Current Actions

  • Cessez le Feu! Don't Let France Kill the Syria Peace Talks

    The U.S. and Russia have agreed to host a peace conference to try to end the Syrian civil war. But France says it will oppose the peace conference if Iran is invited. C'est scandaleux! For peace talks to have a chance to end the war, all the parties involved in the conflict have to be there. Excluding Iran would likely condemn the peace talks to failure.

    Join us in telling Washington to explain to France that trying to exclude Iran from the Syria peace talks would be a major faux pas.

     

     

  • Urge NYT Public Editor to Probe Times Coverage of Syria Chemical Arms Claim

    Last week, the media watchdog Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting documented a lack of skepticism in New York Times reporting of allegations of Syrian government use of chemical weapons. Times reporting suggested that the U.S. government had strong evidence that Syria had used chemical weapons. But, as FAIR documented, the U.S. government was not nearly as certain as claimed by the Times' initial reports. At the same time that the Times was uncritically reporting these claims, other media were appropriately skeptical.

    Urge Margaret Sullivan, the New York Times Public Editor, to assess whether the Times showed appropriate skepticism in its reporting of Western government claims about the Syrian government's alleged use of chemical weapons.

  • Push Back Against the Media Drumbeat for War with Syria

    Elite media are once again manufacturing a drumbeat for war, this time with Syria, even though recent polls have shown that the public is overwhelmingly opposed to U.S. military intervention in Syria's civil war.

    Members of Congress who are dubious about another U.S. war in the Middle East will have a good opportunity soon to push back against this media drumbeat when Congress considers the National Defense Authorization Act. Amendments can be offered that can counter the pro-war media chorus.

    Help us take advantage of this opportunity to push back by urging your representatives to support amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act that will slow down calls for military escalation, helping make sure we don't get stampeded into a new war.

  • No to U.S. Military Intervention in Syria

    Republican Senators like Lindsey Graham and John McCain are demanding that the Obama Administration get the U.S. involved militarily in Syria's sectarian civil war. But after the experience of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, President Obama and U.S. military leaders are right to be wary of these calls. And if we don't have enough money for Social Security, veterans' benefits, Head Start, and cancer clinics, we certainly don't have enough money for another war.

    Urge President Obama to resist calls for another rush to war in the Middle East, and to support a political solution instead.

    The email below is 100% editable! We encourage you to change the language as you see fit.

    Inside the US? Click here to email President Obama and Congress.

  • No to U.S. Military Intervention in Syria

    Republican Senators like Lindsey Graham and John McCain are demanding that the Obama Administration get the U.S. involved militarily in Syria's sectarian civil war. But after the experience of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, President Obama and U.S. military leaders are right to be wary of these calls. And if we don't have enough money for Social Security, veterans' benefits, Head Start, and cancer clinics, we certainly don't have enough money for another war.

    Urge Congress and the President to resist calls for another rush to war in the Middle East, and to support a political solution instead.

    The emails below are 100% editable! We encourage you to change the language as you see fit.

    Outside the US? Click here to email President Obama only.

  • Congressional Drone Hearing: Four Questions and a Subpoena

    On April 23 at 4PM ET, the Constitution subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee is holding a hearing on the ethics, legality, constitutionality, and political costs of the drone strike policy. This will be the first time in the history of the drone strike policy that there has been a public Congressional hearing like this focused on the policy.

    If you live in Illinois, Minnesota, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, Texas, South Carolina, or Utah, you have a Senator who serves on the subcommittee. Urge your Senator to ask four particular questions and call for a subpoena of the drone memos.

  • 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. The Congressional Budget Office says cutting Social Security and veterans' benefits in this way would save the government $163 billion over ten years.

    There are much better ways for the government to save $163 billion. We could end the war in Afghanistan. We could cut the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter by 10%. We could cut Pentagon contracting and do the work in-house.

    Urge President Obama and your representatives in Congress to cut the Pentagon budget instead of cutting Social Security and veterans' benefits, using the form below.

    The email below is 100% editable! We encourage you to change the language as you see fit.

    Inside the US? Click here to email President Obama and Congress.

  • 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. The Congressional Budget Office says cutting Social Security and veterans' benefits in this way would save the government $163 billion over ten years.

    There are much better ways for the government to save $163 billion. We could end the war in Afghanistan. We could cut the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter by 10%. We could cut Pentagon contracting and do the work in-house.

    Urge President Obama and your representatives in Congress to cut the Pentagon budget instead of cutting Social Security and veterans' benefits, using the form below.

    The emails below are 100% editable! We encourage you to change the language as you see fit.

    Outside the US? Click here to email President Obama only.

  • No Aid to Honduran Death Squads

    The State Department has told Congress that millions of U.S. tax dollars given to the Honduran National Police only go to units that don't operate under the direct supervision of Director General Juan Carlos Bonilla, who has been accused of responsibility for extrajudicial killings for which he has never been investigated. But the Associated Press has found that all Honduran National Police units are under Bonilla's control. Aid to police units under Bonilla's control violate U.S. law.

    Urge the Obama Administration and Congress to end all U.S. aid to the Honduran National Police, as required by U.S. law, by using the form below.

    The email below is 100% editable! We encourage you to change the language as you see fit.

    Inside the US? Click here to email President Obama and Congress.

  • No Aid to Honduran Death Squads

    The State Department has told Congress that millions of U.S. tax dollars given to the Honduran National Police only go to units that don't operate under the direct supervision of Director General Juan Carlos Bonilla, who has been accused of responsibility for extrajudicial killings for which he has never been investigated. But the Associated Press has found that all Honduran National Police units are under Bonilla's control. Aid to police units under Bonilla's control violate U.S. law.

    Urge the Obama Administration and Congress to end all U.S. aid to the Honduran National Police, as required by U.S. law, by using the form below.

    The emails below are 100% editable! We encourage you to change the language as you see fit.

    Outside the US? Click here to email President Obama only.

  • Let Sarah Knuckey and James Cavallaro Testify About the Drone Strikes

    On April 16, the Constitution subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, is holding a hearing on the drone strike policy for the first time.

    This could be a historic opportunity for the public to learn what has actually been happening on the ground as a result of the drone strike policy in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia. But that will only be true if Durbin calls the right witnesses. Durbin needs to call witnesses who can speak authoritatively and directly to what has been happening on the ground.

    Sarah Knuckey and James Cavallaro are professors of law who went to Pakistan, interviewed drone strike survivors, and wrote a report about it, "Living Under Drones." If they are called to testify, what they say in the hearing will be reported in the media, and Americans will find out about what has been really happening.

    If you live in Illinois, Minnesota, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, Texas, South Carolina, or Utah, you have a Senator who serves on the subcommittee. Write to them and urge them to support calling Sarah Knuckey and James Cavallaro to testify by using the form below.

  • Outlaw Drone Strikes in the United States

    You have to start somewhere.

    Senators Ted Cruz and Rand Paul have introduced a bill, S. 505, that would prohibit drone strikes in the United States. If this bill is passed into law, it would mark the first time that Congress has acted to limit the "war without borders" created by the Authorization for the Use of Military Force in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks. At long last, the "global war on terror" would have a boundary. Passage of the bill would create a precedent: Congress can act to limit the endless war.

    Urge your Senators and Representative to support legislation to limit the drone war.

  • Here Comes AIPAC, Lobbying for War
    AIPAC activists will be swarming the Hill this week. Don't let their voices be the only ones your reps hear.

    Overcoming months of smears, hysterical rhetoric, and procedural obstruction, Chuck Hagel was confirmed to be our next Secretary of Defense. In the process, we showed that in Congress we could beat the Likud Lobby that drove the opposition to Hagel's nomination. This faction in Washington says that "unless you adopt an unwavering pro-Likud approach to Israel that you're anti-Israel," as Barack Obama characterized their claims in 2008.

