Thursday, November 1, 2018 

WASHINGTON, DC — Win Without War Director Stephen Miles released the following statement ahead of Donald Trump’s decision to re-impose sanctions on Iranian oil:

“Donald Trump is about to take a bad decision and make it worse. Next week the Trump administration will double down on its unilateral withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal by reimposing oil sanctions that were lifted as part of the agreement.

“Reimposing these sanctions could very well lead to the collapse of the nuclear deal. Iran would then be free to restart elements of its nuclear program that had been frozen under the agreement — a move that would make war with Iran more, not less, likely.

“To implement this policy, Trump is further dividing the U.S. and Europe, while at the same time turning a blind eye to Saudi Arabia’s gross human rights abuses. Trump is giving Saudi Arabia a free pass for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi to ensure that Saudi oil flows in the absence of Iranian crude. At the same time, he is also willing to impose sanctions on our European friends, who want to continue business in Iran to keep the deal alive, as it is currently working to block Iran’s paths to building a nuclear weapon.

“On top of these strategic blunders, reimposing the sanctions will result in higher oil prices, which means Americans will pay more at the gas pump, particularly as we approach the holiday travel season.

“The best course of action is for the United States to re-enter the Iran nuclear deal and re-internationalize a response to some of the challenges Iran presents. Any other course, particularly the one Trump is pursuing, is a recipe for division, economic uncertainty, or even war.”

###

Win Without War is a diverse network of national organizations working for progressive foreign policy in America.

The post Win Without War: Trump’s Oil Sanctions on Iran Make War More Likely & Will Raise Gas Prices at Home appeared first on Win Without War.

Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Activist groups make final push ahead of a likely upcoming Senate vote.

WASHINGTON — Four national groups representing a wide swath of the American public on Thursday will publish full-page ads in The Oklahamoan, The Greenville News, and The Post & Courier newspapers asking Sens. James Lankford (R-OK), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Tim Scott (R-SC), respectively, to end the U.S. role in Saudi Arabia’s brutal war in Yemen. On Sunday, the same ads will run in The Las Vegas Review Journal targeting Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto and Dean Heller, and in Alabama’s Birmingham News and Mobile Press-Register targeting Sen. Doug Jones.

“Saudi Arabia’s crown prince didn’t just order the murder of a Washington Post journalist. He is also waging war on millions of Yemeni civilians — with American backing, and using American bombs,” say Avaaz, VoteVets, Win Without War, and the Yemen Peace Project in the ad. “Up to 14 million people in Yemen…are on the verge of famine. They could starve to death if the bombing doesn’t stop.”

Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Mike Lee (R-UT), and Chris Murphy (D-CT) have introduced a bill to end U.S. participation in the war. A vote on the measure is likely to take place later this month.

“It took the brutal murder of a journalist to open up senators’ eyes to the crimes of Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman,” said Danny Auron, campaign director at Avaaz. “Now they have a responsibility to act to protect millions of Yemeni civilians from this vicious war — by ending US support to Saudi Arabia.”

“Without debate, and without a vote, America has been materially supporting the Saudi war in Yemen, which has turned into a horrific humanitarian crisis,” said Will Fischer, Director of Government Relations at VoteVets. “Bombs that were made in America are slaughtering innocent children and families and, until recently, we even helped fuel the planes that dropped those bombs. None of this can or should be done with American support, but certainly not when our Congress hasn’t authorized it. It is time for Washington politicians to do the job they were sent to Capitol Hill to do, and force a debate and vote on our involvement in the war in Yemen.”

“It’s time to put an end to this awful and unnecessary war,” said Win Without War Policy Director Kate Kizer. “The Senators we’re targeting with these ads have an opportunity to not only demonstrate their belief in the separation of powers and Congress’s constitutional responsibility to vote on when and where our nation goes to war, but also to show the world that the United States stands for human rights, justice, and accountability.”

“When future historians write accounts of the human devastation wrought by the conflict, American munitions, American logistical support, and American diplomatic cover for heinous war crimes will loom large,” said Eric Eikenberry, Director of Policy & Advocacy at the Yemen Peace Project. “Many in the administration feel comfortable playing the villain, or inanely think that other countries will bear the brunt of both blame and accountability. With a potential famine impacting millions, we can only hope that Congress acts with more foresight, and more humanity.”

###

The post Full-Page Print Ads Ask Senators to End the War in Yemen appeared first on Win Without War.

WASHINGTON — Win Without War Policy Director, Kate Kizer issued the following statement regarding today’s vote on S.J.Res 54 a measure seeking to withdraw the U.S. military from assisting the Saudi-led coalition’s war in Yemen:

Today 44 Senators sent a loud and clear bipartisan message that Saudi Arabia’s deadly war in Yemen must end, and it must end now.

