taken an important step by passing an intelligence authorization which would, for the first time, require the Administration to publicly report on civilian casualties from U.S. drone strikes. The Administration should support this provision, and Congress should pass this drone strike transparency provision into law. Sarah Knuckey, Director of the Project on Extrajudicial Executions at New York University School of Law and a Special Advisor to the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, calls this provision "an important step toward improving transparency," and notes that "Various U.N. officials, foreign governments, a broad range of civil society, and many others, including former U.S. Department of State Legal Advisor Harold Koh ... have called for the publication of such basic information." This provision could be offered as an amendment in the Senate to the National Defense Authorization Act. It could be offered in the House as an amendment on the intelligence authorization, or as a freestanding bill. Help us move Congress and the President to support this provision by signing our petition. [Text of the provision can be found here: http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/node/1470.]

  17,629 of 20,000 Signatures

  Created by Robert Naiman
• Force House Vote on Saudi War in Yemen to Stop Cholera & Famine

  On June 15, the UN Security Council unanimously called for a cease-fire in the conflict between the Saudi-UAE coalition and the Houthi-Saleh forces in Yemen. "The U.N. Security Council urged the warring parties in Yemen on Thursday to immediately agree on a cease-fire and keep all ports open for humanitarian aid to confront the threat of famine and the rapid spread of cholera," AP reported. [1] On June 13, the U.S. Senate narrowly failed to block an arms deal with Saudi Arabia. Senators opposed to the deal stressed the need to end the humanitarian crisis in Yemen rather than escalate it. [2] "The Saudi-led war in Yemen has created a humanitarian disaster," Senator Bernie Sanders said. "Millions are at the risk of starvation...chaos in Yemen has also been strategically disastrous for the United States, providing fertile ground for the extremist groups like Al Qaeda and ISIS...it is long past time that we begin to take a very hard look at our relationship with Saudi Arabia...it is important that we begin to discuss...the decades long effort by Saudi Arabia to export an ultra-reactionary form of Islam throughout the world." [3] "The human rights and humanitarian concerns have been well documented and are important,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said. “Of equal concern to me is that the Saudi government continues to aid and abet terrorism via its relationship with Wahhabism and the funding of schools that spread extremist propaganda throughout the world." [4] But the Trump Administration plans to escalate U.S. participation in the Saudi bombing of Yemen, with U.S. military advisers in the Saudi air operations control center in Riyadh. [5] U.S. participation in the Saudi war in Yemen has never been authorized by Congress. [6] House Members can challenge U.S. participation in the war with amendments on the National Defense Authorization Act and the Department of Defense Appropriation. In addition, a single House Member can invoke Congressional war powers force to a debate and vote on withdrawing U.S. participation from the Saudi war in Yemen - which the UN Security Council has unanimously said should stop immediately to save Yemen from cholera and famine. The last time the House voted on any aspect of U.S. participation in the Saudi war was June 2016, when the House narrowly failed to prohibit the transfer of cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia. [7] Urge your Representative to force a House vote to withdraw U.S. backing from the Saudi war and blockade in Yemen by signing our petition. References: 1. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/un-urges-yemen-cease-fire-and-open-ports-to-confront-cholera/2017/06/15/ec92b4b8-5219-11e7-b74e-0d2785d3083d_story.html 2. https://petitions.moveon.org/sign/saudi-yemen-war-famine?r_by=1135580 3. Senator Bernie Sanders, "We Must Reevaluate Our Relationship With Saudi Arabia," https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqbebpDHCnE 4. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/chuck-schumer-trump-saudi-arabia_us_593ec911e4b02402687bae98 5. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/14/world/middleeast/saudi-arabia-arms-training-yemen.html 6. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/05/02/alarm-grows-in-washington-as-saudi-coalition-attack-on-yemen-port-appears-imminent/; https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/global-opinions/wp/2017/05/19/trump-may-be-helping-to-create-a-famine-in-yemen-congress-could-stop-him/ 7. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/obama-heeding-close-house_b_10516480.html

  165,690 of 200,000 Signatures

  Created by Robert Naiman
• Nominate Paul Krugman for Treasury Secretary

  Press reports say President Obama will soon nominate a new Treasury Secretary . Press speculation has centered on candidates likely to support the Wall Street agenda of cuts to Social Security and Medicare benefits and other domestic spending rather than government policies to create jobs. We want President Obama to nominate Nobel prize-winning economist Paul Krugman, who opposes austerity and wants the government to focus on creating jobs.