    Now the Likud Lobby is pressing Congress to endorse an Israeli military attack on Iran.

    If we could beat the Likud Lobby on Hagel, we can beat them on this.

    Urge your representatives in Washington to oppose AIPAC's "backdoor to war" bill and to take steps towards peace with Iran and Palestine, using the form below.

    The emails below are 100% editable! We encourage you to change the language as you see fit.

    Outside the US? Click here to email President Obama only.

  • Tell Your Senator to Question Eric Holder on Drones!

    As US Attorney General, Eric Holder has been instrumental in keeping the Justice Department's drone memos detailing the legal justification for US drone strikes a secret from the public—and from Congress.

    But on Wednesday, members of the Senate Judiciary Committee will have the opportunity to question Holder on anything related to his role at the Department of Justice.

    If you live in AL, AZ, CA, CT, DE, HI, IL, IA, MN, NY, RI, SC, TX, or VT, you have a Senator on the Judiciary Committee. That means you can have an influence on what Holder is asked. Don't you think Holder should have to face some questions on drones?

    If so, write to your Senator today to tell him/her to demand the release of the secret drone memos and to question Holder on drones!

    NOTE: If you don't have a Senator on the Judiciary Committee, you will receive a message below saying that this action is not available in your area.

  • Here Comes AIPAC, Lobbying for War
    AIPAC activists will be swarming the Hill this week. Don't let their voices be the only ones your reps hear.

    Overcoming months of smears, hysterical rhetoric, and procedural obstruction, Chuck Hagel was confirmed to be our next Secretary of Defense. In the process, we showed that in Congress we could beat the Likud Lobby that drove the opposition to Hagel's nomination. This faction in Washington says that "unless you adopt an unwavering pro-Likud approach to Israel that you're anti-Israel," as Barack Obama characterized their claims in 2008.

    Now the Likud Lobby is pressing Congress to endorse an Israeli military attack on Iran.

    If we could beat the Likud Lobby on Hagel, we can beat them on this.

    Urge your representatives in Washington to oppose AIPAC's "backdoor to war" bill and to take steps towards peace with Iran and Palestine, using the form below.

    The email below is 100% editable! We encourage you to change the language as you see fit.

    Inside the US? Click here to email President Obama and Congress.

  • Here Comes AIPAC, Lobbying for War
    AIPAC activists will be swarming the Hill next week. Don't let their voices be the only ones your reps hear.

    Overcoming months of smears, hysterical rhetoric, and procedural obstruction, Chuck Hagel was confirmed to be our next Secretary of Defense. In the process, we showed that in Congress we could beat the Likud Lobby that drove the opposition to Hagel's nomination. This faction in Washington says that "unless you adopt an unwavering pro-Likud approach to Israel that you're anti-Israel," as Barack Obama characterized their claims in 2008.

    Now the Likud Lobby is pressing Congress to endorse an Israeli military attack on Iran.

    If we could beat the Likud Lobby on Hagel, we can beat them on this.

    Urge your representatives in Washington to oppose AIPAC's "backdoor to war" bill and to take steps towards peace with Iran and Palestine, using the form below.

    The emails below are 100% editable! We encourage you to change the language as you see fit.

    Outside the US? Click here to email President Obama only.

  • Tell the GOP: You Can't Smear Hagel for Having a Mainstream Israeli View

    Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse—U.S. Senate Republicans and their friends in the Greater Israel Lobby are using classic McCarthyite smear tactics to try to derail the confirmation of former Senator Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense.

    Republican Senator Lindsey Graham dug up an unsubstantiated report that Hagel once voiced concern over Israel “becoming an apartheid state”, and now the Lobby is making hay of the charge.

    Unless we act now— we have until Tuesday when the Senate reconvenes— the Lobby could succeed in smearing a public servant for saying what many high-ranking Israelis, including former prime ministers Ehud Barak and Ehud Olmert, have been saying for years.

    Sign the petition now!

  • Are Dumb Foreign Policies Holding Us Back On Addressing Climate Change?

    The New York Times says President Obama has a difficult choice to make on the Keystone XL pipeline decision because the conservative Canadian government is going to be upset with him and might retaliate. But most of the reasons that the Times cites for Obama to be concerned about rejecting the pipeline, from past Canadian support for US war and sanctions policies in Afghanistan and Iran, to whether Canada buys F-35 fighter jets, to replacing Venezuelan oil in Gulf refineries, are about pursuing US foreign policies that the overwhelming majority of Americans have no stake in.

    Dumb foreign policies shouldn't trump the interests of the American—and global—public. Tell President Obama to reject the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline.

    Are you a resident or citizen of the US? Click here to email President Obama and Congress.

    The sample emails below are 100% editable! Feel free to change the language as you please.

  • Are Dumb Foreign Policies Holding Us Back On Addressing Climate Change?

    The New York Times says President Obama has a difficult choice to make on the Keystone XL pipeline decision because the conservative Canadian government is going to be upset with him and might retaliate. But most of the reasons that the Times cites for Obama to be concerned about rejecting the pipeline, from past Canadian support for US war and sanctions policies in Afghanistan and Iran, to whether Canada buys F-35 fighter jets, to replacing Venezuelan oil in Gulf refineries, are about pursuing US foreign policies that the overwhelming majority of Americans have no stake in.

    Dumb foreign policies shouldn't trump the interests of the American—and global—public. Tell President Obama and Congress to reject the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline.

    Outside the US? Click here to email President Obama only.

    The sample emails below are 100% editable! Feel free to change the language as you please.

  • Are Dumb Foreign Policies Holding Us Back On Addressing Climate Change?

    The New York Times says President Obama has a difficult choice to make on the Keystone XL pipeline decision because the conservative Canadian government is going to be upset with him and might retaliate. But most of the reasons that the Times cites for Obama to be concerned about rejecting the pipeline, from past Canadian support for US war and sanctions policies in Afghanistan and Iran, to whether Canada buys F-35 fighter jets, to replacing Venezuelan oil in Gulf refineries, are about pursuing US foreign policies that the overwhelming majority of Americans have no stake in.

    Dumb foreign policies shouldn't trump the interests of the American—and global—public. Tell President Obama to reject the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline.

  • Hey, Sen. Feinstein, Read the New York Times!

    According to Politico, California Senator Dianne Feinstein recently said she wasn't aware of reports that the CIA was counting all "military-aged males" as "combatants" when they are killed by US drone strikes, although this was a key revelation in a major New York Times expose on drone strike policy in May, a report that was widely echoed at the time, and the question of whether the CIA is doing this is crucial to understanding whether U.S. officials have told the truth when they have said that civilian casualties from drone strikes have been "exceedingly rare."

    Sign our petition urging Dianne Feinstein to get subscriptions to the New York Times for herself and her staff.

  • Urge the Senate to Press Brennan on Drone Strikes

    At long last, the Administration has released a "white paper" explaining its legal rationale for conducting drone strikes on Americans. Why did this happen? Because of pressure.

    What might more pressure accomplish?

    John Brennan is appearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday for his confirmation hearing as director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

    Urge your Senators to press John Brennan on US drone strike policy, by using the form below.

  • Tell the Senate: No Filibuster on Hagel Nomination!

    Incredibly, some Republican Senators are threatening to filibuster President Obama's nomination of Chuck Hagel to be Secretary of Defense. In the whole 40 year history of the 60 vote rule, no-one has ever filibustered a Cabinet nomination.

    Call your Senators through the Capitol Switchboard at 202-225-3121. Urge them to support and vote for the confirmation of President Obama's nomination of Chuck Hagel to be Secretary of Defense, and to vigorously oppose any attempt to filibuster the nomination. When you're done with your call, report it here.

    If you're not able to call, you can write to your Senators, using the form below.

  • WaPo: Ask the Public an Unbiased Question on Drone Strikes

    A key reason many in Congress haven't spoken up against the drone strike policy is that many believe the public overwhelmingly supports the policy. A key reason many believe the public overwhelmingly supports the drone strike policy is that the Washington Post said so in February 2012.