For far too long, without Congressional debate or authorization, the U.S. military has been enabling Saudi Arabia and its regional allies to fight a devastating war in Yemen. That war has, by design, caused the world’s largest humanitarian crisis.

Because of the leadership put forth by Sens. Bernie Sanders, Mike Lee, and Chris Murphy — and the tireless advocacy of hundreds of thousands of Americans — the U.S. Senate was today finally forced to confront America’s unauthorized role in Yemen’s deadly civil war.

We commend the 44 Senators who agreed that U.S. military support for the Saudi-led coalition is unconstitutional, counterproductive, and doesn’t serve U.S. national security interests. Today’s vote should serve as a sober reminder to Saudi Arabia that it must immediately move to resolve this conflict diplomatically, and that American support for its war in Yemen is not unlimited.

Today’s vote is also just the beginning of Congress reasserting its Constitutional role to decide when and where America goes to war. Our nation’s founders placed this power in the hands of Congress not because they expected these debates to be easy, but because they wanted these decisions to be hard. As we mark 15 years of the disastrous, failed war in Iraq, this vote on this day is a fitting reminder of the grave costs when our nation goes to war too quickly, without debating or answering the hard questions.

We — and the hundreds of thousands of Americans who took action to demand Congress end U.S. support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen — will continue to demand that going forward, Congress finally take serious its responsibility to debate and vote on America’s many, endless wars.

###

Win Without War is a diverse network of national organizations working for progressive foreign policy in America.

The post U.S. Senate sends loud message that Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen must end. appeared first on Win Without War.

Friday, December 7, 2018

WASHINGTON — Win Without War Director Stephen Miles released the following statement regarding Donald Trump’s plans to nominate Heather Nauert U.S. Ambassador to the UN:

“Former Fox News anchor Heather Nauert had no business serving as State Department spokesperson, and she certainly isn’t qualified to become our nation’s next ambassador to the United Nations.

“Nauert not only has no meaningful experience and is seemingly unaware of the most basic historical facts, but she also has a history of xenophobic fearmongering, smearing refugees, and spreading Benghazi conspiracy theories and anti-Muslim hate. We simply cannot afford to double down on ignorance and bigotry as the face of American foreign policy.

“Congress should reject this nomination and force Donald Trump to present a qualified candidate who represents values of inclusion, tolerance, and respect.”

###

Win Without War is a diverse network of national organizations working for progressive foreign policy in America.

The post Win Without War: Heather Nauert Belongs On Fox & Friends, Not At The UN appeared first on Win Without War.

Win Without War Director Stephen Miles issued the following statement regarding today’s Senate vote on whether to block precision-guided munitions to Saudi Arabia:

 Today’s unprecedented opposition to yet another arms sale to Saudi Arabia is a welcome step towards restoring sanity and common sense to America’s foreign policy. In the coming weeks, Congress should turn its attention towards charting a bold new path towards a foreign policy rooted in our values, rejecting the President’s abandonment of America’s historic commitment to human rights.  

The 47 members of the United States Senate who voted to block the sale of precision-guided munitions to Saudi Arabia sent a clear signal that the Saudi-led coalition’s deadly war in Yemen must end. Today’s vote is likewise a strong rejection of Donald Trump’s plans to flood the Middle East with hundreds of billions in American weapons, devoid of any semblance of the human rights restrictions that have long accompanied such sales.

 The message from Congress is clear, something has to change.

Selling more than $100 billion worth of arms — including $500 million in precision-guided munitions — to Saudi Arabia while they continue to commit alleged war crimes is a disgusting and dangerous plan. The Saudi-led war in Yemen has already killed thousands of civilians, helped fuel a rapidly growing cholera epidemic, and plunged millions to the brink of famine. American support for the Saudi-led coalition has similarly fueled extremism in Yemen, threatening America’s national security.

There is no universe in which the solution to this crisis is more American bombs.

We applaud the unprecedented opposition to this arms sale to Saudi Arabia and the bipartisan leadership of Sens. Chris Murphy (D-CT), Rand Paul (R-KY), and Al Franken (D-MN). We’ll continue to oppose any arms deal that harms U.S. security or contributes to insecurity or human rights abuses of innocents abroad, and we’ll work to make Congress, the executive branch, and the American people aware of some of the dangers that these U.S. arms sales pose.

The post Win Without War’s statement on today’s Senate vote on the sale of precision-guided munitions to Saudi Arabia appeared first on Win Without War.

Thursday, December 13, 2018

WASHINGTON — Win Without War Director Stephen Miles released the following statement responding to the Senate vote to end the U.S. role in the war in Yemen:

“In a historic vote, the United States Senate reasserted Congress’s war-making authority by directing the President to withdraw U.S. support for the Saudi-UAE coalition’s war in Yemen. Enough is enough. The bombing must end. The killing of civilians must end. The starvation must end. The misery must end. We congratulate the legislation’s primary sponsors, Senators Bernie Sanders, Mike Lee, and Chris Murphy, for achieving this unprecedented victory.