  240,234 of 300,000 Signatures

  Created by Danny Glover
• Cut Social Security & Veterans' Benefits? Cut the Pentagon Instead!

  President Obama has endorsed cutting Social Security and veterans' benefits by using the "chained CPI" to lower the cost-of-living adjustment. But the Congressional Budget Office says cutting Social Security and veterans' benefits in this way would only save the government $163 billion over ten years. There are much better ways for the government to save $163 billion, like cutting the bloated Pentagon budget. Urge President Obama and your representatives in Congress to cut the Pentagon budget instead of cutting Social Security and veterans' benefits. Here are three easy ways to save $163 billion by cutting the bloated Pentagon budget: 1. End the war in Afghanistan. A rough estimate of the cost of deploying U.S. troops to Afghanistan is a billion dollars per thousand troops per year. If we withdraw 16,300 troops from Afghanistan and keep them out, that would save $163 billion over ten years. 2. Cut the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. A recent estimate of the long-term cost of purchasing, operating and maintaining 2,457 F-35s is $1.5 trillion. [1] That's $610 million per plane. If we cut 267 planes - a little over 10% - that would save $163 billion. 3. Cut Pentagon contracting. Every year the Pentagon spends more than $360 billion purchasing goods and services from contractors. Service contractors can cost, on average, 2.94 times more than an average Pentagon civilian employee performing the same job. A crude estimate suggests that just by cutting Pentagon contracting by 7% and bringing the work in house, the Pentagon could save $163 billion over ten years. [2] Cutting the Pentagon budget instead of Social Security and veterans' benefits isn't a wild idea - it's exactly what will happen if there there is no "grand bargain" budget deal. All we have to do to make sure the Pentagon budget is cut is prevent a deal that cuts Social Security and veterans' benefits. Urge your representatives in Congress and President Obama to cut the Pentagon budget instead of cutting Social Security and veterans' benefits. Here's three other actions you can take: 1. Write to Congress and the President, urging them to cut the Pentagon budget instead of Social Security and veterans' benefits: http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/chained-cpi 2. Tell your Representative and Senators you'll support a primary challenge if they vote to cut Social Security and veterans' benefits: http://pac.signon.org/sign/chained-cpi-for-every?source=c.url&r_by=1135580 3. Help fellow MoveOn members deliver these petitions against cutting Social Security and veterans' benefits on Thursday, April 25 to a local Congressional office: http://civic.moveon.org/event/events/create.html?id=&action_id=317 References: 1. “Cut Social Security & Veterans' Benefits? Cut the Pentagon Instead!” Robert Naiman, Huffington Post, April 9, 2013, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/cut-social-security-veter_b_3040226.html 2. Ibid.

  37,927 of 40,000 Signatures

  Created by Robert Naiman
• Prime Minister-designate Trudeau: Keep pledge to cancel F-35 purchase