    But the question the Washington Post asked in its February 2012 poll, and the way the Post reported it, were highly misleading. And in the last year, a lot of criticism has appeared in mainstream press of the drone strike policy that hadn't appeared before.

    As the Senate considers the nomination of John Brennan to head the CIA, where he will oversee CIA drone strikes, urge the Washington Post to ask the public an unbiased question on drone strikes.

    Note to those outside the US and Canada: The "State" field is not required. You can leave it blank.

  • What will happen in Palestine this Weekend?

    Every weekend since the beginning of January, Palestinian nonviolent activists have erected tent villages in the West Bank to protest Netanyahu's confiscation of Palestinian land for Israeli settlements. We're asking concerned members to help spread the word about these protests as the news breaks. Sign the pledge and we'll send you an email when the next village goes up.

    To those outside the US and Canada: You do not have to enter a state. Just leave the field blank.

  • No U.S. Drone Strikes in Mali Without Congressional Approval

    France has undertaken a major military campaign in Mali. Some U.S. officials are talking about the possibility of supporting the French military campaign with US drone strikes. The Los Angeles Times reports that the Pentagon is pressing for greater U.S. military involvement, but the White House is resisting.

    Congress hasn't authorized U.S. military intervention in Mali. In particular, Congress hasn't authorized US drone strikes in Mali.

    Urge President Obama to obtain explicit Congressional authorization before conducting drone strikes in Mali, by using the form below.

    US Residents: You can write to President Obama and your members of Congress by following this link.

  • No U.S. Drone Strikes in Mali Without Congressional Approval

    France has undertaken a major military campaign in Mali. Some U.S. officials are talking about the possibility of supporting the French military campaign with US drone strikes. The Los Angeles Times reports that the Pentagon is pressing for greater U.S. military involvement, but the White House is resisting.

    Congress hasn't authorized U.S. military intervention in Mali. In particular, Congress hasn't authorized US drone strikes in Mali.

    Urge your Representative and Senators to publicly insist that the Pentagon obtain explicit Congressional authorization before conducting drone strikes in Mali, by using the form below.

    To those not matched to the right Representative: If you are in a split district and are matched to the wrong Representative when you enter your street address, look up your ZIP+4 at USPS.com and try entering that.

    To those outside the US: You can write to President Obama by following this link.

  • Senators: Question Brennan and Other Admin Nominees on Drone Policy!

    President Obama has announced his picks for his national security leadership team: Chuck Hagel at Defense, John Kerry at State, John Brennan at CIA. But first, each of these nominees must face a Senate confirmation hearing where Senators will be able to ask—and Administration nominees answer—questions about U.S. drone strike policy in open session.

    Urge the President and the Senate to use this opportunity to increase the transparency and accountability of U.S. drone strike policy.

    To those outside US: You do not have to select a state. Just leave the field blank.

  • Call for a Christmas Ceasefire in Afghanistan
    British and German troops fraternize during 1914 Christmas Truce.

    In December 1914, Pope Benedict XV called for a "Christmas Truce" in the First World War. Leaders on all sides were forced to respond to the Pope's call. No formal truce was agreed, but across the trenches of the Western Front many soldiers on all sides observed the Christmas truce the Pope had called for.

    Today the war in Afghanistan continues killing Americans and Afghans for no reason. If Pope Benedict XVI - the current Pope - called on Western leaders to announce an offensive ceasefire in Afghanistan for the Christmas holiday, Western leaders would have to respond. If we could stop the war for one day, it would set an important precedent, making it easier to achieve a lasting ceasefire and an end to the war.

    Pope Benedict XVI has just inaugurated the use of a Twitter account. The Pope already has a million followers on Twitter, and the fact that he is now on Twitter is in the news. Sign and tweet our petition, and people around the world will see your appeal for the Pope to call for a Christmas ceasefire.

  • Ceasefire! But Still Work To Be Done.

    A ceasefire is currently in effect between Israel and Hamas, but both sides still need to work toward a durable peace.

    Tell President Obama and Congress to press for a political agreement that permanently ends the violence between Israel and Hamas and ends the Israeli blockade of Gaza.

    If you are in the US, click here to email President Obama and your Members of Congress.

  • Ceasefire! But Still Work To Be Done.

    A ceasefire is currently in effect between Israel and Hamas, but both sides still need to work toward a durable peace.

    Tell President Obama and Congress to press for a political agreement that permanently ends the violence between Israel and Hamas and ends the Israeli blockade of Gaza.

    If you are outside the US, click here to email President Obama only.

  • WaPo calls for more debate on drone strikes! Let's respond

    The Washington Post editorial board says: "the means and objectives of drone attacks — and the Obama administration’s steps toward institutionalizing the system — deserve much more debate than they have attracted during the presidential campaign."

    Let's show the Washington Post editorial board we agree with their call for more debate by getting some letters into the Post challenging the drone strike policy. We've tried to make it easy for you by setting up the form and talking points below.

    Guidelines:

    - To increase the chance that your letter is printed, it's crucial to try to use your own words. The Post is much less likely to print something that looks like a form letter. A short letter in your own words is much better than a long letter where you copy and paste.

    - Your letter is much more likely to be printed if: you keep your letter to under 200 words, refer specifically to the editorial, avoid harsh language (especially towards the Post), cite mainstream sources, find something to praise in the editorial, and don't post your letter anywhere else until you know if the Post is considering it for publication.

    - After 3-4 days if you haven't received any response from the Post (other than an auto-reply) it's probably safe to assume they're not going to print it and you could try to adapt your letter for your local newspaper. Local newspapers are often more open to printing letters that don't respond to something specific in their paper, so if you can't find a hook in the paper you can just have your letter respond to the issue in general.

    Talking Points

    Avoid copying these points directly as editors are looking for original letters, not form letters.

    • Agree with the editorial for saying that drone strike policy deserves more debate.
    • Challenge the editorial for claiming that U.S. drone strikes obey U.S. and international law.
    • Note that the Post editorial claimed that "War against al-Qaeda and those who harbor it was authorized in 2001 by Congress." But Congress' 2001 authorization of military force targeted people deemed responsible for the 9/11 attacks and those who "harbored" them, not those who might "harbor" such people in the future.
    • Note that while the U.S. has the right under international law to defend itself against attacks on its homeland, as the Post says, the right of self-defense is not a blank check to do anything. In particular, for example, attacks on rescuers with "secondary" or follow-up strikes clearly violate international law, regardless of whether the U.S. claims it is conducting a lawful war in self-defense.
  • Tell the Top Talk Shows to Follow Up on Monday Night's Drone Question

    Just Foreign Policy supporters urged Bob Schieffer to ask a question on drones—and he did!

    During Monday night's presidential debate, moderator Bob Schieffer asked a direct question on a candidate's drone strike policy, which is more than had been raised in any previous debate this election season. Unfortunately, Schieffer only asked Mitt Romney the question—and let President Obama completely off the hook.

    But that doesn't mean that the question was a failure. Simply raising the issue during the debate has led to a wave of media interest in US drone strike policy. Perhaps the most notable discussion occurred on MSNBC's Morning Joe when Joe Scarborough, the host and a former Republican congressman, challenged Joe Klein's defense of US drone strike policy with a passionate and well-reasoned argument against drone strikes. And that's a true victory.

    If Morning Joe can have a substantive debate about drone strikes, then other top news talk programs ought to be able to do so as well.

    Tell Bob Schieffer and other top talk show hosts to follow up on Monday night's drone question by facilitating a real discussion about drone strike policy. You can also tweet these and other hosts here.

  • In Next Debate, Let's Get a Question on Drones

    During the last two presidential debates, the foreign policy discussion—what little there has been—has largely centered around the murder of four members of the US embassy staff in Benghazi. But while these four deaths were certainly grievous, the killing of hundreds of civilians in Pakistan from US drone strikes has so far been ignored—and that's outrageous.