“Today’s vote also reflects the will of the American people, who overwhelmingly support an end to the war. Indeed, Donald Trump and Saudi crown prince Mohammad bin Salman are increasingly isolated in their quest to perpetuate a misbegotten war that is fueling one of the largest humanitarian crises the world has seen. Yet, because of intense bipartisan pressure from Congress, the warring parties agreed to an initial agreement to deescalate the fighting and alleviate the humanitarian crisis.

“Though the House of Representatives was denied an opportunity to join the Senate this week, the House should immediately change course and vote to end U.S. support for the war in Yemen. The simple truth is the people of Yemen can’t wait.”

###

Win Without War is a diverse network of national organizations working for progressive foreign policy in America.

The post Win Without War: The End Of The Saudi-UAE War in Yemen Is Only A Matter Of Time appeared first on Win Without War.

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

WASHINGTON — Win Without War Director Stephen Miles released the following statement responding to reports that Donald Trump plans to withdraw all U.S. troops from Syria:

“Since the beginning of the conflict in Syria, the United States has gotten its response wrong every step of the way, and Donald Trump’s latest moves are no exception.

“From day one, Win Without War has opposed a U.S. military response to a crisis with no military solution, and we continue to support the full withdrawal of American military personnel from Syria. However, Donald Trump’s plan to declare ‘victory’ and walk away from an ongoing humanitarian catastrophe – one that the U.S. in part helped create – is reckless, shortsighted, and wrong. Even worse, given that just yesterday a federal court judge chastised Donald Trump’s first National Security Advisor for ‘selling out our country’ to Turkey, we are left wondering what secret deals and backroom arrangements with Turkey and other major players in Syria may actually be driving this Administration’s new plans in Syria.

“While U.S. troops should indeed come home from Syria, they should be replaced with a humanitarian and diplomatic surge that works to build a sustainable peace, holds the conflict’s numerous war criminals accountable, welcomes refugees displaced by the conflict, and addresses the instability and suffering that our nation’s violence-first policy has caused in Syria and throughout the region. This includes renewing reconstruction funding to cities like Raqqa and offering accountability to the thousands of civilians affected by the U.S.-led coalition’s military campaign against the self-described Islamic State.

“Finally, when Congress reconvenes in January, it must conduct the basic oversight of Donald Trump’s foreign policy that under Republican House and Senate majorities has thus far failed to provide. Congress must connect the dots between Trump’s web of foreign ties and questionable deals with a growing axis of authoritarian dictators. Any oversight initiative must also shine a light on the continued violence, instability, and human suffering caused by our military misadventures in nearly every corner of the globe.

“The people of Syria have suffered immensely for our nation’s repeated fueling of war and limited efforts at peace. Now, as we bring our service-members home from the battlefield, we must not continue to repeat those very same mistakes.”

###

Win Without War is a diverse network of national organizations working for progressive foreign policy in America.

The post Win Without War: U.S. Troops in Syria Were Never the Answer appeared first on Win Without War.

WASHINGTON — Win Without War Policy Director Kate Kizer released the following statement regarding The Washington Post’s publication of “The Afghanistan Papers” — a trove of previously-unpublished memos and interviews with U.S. officials about the war in Afghanistan:

“The Afghanistan Papers confirm what we have long believed: the war in Afghanistan is an utter failure — and the U.S. government knew. These interviews prove it is past time to end our military role in Afghanistan, repeal the AUMF — the blank check for war that made it possible — and invest in diplomacy and peacebuilding to work towards sustainable peace.

“The ability of U.S. officials to systematically mislead the public about the depth of the failure in Afghanistan exposes the dangers of leaving foreign policy in the hands of a few. U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan has cost tens of thousands of lives and more than $1 trillion.  There is little doubt that this war’s defining legacy will be its incredible loss of life, waste of taxpayer dollars, and an Afghanistan shaped by endemic corruption and a thriving opium trade. As the Papers reveal, even the war’s leading proponents secretly felt it was directionless, futile, and often counterproductive.

“The Afghanistan Papers must be a wake-up call. To prevent future avoidable disasters like this, U.S. foreign policymaking must be made transparent and accountable to the democratic demands of the people it affects. The Pentagon Papers revealed a similar truth about the Vietnam War — but evidently, we didn’t learn. We must not make the same mistake again. The next time that U.S. officials and a hawkish media begin to beat the drums for war, we must remember that there are no military solutions to the cause of peace.”

###

Win Without War is a diverse network of activists and national organizations working for progressive foreign policy in the United States.