  As a candidate for Canadian Prime Minister, Liberal leader Justin Trudeau committed to scrapping any purchase of the costly Lockheed Martin F-35 jet. [1] Now that he is Prime Minister-designate following Canada’s election, we encourage him to follow through on his pledge, dismissing claims that this would make the US unhappy. Refusing to purchase the F-35 has been portrayed in some US media as a slap at the US. The New York Times even claimed that if the US didn’t approve the Keystone pipeline, Canada could retaliate by refusing to buy the F-35. [2] But US taxpayers have no interest in the Pentagon’s efforts to keep this costly program alive. [3] On the contrary, US taxpayers will be better off when the taxpayer-ripoff F-35 program is killed completely, and Trudeau’s fulfillment of his pledge will bring that happy day closer because the Pentagon’s plans to keep the boondoggle alive depend crucially on foreign purchases. Encourage Prime Minister-designate Trudeau to dismiss claims that canceling Canadian purchase of the F-35 is “anti-US” and fulfill his pledge by signing our petition. References: 1. http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2015/09/20/liberals-would-scrap-f-35-jet-purchase.html; http://www.defenseone.com/management/2015/10/what-if-canada-doesnt-buy-f-35/122976/ 2. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/18/business/energy-environment/obamas-keystone-pipeline-decision-risks-new-problems-either-way.html 3. https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2014/07/25/how-the-f-35-boondoggle-shows-that-deficit-hawkery-is-a-sham/; http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2014/07/14/pentagons-big-budget-f-35-fighter-cant-turn-cant-climb-cant-run/; http://thinkprogress.org/world/2014/07/09/3458101/f35-boondoggle-fail/

  6,003 of 7,000 Signatures

  Created by Robert Naiman
• 

  @SenSanders, @SenWarren: Back @JoaquinCastrotx, nix Israel bomb deal

  On Sunday, May 16, Senator Jon Ossoff led 29 Senators in calling for an immediate ceasefire in Israel & Palestine to prevent further killing of civilians. On Monday, May 17, the Washington Post reported that members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee [HFAC] had just learned that Biden had approved a new weapons deal with Israel, even though the deal had been notified to the committee as required by law on May 5. These are offensive weapons similar to those that Saudi Arabia has used to kill civilians in Yemen. In response, Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro and other HFAC members expressed concern about the weapons deal and the message it would send about the urgency of a ceasefire and urged that the weapons deal be delayed so Congress could review it. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi & Majority Leader Steny Hoyer overruled them and insisted the weapons deal would go forward without Congressional review. Senators don't work for Nancy Pelosi & Steny Hoyer. If even one Democratic Senator would speak up about this, it would give House Democrats more courage to insist on reviewing the weapons deal before it goes forward. In addition, under the Arms Export Control Act, a single Senator can introduce can introduce a resolution of disapproval on the arms deal and force a floor vote, as Senators Murphy and Paul did on Saudi arms deals in September 2016 & June 2017 in opposition to unconstitutional U.S. participation in the Saudi war in Yemen. Urge Members of Congress, especially Senators Sanders & Warren, to speak up about this weapons deal, demand that it be delayed & reviewed, and introduce legislation to force a floor vote, by signing our petition. References: Sen. Ossoff leads 29 Senators to call for immediate ceasefire: https://www.ossoff.senate.gov/press-releases/sen-ossoff-leads-28-senators-urging-immediate-ceasefire-in-middle-east/ WaPo article on House Dem opposition in arms deal https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/05/17/power-up-biden-administration-approves-735-million-weapons-sale-israel-raising-red-flags-some-house-democrats/ Rep Castro's statement demanding delay and review: https://twitter.com/AlexWardVox/status/1394369401420488708 House Dems demanding delay & review overruled by Pelosi & Hoyer: https://twitter.com/AlexWardVox/status/1394680891088285699

  1,849 of 2,000 Signatures

  Created by Yemen Can't Wait
• 

  @JoeBiden: Tap @ChrisMurphyCT at State to End Yemen War, Restore Iran Deal

  Of all the candidates reportedly being considered by Joe Biden to serve as his Secretary of State, Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy is far and away the most progressive. Unlike Delaware Senator Chris Coons - reportedly also being considered - Chris Murphy has been a champion in the Senate of ending and preventing war. Chris Murphy led efforts to end the Saudi war in Yemen while Chris Coons voted to continue backing the Saudi regime. Chris Murphy consistently supported President Obama's agreement with Iran while Chris Coons worked with AIPAC Republicans to undermine President Obama's most important foreign policy accomplishment for peace. Chris Murphy led other Democratic Senators to oppose the use of U.S. tax dollars for Israeli annexation of the West Bank. Having Chris Murphy serve as our nation's top diplomat if Joe Biden is elected POTUS is our best guarantee of ending the Saudi war in Yemen and restoring President Obama's Iran deal.