    But we may be able to change that. Next Monday, October 22, President Obama and Mitt Romney will face off in the final debate before election day—and the entire debate will be dedicated to foreign policy issues. Drones deserve a place in the discussion.

    Tell moderator Bob Schieffer to ask a question on drones during Monday's presidential debate on foreign policy.

  • Tell Congress What the U.S. Ambassador Acknowledged on Drone Strikes

    Until recently, U.S. officials have largely refused to engage, publicly and on the record, on specific criticisms of U.S. drone strike policy in Pakistan. But now, Acting U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Richard Hoagland has gone on the record to defend the details of U.S. drone strike policy in a meeting with Just Foreign Policy and other U.S. peace delegates in Pakistan.

    Urge your representatives in Congress to follow up on what has been acknowledged, like the fact that the U.S. could compensate civilian drone strike victims and their families.

  • Petition: End US Drone Strikes in Pakistan

    U.S drone strikes in Pakistan are coming under unprecedented scrutiny. A recent report by a joint Stanford/NYU team of researchers highlights civilian deaths, "signature strikes" against unknown targets, "secondary strikes" that include attacks on civilian rescuers, and how the drone strike policy is turning Pakistani public opinion against the United States.

    Sign our petition against U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan using the form below.

     

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  • Tell MTP: Challenge False Information on Iran

    On September 16, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared on US Sunday talk shows, scaremongering about Iran's nuclear program. Meet the Press allowed Netanyahu to give a completely false picture of the Iran nuclear issue, without challenging his scaremongering through reference to known facts.

    This sort of permissiveness pervades mainstream media coverage on Iran. That's why Just Foreign Policy and the National Iranian American Council have launched a new campaign, the Iran Media Fact Check.

    Tell Meet the Press that this is not acceptable: real journalism requires challenging false statements from politicians, particularly when these statements could provide a pretext for war.

  • Tell Obama: Free the TPP!

    Representatives from eleven countries are formulating the ultimate “free trade” agreement—the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)—but they don't want the public to know what terms are on the table. Not even members of the US Congress know the full extent of what's being negotiated.

    But the message of FreeTPP.org is spreading! Since its launch last month, our website and bounty for the release of the TPP text has received some impressive media coverage, including appearances in TechDirt, the Guardian, and Nature magazine. Our reward has shot up to nearly $35,000. And our “Wanted” flyers made a big splash at the stakeholder's forum on September 9th.

    Now, let's turn up the heat on our elected officials. Tell President Obama and your representatives in Congress to help free the TPP!

  • No to Haqqani Terrorist Designation!

    Administration policy in Afghanistan "heavily depends on a political solution," as a U.S. official recently told the Washington Post. But the military and some in Congress are pressing Secretary of State Clinton to designate the Haqqani network, part of the Afghan Taliban, as a terrorist group, even though White House and State Department officials say this would obstruct a prisoner exchange needed to free Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl and would obstruct peace talks needed to end the war.

    Urge President Obama and your representatives in Congress to oppose moves that would obstruct peace talks, prolong the war, and obstruct the release of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, by using the form below.

  • NYT: Investigate Four Questions Surrounding Assange Case

    Until now, major media have allowed U.S., British and Swedish officials to get away with claiming that the British and Swedish legal pursuit of Julian Assange has nothing to do with the prospect of a U.S. prosecution of WikiLeaks, even though there is considerable evidence to the contrary. Recent developments in the case have given media an opportunity to revisit the issue.

    Join us in urging the New York Times to pursue four basic questions whose answers are crucial to judging claims that there is no connection between the cases, and no danger that Assange would be extradited from Sweden to the United States, by signing the petition below.

  • Arming human rights abusers in Bahrain? There oughta be a law!

    The U.S. is arming the monarchy in Bahrain even as the Bahrain government cracks down on peaceful protests for democracy and human rights, while the U.S. says nothing. Rep. Raul Grijalva has introduced legislation, the Arms Sale Responsibility Act of 2012 (H.R. 5749), that would block U.S. arms sales to countries that engage in gross violations of human rights.

    Urge your Representative to support Grijalva's bill by using the form below.

  • UK: Don't Allow US Extradition of Assange

    Since June 19, Wikileaks' Julian Assange has been holed up in the Ecuadorean embassy in London while his application for political asylum is reviewed. Meanwhile, Ecuadorean officials have been trying to reach a diplomatic resolution by seeking assurances from the US, UK, and Swedish governments that Assange will not be extradited to the United States if he travels to Sweden for questioning. But all three governments have remained silent on the issue. It is also being reported that the Swedish government has refused an offer to interview Assange at the Ecuadorean embassy.

    But there is still hope. A senior legal advisor to the Ecuadoreans told the Guardian that the UK must waive what is called “specialty” for Assange to be extradited to the US after proceedings in Sweden are complete. If the UK were to give assurances that they would not waive specialty, Assange would be safe to venture to Sweden for questioning.

    To date, there hasn't been much public pressure on the UK government to declare its intentions with regard to Assange. Let's change that. Sign our petition pressing the UK to publicly declare that it will not waive specialty in the case of Julian Assange.

    **Note to those outside the US and Canada: The only required fields in this form are your first and last name, email, and country. You can leave everything else blank.**

  • House Must Sanction Bachmann for Anti-Muslim McCarthyism

    Rep. Michele Bachmann is using her position on the House Intelligence Committee to promote a conspiracy theory that government officials, including State Department official Huma Abedin, are part of a Muslim Brotherhood plot to infiltrate the U.S. government. Bachmann also claims that Rep. Keith Ellison is tied to the Muslim Brotherhood. Bachmann has refused to apologize or back down, even after prominent Republicans like Senator John McCain demanded that she stop.

    Urge your Representative to support sanctions on Bachmann, including her removal from the Intelligence Committee, by using the form below.

  • A Great Week to Cut the Pentagon Budget and End the War!

    The 2013 "Defense" Appropriations Bill is expected to be voted on in the House this week. It would spend $519 billion for the "non-war" Pentagon budget plus $88.4 billion more on the war in Afghanistan. The bill would allocate 57% of all federal discretionary spending to the military, at a time when some want to cut spending on food stamps, claiming there is not enough money.

    Members will be introducing amendments to cut the military budget, to end the war in Afghanistan, and to draw down troops in Europe. Urge your Representative to support these amendments by using the form below.

  • Tell Sweden: Promise No US Extradition of Assange!
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    Many are claiming that Julian Assange faces no danger of being extradited from Sweden to the US if handed over to Swedish authorities. But recent comments by US officials, including the US Justice Department and California Senator Dianne Feinstein, reaffirm US intentions to try to prosecute Assange under the Espionage Act.

    Join us in urging the Swedish authorities to pledge not to extradite Julian to the US by signing our petition below; then forward the petition to @Sweden and @CarlBildt so we can generate discussion in Sweden about the danger of extradition to the US.

    **Note to those outside the US and Canada: The only required fields in this form are your first and last name, email, and country. You can leave the state field blank.**

  • Urge President Correa to Grant Asylum to Julian Assange
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    WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who fears being extradited to the U.S. to face charges of violating the Espionage Act for his role in leaking U.S. diplomatic cables, has asked Ecuador for political asylum.

    Please sign our petition to Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa urging him to grant Julian Assange's request for political asylum.

    This petition was delivered to the Ecuadorian Embassy in London on Monday, June 25, but it is still open for signatures. You can watch a video of the delivery here.

    **Note to those outside the US and Canada: The only required fields in this form are your first and last name, email, and country. You can leave the state field blank.**

  • Support Justice for LGBT People in Honduras
    Erick Martinez, Honduran journalist and LGBT leader, was killed on May 5, 2012. Share this action on Twitter Share

    Since June 2009, when a military coup ousted democratically-elected president Manuel Zelaya, there has seen a marked rise in human rights abuses in Honduras. The LGBT community has been especially affected. Honduran human rights organizations have reported 70 LGBT murders since the coup, many of which have received only nominal attention and remain unresolved.