WASHINGTON — Over 35 organizations representing a diverse set of issue areas — strengthening diplomacy, protecting migrants and refugees, preventing wars of choice, reducing the risk of nuclear catastrophe, combating corruption, promoting human rights and sound environmental policies, and standing up for democratic values — released the following statement regarding the fiscal year (FY) 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) conference report:

“Despite the fact that we do not all advocate on the same issues, we are compelled to state clearly in one voice: The results of negotiations for the final text of the NDAA are disastrous. The FY2020 NDAA conference report has been so severely stripped of vital House-passed provisions essential to keeping the current administration in check that it no longer represents a compromise, but a near complete capitulation. 

“This bill authorizes $738 billion in Pentagon dollars with almost nothing to constrain the Trump administration’s erratic and reckless foreign policy. It is a blank check for endless wars, fuel for the further militarization of U.S. foreign policy, and a gift to Donald Trump. 

“The version of the NDAA that passed the House would have blocked the Trump administration’s unilateral march to war with Iran, stymied U.S. military complicity in the devastating war in Yemen, taken steps to end endless war by repealing the 2002 Authorization for the Use of Military Force Against Iraq, stopped the discriminatory ban on transgender servicemembers, guarded against the pollution of toxic PFAS chemicals around military bases, protected critical oversight of assault weapons exports, and prevented Trump’s dangerous new nuclear-warfighting nuclear weapon. Every last one of these provisions have been stripped from the final bill.

“Instead, the NDAA is a massive blank check. The authorization of $738 billion is obscene. Further inflating the Pentagon’s overstuffed coffers does not make us safer — it perpetuates a system that treats military intervention as the solution to all world problems. Meanwhile, every dollar spent by the Pentagon is a dollar not spent on education, healthcare, or climate. When critics attack social spending by asking “how will you pay for it?” this will be our answer.

“Unaccounted for is Trump’s misuse of defense funds to further militarize the U.S.-Mexico border. The question of whether defense funds should be used as a political tool to persecute asylum seekers and whip up support from the president’s base has been put off to another day.

“Today’s NDAA is far from our vision for a just, peaceful, and democratic foreign policy. Its failures not only underscore how critical it is that we continue building progressive grassroots movements for a better foreign policy — it calls into question the defense authorization process altogether.”

Action Corps · American Friends Service Committee · Arms Control Association · Avaaz · Beyond the Bomb · Center for Biological Diversity · Center for International Policy · CODEPINK · Common Defense · Council for a Livable World · CREDO · Demand Progress · Environmentalists Against War · Freedom Forward · Global Exchange · Indivisible · Institute for Policy Studies, New Internationalism Project · International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN) · Just Foreign Policy · MoveOn · National Iranian American Council Action · Newtown Action Alliance · Nuclear Age Peace Foundation · Nuclear Watch New Mexico · Peace Action · Peace Corps Iran Association · Ploughshares Fund · RootsAction.org · Southern Border Communities Coalition (SBCC) · Tri-Valley CAREs · United for Peace and Justice · Union of Concerned Scientists · Veterans for Peace · VoteVets · Win Without War · Women’s Action for New Directions · World BEYOND War · Yemeni Alliance Committee
 

###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday December 11, 2019
Contact: Michael Galant michael@winwithoutwar.org 203-260-4654

WASHINGTON — Win Without War Program Manager for Policy and Advocacy Mariam Iskajyan released the following statement regarding the Department of Defense (DoD) Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) decision to launch an investigation into the legality of President Trump’s deployment of U.S. military personnel and resources at the southern border:

“In November 2018, Donald Trump authorized U.S. troops to use lethal force against migrants and asylum seekers at the southern border. This was cruelty for cruelty’s sake. It was also a dangerous abuse of power. Win Without War and communities across the progressive movement fought back. After a year of relentless campaigning, Principal Deputy Inspector General of the Department of Defense Glenn Fine announced yesterday that his office would open an investigation into Trump’s misuse of U.S. troops and military resources.

“This is a huge win for the progressive movement, and a critical reminder that we are not powerless in the face of encroaching authoritarianism. The DoD OIG would not have taken this action without the combined pressure of 34 members of Congress, led by Representative Raul Grijalva, dozens of national organizations, including our partners United We Dream, the Southern Border Communities Coalition, and Daily Kos, representing tens of millions of individuals from a broad cross-section of communities, and the committed efforts of over a hundred thousand grassroots activists. This victory is a testament to the power of the people.

“The Trump administration has used U.S. service members as political pawns, terrorizing migrants and asylum seekers in order to advance his anti-immigrant agenda. The launch of this investigation moves us closer to reigning in the power of the imperial presidency, demilitarizing the U.S. southern border, and safeguarding the human right to seek asylum.

“The fight isn’t over. We have a long way to go before the U.S. southern border becomes a place of refuge and hope rather than militarization and fear. This week’s victory is one step forward.”

###

Win Without War is a diverse network of activists and national organizations working for progressive foreign policy in the United States.