  1,267 of 2,000 Signatures

  Created by Yemen Can't Wait
• Tell @WhiteHouse & @JohnKerry: End Gaza Blockade Now

  Tell Secretary of State John Kerry to keep pushing for a lasting ceasefire between Israel and Gaza that ends the blockade of Gaza. 1. Sign and share our petition above calling on Secretary of State Kerry to keep pushing for a lasting ceasefire and an end to the blockade. 2. At 12 noon eastern US time (11 AM Central, 9 AM Pacific), participate in our daily 15 minute Twitter storm to push for immediate ceasefire and for the Cairo talks following the ceasefire to conclude with an agreement to end the blockade of Gaza. Go to this page for instructions and sample tweets: http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/end-gaza-blockade-in-cairo

  39,128 of 40,000 Signatures

  Created by Abir “Abby” Elzowidi
• Obama: Don’t Let Israel Bomb Gaza Hospital

  Wafa Hospital in Gaza’s Shujaiyya district has already been hit twice by Israeli airstrikes. The Israeli military has told the hospital to evacuate, but the hospital’s staff say that 16 elderly and terminally ill patients are too frail to move. [1] When an Israeli military officer called the hospital late on Tuesday warning that it must be evacuated by 8AM Wednesday morning, Dr. Basman Alashi, the hospital’s executive director, called the World Health Organization, saying that such a move would risk the lives of patients. On Wednesday, while many inhabitants of the surrounding area were fleeing in response to Israeli bombardment warnings, Dr. Alashi, 16 medical staff members and the same number of patients stayed behind. They have been joined by eight international solidarity activists, including American journalist Joe Catron, who have volunteered to act as human shields at the hospital. [2] Press President Obama and Members of Congress to demand that Israel not bomb Wafa Hospital or other medical facilities in Gaza protected by international humanitarian law by signing our petition. References: 1. “Gaza hospital defies Israel evacuation warning amid fears for frail patients,” Robert Tait, The Telegraph, 16 July 2014, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/palestinianauthority/10970795/Gaza-hospital-defies-Israel-evacuation-warning-amid-fears-for-frail-patients.html 2. “American among volunteer human shields at Gaza hospital,” Daniella Cheslow, McClatchy, July 13, 2014, http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2014/07/13/233190/american-among-volunteer-human.html

  16,411 of 20,000 Signatures

  Created by Robert Naiman
• Respect UN, Drop US Espionage Case Against Julian Assange

  The UN working group on arbitrary detention has found that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been arbitrarily detained in London for more than five years and should be released immediately. [1] Anthony Romero, executive director of the ACLU, said: “In light of this decision, it’s clear that any criminal charges against Mr. Assange in connection with WikiLeaks’ publishing operations would be unprecedented and unconstitutional. Indeed, even the prolonged criminal investigation of WikiLeaks itself has had a profound chilling effect. The Justice Department should end that investigation and make clear that no publisher will ever be prosecuted for the act of journalism.” [2] Urge the U.S. government to end all criminal investigations and threats of prosecution against Julian Assange and WikiLeaks by signing our petition. Initial signers: Oliver Stone, director Robert Naiman, Policy Director, Just Foreign Policy Kevin Martin, Executive Director, Peace Action Jon Rainwater, Executive Director, Peace Action West Jodie Evans, Co-founder, CODEPINK Beverly Bell, Founder, Other Worlds Jeff Cohen, Co-founder, RootsAction.org Ann Wertheimer, Chair, American Voices Abroad Kevin Zeese, Co-director, Popular Resistance Karen Barton, Coordinator, Bryn Mawr Peace Coalition Alice Slater, New York Director, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation Hedy Epstein, Holocaust Survivor C. G. Estabrook, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois T.M. Scruggs, Anthromusicologist A. Belden Fields, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, University of Illinois References: 1. http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=17012&LangID=E 2. http://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/feb/05/julian-assange-un-panel-uk-sweden-deprivation-of-liberty

  10,094 of 15,000 Signatures

  Created by Robert Naiman