    Rep. Jared Polis is circulating a letter in the House calling on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to urge the Honduran government to take immediate steps toward investigating and resolving these crimes.

    Will you ask your Representative to sign the Polis letter urging the US to push for investigations into LGBT murders in Honduras?

  • Tell your Rep to Oppose Drone Strikes that Kill Civilians
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    This week, the New York Times reported that the U.S. government has declared by fiat that it will count any "military-age male" killed by a U.S. drone strike as a "combatant" unless it is proved otherwise. That helps explain how U.S. officials could claim that few "civilians" have been killed by U.S. drone strikes.

    Reps. Dennis Kucinich and John Conyers are circulating a Congressional letter to President Obama, pressing the Administration to communicate with Congress about U.S. policy on drone strikes, particularly concerning civilian casualties and so-called "signature strikes" against unknown people. The Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict, Amnesty International and other groups are pressing the Administration on the same demands. Pressing the Administration to speak honestly and openly with Congress and the American people about its drone strike policy is the first step to stopping the U.S. from killing and harming civilians with drone strikes.

    Urge your Representative to sign the Kucinich-Conyers letter demanding transparency in the drone strike policy by using the form below.

  • Tell Congress: Urge UN to Alleviate Cholera Crisis in Haiti
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    The United Nations bears heavy responsibility for the ongoing cholera epidemic in Haiti—it has become widely accepted that UN troops introduced the disease into the country via the UN's faulty sanitation system. Even a UN panel has conceded this point. Yet, the UN has done little to treat, prevent, and control the disease. Rep. John Conyers' office is circulating a letter to Amb. Rice urging UN authorities to play a central role in addressing the ongoing cholera crisis in Haiti.

    Tell your Representative to sign the letter using the form below.

  • Support Turkey's Opposition to Israeli Participation in NATO Summit
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    The Republic of Turkey has objected to the participation of the government of Israel in the upcoming NATO summit in Chicago, citing the Israeli government's failure to apologize or make restitution for its deadly raid on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla in 2010, which killed Turkish citizens and an American citizen.

    Join us in supporting the Republic of Turkey's position by signing the petition below.

     

  • Tell the House: Exit Afghanistan, No Iran War, End "Signature" Drone Strikes
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    This week, the House is considering the National Defense Authorization Act. Amendments will be offered to expedite military withdrawal from Afghanistan, to oppose war with Iran, to cut the military budget, and to end "signature" drone strikes that target people without knowing who will be killed.

    Call your Representative in the House, and urge your Representative in the House to support amendments to expedite Afghanistan withdrawal, prevent war with Iran, prohibit "signature" drone strikes. FCNL has provided a toll-free number to reach the Capitol Switchboard: 1-877-429-0678. You can then ask to be transferred to your Rep's office. It is likely that calling your Representative will have the most impact at this time.

    But if you're not able to call this time, you can write to your Representative using the form below.

  • Palestinian hunger strikers near death. Where is the State Department?

    More than 1600 Palestinian prisoners are on hunger strike. Ten have been hospitalized; two have been characterized as "near death." The prisoners are protesting "administrative detention" - detention without charge - solitary confinement, and denial of family visits.

    Urge the State Department to speak up to save the lives of the hunger strikers and to protest the detention of Palestinians without charge or trial, by signing and tweeting the petition below.

  • Tell the UN to Take Responsibility for Cholera in Haiti
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    Prior to October 2010, there had not been a reported incident of cholera in Haiti in over a century. Since then, over 500,000 cases have been reported, including 7,000 deaths. Scientific evidence strongly suggests that UN troops from Nepal, which was suffering from an outbreak of the disease at the time, carried cholera with them to their assignment in Haiti. Then the UN's faulty sanitation system contaminated a tributary of the Artibonite River, the longest and most important river in Haiti. Even a UN panel has conceded this point. Bill Clinton, who serves as UN Special Envoy to Haiti, has admitted that UN troops were the "proximate cause" of the epidemic, and US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice has acknowledged that the UN played a role. Yet, the UN refuses to accept formal responsibility and it has done little to help treat, prevent, and control the disease.

    Tell the UN to take responsibility for introducing cholera into Haiti and to help stop the epidemic. Sign the petition below.

  • John Brennan: Tell the Whole Truth About Drone Strikes
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    White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan has publicly acknowledged the Obama administration's use of drone strikes against suspected terrorists in countries with which the United States is not at war. But Brennan didn't tell the whole truth about the CIA drone strikes. Brennan claimed that "the United States government conducts targeted strikes against specific al-Qaeda terrorists." What Brennan didn't say was that the CIA has launched drone strikes in Pakistan and Yemen without knowing who would be killed, against people who are not on any list of "suspected terrorists."

    Sign our petition demanding that White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan tell the American people the whole truth about CIA drone strikes.

  • No to "Signature" Drone Strikes in Yemen and Pakistan
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    The U.S. government has been increasingly carrying out drone strikes in countries with which America is not at war, and killing people with drone strikes who have no dispute with the United States. Last week, 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."

    But such "signature strikes" increase the risk of killing innocent civilians, as well as the risk of killing people who have no dispute with the United States. This week, the New York Times and the Washington Post reported that authority to expand the drone war in Yemen has been granted, but that drone strikes in Yemen will still be more restricted than they have been in Pakistan.

    Urge President Obama and your representatives in Congress to oppose "signature" drone strikes in Yemen and Pakistan.

  • Why is the New York Times peddling Iranophobia?
    Screenshot of the NYT article in question.
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    At long last, the United States and Iran are engaged in serious talks about Iran's nuclear program. But instead of celebrating the fact that President Obama is keeping his campaign promise of diplomatic engagement with Iran, the New York Times has told its readers that Iran's Supreme Leader can't be trusted when he says Iran will never pursue a nuclear weapon. The reason? Because Iran's leaders are Shiites, and Shiites have a religious doctrine called "taqiyya," which allows them to lie. No scholar or analyst was cited by the New York Times in support of this argument, which should have been a red flag for Times editors in an article on the leadership of a country against which the United States has threatened war.

    Join us in urging the New York Times's Public Editor to investigate why dubious and unsubstantiated claims about Islam are appearing in the paper as news analysis.

  • Demand Release of Bahraini Human Rights Defenders
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    A man imprisoned for life for supporting democracy in Bahrain has been on hunger strike for more than two months and is widely feared to be near death. Meanwhile, the Formula One race is about to take place in Bahrain, over the protests of democracy activists.

    Urge the Obama Administration and Congress to demand the release of Bahrainis imprisoned for supporting nonviolent protests for democracy by using the form below.

  • Help Rand Paul Call the Question on War with Iran
    Sen. Rand Paul introducing his amendment to S. 2101.
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    Before we have any military conflict with Iran, the Senate and the House should have at least one debate and vote on it. That's what the Constitution and the law require; that's what the public interest requires. And it would be better to start that debate now, when there is still a chance of rational discussion, than in the wake of some Gulf of Tonkin incident, when cable news and talk radio could steamroll Congress.

    Kentucky Senator Rand Paul has called the question, blocking unanimous approval of a new Iran sanctions bill to force consideration of an amendment affirming that nothing in the bill would authorize the use of military force, and that military force would require explicit Congressional authorization.

    Urge your Senators and Representative to support amending any pending Iran sanctions legislation to affirm that it does not authorize the use of military force and that any use of military force must be explicitly authorized by Congress, using the form below.

  • Iran war fever? Be the antidote with Barbara Lee
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    Be an antidote to Iran war fever. Urge your Representative to support Rep. Barbara Lee's bill, HR 4173, which would, among other things, direct the President to repeal the State Department's "no contact" policy and appoint a Special Envoy to Iran to help prevent war. And urge the President not to heed voices calling for the U.S. to remove a group believed responsible for the assassination of Iranian scientists from the State Department's list of foreign terrorist organizations, a move that would further escalate tensions.

  • Help Conyers Press Obama to Name Sachs to World Bank
    Jeffrey Sachs has put his name in the hat for World Bank President.
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    Since its founding, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development - the World Bank - has been headed by Wall Street bankers and politicians.

    Now, President Obama has an opportunity to change history by nominating development expert Jeffrey Sachs to be the next President of the World Bank.

    Representative John Conyers is circulating a letter to President Obama, asking the President to nominate Sachs. Ask your Representative to sign Conyers' letter. The deadline is COB Monday, March 12.

  • Say NO to AIPAC! Say NO to War with Iran!
    AIPAC's 2012 congressional agenda sets a new precedent in boldness.
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    It's that time of year again: AIPAC is pressuring Congress to support a new round of unjust and dangerous policies in the Middle East. At the top of their agenda is legislation that aims to pressure the President to shift the condition under which the US is willing to go to war with Iran from preventing Iran's acquisition of a nuclear weapon to preventing its development of a nuclear weapons capability—essentially providing the political authorization for war with Iran at the earliest convenience.

    We cannot afford to stay quiet on this one. Tell your representatives to say NO to war with Iran by opposing S. Res. 380 and H. Res. 586.

  • Tell Congress: Stand Up for Diplomatic Engagement with Iran
    Reps. Keith Ellison (above) and Walter Jones are circulating a letter calling for real diplomacy with Iran.
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    The U.S. media is full of warmongering against Iran. We need to raise the profile of Members of Congress who oppose war and support diplomacy.

    Ask your Representative to sign a letter to President Obama initiated by Rep. Keith Ellison and Rep. Walter Jones, urging the President to redouble diplomatic efforts to reach a negotiated agreement with Iran over its disputed nuclear program.

  • Free U.S. policy toward Bahrain from the chess game with Iran
    An injured protester is carried away in Bahrain. Share this action on Twitter Share

    It's not right for U.S. officials to pontificate about human rights abuses in Syria, where the U.S. has little influence, but then to stay quiet while human rights are abused in Bahrain, where the U.S. has much more influence, because it's claimed that staying quiet about abuses by the government of Bahrain serves U.S. policy against Iran.

    Join us in urging President Obama and Congress to delink U.S. policy on Bahrain from U.S. policy towards Iran, so the U.S. can end its silence over the crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Bahrain, by using the form below.

  • Tell Obama: Be Clear There's No Proof Iran has Nuclear Weapons Program
    President Obama talks to NBC's Matt Lauer about Iran on Super Bowl Sunday. Share this action on Twitter Share

    In a recent interview, President Obama said administration officials "don’t see any evidence" that Iran has the "intentions or capabilities" to mount an attack on U.S. soil. He also said that he does not believe Israel has made a decision to attack Iran. That's welcome. But the President also said: "I think [the Israelis], like us, believe that Iran has to stand down on its nuclear weapons program."

    Claiming that Iran has a "nuclear weapons program," when that unproven allegation is the subject of dispute, ratchets up tensions and plays into the hands of those who want a military confrontation. Defense Secretary Panetta had it right when he said on CBS' Face the Nation on January 8, "Are they trying to develop a nuclear weapon? No."

    Urge President Obama to cool tensions by clarifying that the U.S. has no proof that Iran has a nuclear weapons program.

  • Oppose New Arms Sales to Bahrain As It Blocks Rights Monitors
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    While the Obama Administration has delayed a planned $53 million arms sale to Bahrain due to human rights concerns and congressional opposition, administration officials have told congressional offices they intend to move forward with a new and different package of arms sales, without any formal notification to Congress or the public.

    Senator Ron Wyden [D-OR] and Representative Jim McGovern [D-MA] are circulating to their colleagues a letter to Secretary of State Clinton expressing opposition to any new arms sale. The letter closes Wednesday. Ask your Senators and Representative to sign the Wyden-McGovern letter, using the form below.

  • Urge Obama: In Iran Diplomacy, Go for a Feasible Deal Now
    President Obama commits numerous times to pursuing diplomacy with Iran during the presidential campaign.
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    While the U.S. and Iran are currently on a path of confrontation, the Obama Administration has reportedly drafted a confidence-building measure in which Iran would halt its 20% uranium enrichment and the West would provide fuel for Iran's medical research reactor, which is used to treat Iranian cancer patients.

    Urge President Obama to vigorously pursue this proposal, using the form below.

  • Don't Let Romney Sabotage Afghan Peace Talks
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    Mitt Romney and some Members of Congress are trying to sabotage the Obama Administration's efforts to start peace talks with the Afghan Taliban in order to end the war in Afghanistan.

    Join us in pressing Congress to back peace talks to end the war by using the form below.

  • Stop Misrepresenting the Facts on Iran!
    Six Members of Congress blatantly misrepresented the known facts about Iran during a recent floor debate.
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    In a recent debate over a new round of sanctions against Iran, six members of Congress blatantly misrepresented the findings of November's IAEA report and what is known about Iran's nuclear program.

    But this wasn't an isolated case. Ever since November, distortions have saturated the public discourse on Iran--including remarks coming out of Congress.

    Make sure your representatives know the facts--and make them aware that you're watching what they say. Tell them to stick to the facts: there's no proof that Iran is trying to acquire a nuclear weapon. Feel free to edit the letter as you see fit.

  • Tell PBS, NPR: No proof Iran has a nuclear weapons program
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    Publicly-financed media PBS and NPR have promoted, as if they were known fact, claims that Iran has a nuclear weapons program, even though no proof has been advanced that Iran has a nuclear weapons program. Even Defense Secretary Panetta says, "Are they trying to develop a nuclear weapon? No."

    Join us in calling on PBS and NPR to correct their reporting by emailing their corrections and ombudsmen.

    Note: To contact the NPR ombudsman, copy the text below for NPR corrections. Then go to NPR's contact form to submit your complaint.

    UPDATE: NPR and PBS respond.

  • Tell NBC: There are UN nuclear inspectors in Iran
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    Republican Presidential hopeful Rick Santorum told NBC's David Gregory on “Meet the Press” that he would bomb Iran's nuclear facilities unless they were opened to inspection. But Iran's nuclear facilities are already under UN inspection. David Gregory didn't do his job when he failed to point out that Iran's nuclear facilities are already under inspection, letting the misinformation stand.

    Urge NBC to correct the record and to report this correctly in the future using the form below.

  • For Christmas, Press for a Cease-Fire in Afghanistan
    British and German troops fraternize during 1914 Christmas Truce.
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    Don't you think it would be a good thing if President Obama would order U.S. forces in Afghanistan to cease offensive actions on Christmas? Wouldn't it be a step forward if, for one night, Afghan civilians knew that U.S. forces wouldn't break into their homes, endangering their lives? Wouldn't that be a great way for U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan to celebrate Christmas—to take the day off from offensive military action?

    Sign our petition to President Obama urging him to declare an offensive cease-fire in Afghanistan for Christmas as a goodwill gesture to promote peace talks.

  • Your Representative May Unwittingly Sabotage Diplomacy with Iran--Contact Them Today!

    The importance of diplomacy with Iran, from the mouth of Barack Obama as candidate for President.

    Later this week, the House is expected to vote on a new round of broad, indiscriminate sanctions against Iran. This time, however, there is a special surprise concealed in the bill's depths: a provision which would restrict contact, both official and unofficial, between US government employees and Iranian officials who “present a threat to the United States” or are affiliated with terrorist organizations.

    This provision, if enacted, would undermine present and future US efforts to diplomatically resolve outstanding issues not only over Iran's nuclear program but also the conflict in Afghanistan. Worst of all, the bill has 358 cosponsors—and many of them don't even know that they're supporting such a measure.

    Your Representative may unwittingly sabotage the possibility of a diplomatic solution with Iran unless they hear from you! Email your member of Congress today and tell them: don't undermine diplomacy with Iran—vote “no” on HR 1905, the “Iran Threat Reduction Act.”

  • Tell Your Senators: Speed Afghan Withdrawal, Oppose War with Iran

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    The National Defense Authorization Act is now before the Senate. This is an opportunity for Senators to support an accelerated withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan and to formally end the war in Iraq. Unfortunately, it's also an opportunity for Senators to push the U.S. further towards military confrontation with Iran.

    Will you write to your Senators and urge them to press for an expedited military withdrawal from Afghanistan, to repeal the authorization for the use of force in Iraq, and to oppose new sanctions on Iran that could push us towards a military conflict?

  • Freedom Waves Activists Jailed

    Activists and members of the press who were aboard the two ships that comprised the Freedom Waves flotilla are now being held in Givon jail in Israel. Two Americans were on board the Tahrir: activist Kit Kittredge and Democracy Now! reporter Jihan Hafiz. While US Embassy officials have met with both of them, neither has been allowed direct contact with their friends or family. They are expected to be held at least overnight.

    Meanwhile, reports are surfacing that the activists aboard the Tahrir and the Saoirse met with an undue amount of violence when the Israeli navy commandeered their ships. The IDF's own video of the operation shows the employment of a high pressure water canon and armed soldiers pointing guns at passengers.

    Demand that the United States act in the interests of its citizens. Tell President Obama to rebuke Israel for its treatment of those aboard the Tahrir and the Saoirse and to press for the unconditional release of Kit Kittredge and Jihan Hafiz, as well as the activists from other nations.

  • Shalit is Free. Lift the Siege of Gaza Now

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    With the recent release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in a prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas, the international community has a window of opportunity to press for ending the blockade of Gaza.

    Ask President Obama and your representatives in Congress to press for the closure of Gaza to be lifted by using the form below.

  • Ask Congress to Oppose the Bahrain Arms Deal

    Protestors in Bahrain. Share this action on Twitter Share

    While the U.S. has been vocal about human rights abuses in Libya, Syria, and Iran, the Administration has been mostly quiet about the harsh crackdown against the democracy movement in Bahrain, a U.S. ally. Victims of the crackdown have demanded that the U.S. show consistency and speak forcefully about human rights abuses in Bahrain. Instead, the Pentagon intends to sell $53 million worth of armored Humvees and anti-tank missiles to Bahrain, an action likely to be interpreted in Bahrain as a U.S. seal of approval on the anti-democracy crackdown of Bahrain's government.

    Representative Jim McGovern and Senator Ron Wyden have introduced a joint resolution of disapproval to block the Pentagon's planned arms sale. Broad Congressional support for this resolution would increase pressure on the Administration to speak up about human rights in Bahrain.

    Ask your Representative and Senators to add pressure on the Administration to change its policy on Bahrain by signing the McGovern-Wyden resolution.

  • Tell Obama to Establish a Public Timetable for Full Withdrawal from Afghanistan

    When President Obama announced his plan for a drawdown from Afghanistan this past June, he failed to mention when, exactly, a full withdrawal would be completed. If the Pentagon gets its way, up to 20,000 US troops may be left in Afghanistan from 2015 until at least 2024.

    We cannot allow this to happen. Join us in telling President Obama to immediately establish a public timetable and deadline for full withdrawal from Afghanistan.

  • Cut the War Budget, Not Medicare Benefits

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    President Obama has proposed to cut Medicare spending by $248 billion over ten years. While the majority of cuts would come from overpayments to drug companies, the President's plan also includes cuts to Medicare benefits for consumers. Meanwhile, the President hasn't proposed any new cuts to the Pentagon's budget for war, even though the Pentagon wants to keep thousands of troops in Iraq and tens of thousands of troops in Afghanistan indefinitely. Moreover, the costs for these war proposals outstrip the savings that would be rendered by the proposed cuts to Medicare benefits.

    Urge the President and your representatives in Congress to cut the Pentagon's war budget not Medicare benefits by using the form below.

    Just Foreign Policy uses the private information you provide below to facilitate your action and keep you informed about this and similar campaigns. Just Foreign Policy will not will not share your personal information with any other organizations or unaffiliated third parties. Read our Privacy Policy >

  • Don't Punish Palestinians for Free Speech at U.N.

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    As the expected U.N. vote on recognizing Palestine as a state nears, threats of retaliation against the Palestinians for taking their case to the United Nations are increasing. A House appropriations subcommittee has already passed a bill that could cut off U.S. aid to the Palestinians if they refuse to drop their U.N. bid.

    There should be no dispute among fair-minded people that the Palestinians, like every other people, have the right to take their case to the United Nations, and that U.S. aid to the Palestinians should not be conditioned on giving up free speech rights at the U.N.

    Tell President Obama and your representatives in Congress that you oppose punishing the Palestinians for speaking their truth at the United Nations by using the form below.

    Just Foreign Policy uses the private information you provide below to facilitate your action and keep you informed about this and similar campaigns. Just Foreign Policy will not will not share your personal information with any other organizations or unaffiliated third parties. Read our Privacy Policy >

  • $200 Billion in "Real Savings" If We End the Wars "On Time"

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    By Thanksgiving, the Congressional "Super Committee" is supposed to come up with $1.2 trillion in debt reduction over 10 years. The Pentagon is currently pushing to keep 10,000 troops in Iraq and 25,000 troops in Afghanistan indefinitely. Stopping the Pentagon's plans by withdrawing our troops from Afghanistan and Iraq when we said we were going to would save at least $200 billion by 2021, 1/6 of the Super Committee's goal.

    Tell Congress to save $200 billion by urging the Super Committee to end the wars on time.

    Just Foreign Policy uses the private information you provide below to facilitate your action and keep you informed about this and similar campaigns. Just Foreign Policy will not will not share your personal information with any other organizations or unaffiliated third parties. Read our Privacy Policy >

  • "Super Committee" Should Cut the War Budget

    Rep. Lynn Woolsey is circulating a letter to the Super Committee urging them to end spending on the wars as part of the debt deal.
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    While some people want the "Super Committee" of Congress to cut Social Security benefits and raise the Medicare retirement age to reduce future government deficits, the possibility of cutting spending on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq has been largely ignored.

    Representative Lynn Woolsey is circulating a letter to the Super Committee calling on them to zero out future spending on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq as part of the debt deal.

    Urge your representatives in Congress and the President to put war spending on the table for cuts by using the form below.

    Just Foreign Policy uses the private information you provide below to facilitate your action and keep you informed about this and similar campaigns. Just Foreign Policy will not will not share your personal information with any other organizations or unaffiliated third parties. Read our Privacy Policy >

  • Exit Iraq on Time: Don't Let Obama Extend Bush's War!

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    Under intense pressure from the Obama administration, Iraqi leaders have agreed to negotiate a deal that would potentially leave thousands of U.S. troops in Iraq past the end of this year as "trainers".

    Representative Barbara Lee has introduced bipartisan legislation that would prevent an extension of the Iraq war by cutting funds for the war after December 31, 2011. This bill would require that the Obama administration stick to the schedule that the U.S. and Iraqi governments agreed upon in 2008 and that President Obama has touted as fulfillment of his campaign promise to end the Iraq war.

    Please write your Member of Congress urging him or her to co-sponsor H.R. 2757, the Iraq Withdrawal Accountability Act, which would cut funds for the Iraq war after the end of 2011.

    Just Foreign Policy uses the private information you provide below to facilitate your action and keep you informed about this and similar campaigns. Just Foreign Policy will not will not share your personal information with any other organizations or unaffiliated third parties. Read our Privacy Policy >

  • A Historic Opportunity to Cut Military Spending by a Trillion

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    The recent Washington agreement to raise the debt ceiling in exchange for budget cuts has created a historic opportunity for deep cuts in projected military spending--cuts that would help prevent future wars. By Thanksgiving, a joint House-Senate committee is supposed to recommend $1.5 trillion in cuts in projected spending over 10 years. Most of these cuts can come from the projected military budget.

    Urge the President and your representatives in Congress to put the projected military budget first in line for cuts.

  • Leave Iraq on Time: Don't Cut Social Security and Medicare to Pay for Occupation

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    While some in Washington want to cut Social Security benefits and raise the retirement age for Medicare, the White House and the Pentagon are planning to increase spending on the U.S. occupation of Iraq by extending the U.S. military presence in Iraq with no Congressional debate.

    Reps. Barbara Lee, Walter Jones, and 75 other Members of the House have a different idea: withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq on the schedule that the U.S. and Iraqi governments agreed upon in 2008 and that President Obama has touted as fulfillment of his campaign promise to end the Iraq war.

    Please write your Member of Congress urging him or her to sign the Lee-Jones letter to the President insisting that U.S. troops leave Iraq on time by using the form below.

  • Tell Washington: Don’t Veto Palestinian Independence!

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    The U.N. Security Council may soon consider the issue of the expected Palestinian application for admission to the United Nations as a member state. Admission of Palestine to the United Nations as a member state would strengthen the international movement for resolution of the Israel-Palestine conflict based on the two-state solution. But the U.S. government has indicated that it may block Palestinian independence by vetoing a recommendation by the U.N. Security Council of the Palestinian application for membership.

    Urge President Obama and your representatives in Congress to oppose blocking Palestine's bid for U.N. membership by using the form below.

  • 4 Wars = $4 Trillion. Tell Congress to END, not fund, the Wars!
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    End These Wars
    The final bill for U.S. wars could be as much as $4.4 trillion, according to a new report. This week, the House is expected to debate and vote on the Defense Appropriations bill, which will fund the wars and the Pentagon for the next fiscal year.  The House will vote on several amendments to the bill that would push for an end to the wars.

    1. Call your Representative

    Call your Representative now at: 888-231-9276.  Ask that your Representative support all amendments that will help end the wars in Afghanistan and Libya, and bring all the troops home.  For more details, check out our call script on our blog and let us know how it went on Twitter @justfp or on our blog.

    2. Write to your Representative

    Whether or not you can call, please write to your Representative by using the form below:

  • 1,000 U.S. Deaths in Afghan War Under Obama--Will your Rep Vote to End the Killing Next Week?
    US Deaths in Afghanistan: Obama vs Bush. Click here to learn more.

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    U.S. troop deaths in Afghanistan since President Obama took office are poised to pass 1,000. That means that, after managing the war for a mere quarter of its duration, Obama is responsible for nearly two-thirds of U.S. casualties in Afghanistan.

    But with your help, “the tide of war IS receding”--not, as the President claimed, in war-torn Afghanistan today or in his plan for a token drawdown, but in Congress. Next week, the House will vote on Rep. Barbara Lee's legislation to cut funding for the Afghanistan war, leaving funds for a safe withdrawal of U.S. troops.

    Rep. Lee's legislation to end the war in Afghanistan will be voted on next week as an amendment to the Pentagon funding bill. It will be a tremendous opportunity for Congress to send a strong signal of growing opposition to open-ended war and bring attention to this grim milestone that should remind our politicians of the incalculable cost of war.

  • Are YOUR Senators Speaking Out Against Unauthorized U.S. War in Libya?

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    With your help, the U.S. House of Representatives debated and passed several measures in the last few weeks to assert its widespread opposition to unauthorized U.S. military action in Libya.

    As the Senate prepares to have its own debate on the Libya conflict, Senators Jim Webb and Bob Corker have introduced a bi-partisan, joint resolution that would prohibit ground troops in Libya and call on the President to seek congressional authorization before continuing U.S. military operations in Libya.

    Call and/or write your Senators to urge them to co-sponsor S.J. Res. 18, which would limit U.S. military involvement in Libya and re-assert Congress’s war-making powers.

    1. Call your Senators

    Calling your Senators would have the most impact, so if you can call, please do. Here are instructions for calling your Senators' offices:

    1. You can reach the Capitol Switchboard by calling 1-888-231-9276, a number established by FCNL.
    2. Ask to be transferred to your Senator's office.
    3. Ask to speak to the staff person who handles foreign or military affairs. If you can't speak with this person, just leave a message with the individual who answered the phone.
    4. Say, “My name is _______ and I am from [YOUR CITY, YOUR STATE]. I strongly urge Senator X to co-sponsor S.J. Res. 18, the Webb-Corker bill which would prohibit ground troops in Libya and call on the President to seek congressional authorization for U.S. war in Libya."
    5. When you're done, please take a moment and report your call.

    2. Write to your Senators

    If you can't call, or as a follow-up to your call, please write to your Senators to urge them to vote yes on S.J. Res. 18 by using the form below.

  • House Vote FRIDAY Could End the War in Libya!

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    The Administration's decision to go to war in Libya without Congressional authorization, and to keep U.S. forces engaged in combat there past the 60 day limit of the War Powers Resolution, represents a dangerous erosion of Congressional authority over sending U.S. troops to war.

    Call and/or write your Representative to urge him or her to vote yes on H. Con. Res. 51, which would direct the President to remove US armed forces from the Libya conflict, pursuant to the War Powers Resolution.

    [Update 6/01/11 6pm ET: Voting for H. Con. Res. 51 is now scheduled for Friday, June 3.

    [Update 6/01/11 10am ET: Voting for H. Con. Res. 51 has been postponed. We'll post more information as we receive it.]

    1. Call your Representative

    Calling your Representative has more impact than emailing, so if you can call, please do. Here are instructions for calling your Rep.'s office:

    1. The Congressional switchboard is 202-225-3121.
    2. Ask to be transferred to your Rep's office.
    3. Ask to speak to the staff person who handles foreign or military affairs. If you can't speak with this person, just leave a message with the individual who answered the phone.
    4. Say, "I urge Rep. __ to vote yes on H. Con. Res. 51, which would direct the President to remove U.S. military forces from the Libya conflict, pursuant to the War Powers Resolution."
    5. When you're done, please take a moment and report your call.

    2. Write to your Representative

    If you can't call, or as a follow-up to your call, please write to your Representative to urge him or her to vote yes on H. Con. Res. 51 by using the form below.

  • Use Pentagon Budget Vote to End Wars, Bring Troops Home

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    This week, the House is expected to debate and vote on the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the bill authorizing spending for the Pentagon. The House is expected to consider several amendments to the NDAA that would push towards ending the wars.

    1. Call your Representative

    Calling your Representative will have the greatest impact, so if you can call, please do. Call now at 1-888-231-9276. Get an up-to-date call script, with the latest information on proposed amendments, at our blog.

    2. Write to your Representative

    You can also write to your Representative using the form below. Do this if you can't call or to follow-up on your call.

  • Tell Hillary to Ensure Safe Passage for US Boat to Gaza

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    A year ago, an international flotilla of peace and solidarity activists tried to break the siege of Gaza. Israeli authorities attacked the flotilla, took control of the ships, and brought the ships to Israel.

    This year, a U.S. boat joins the flotilla--the Audacity of Hope. Its passengers are currently in Athens and, even in the face of continues threats from Israel, the purported sabotage of two other flotilla ships, and a failed attempt by an Israeli organization to permanently dock the U.S. boat, the Audacity of Hope is ready sail to Gaza. But Greek authorities have thwarted their initial attempt.

    Ask Secretary Clinton to urge the Israeli government to ensure the safety of the U.S. peace activists aboard the Audacity of Hope as they attempt to join with an international flotilla to break the blockade of Gaza.

  • After Bin Laden: Congress Must Demand Afghan Exit Plan

    Rep. McGovern (above) and Rep. Jones recently introduced H.R. 1735, which would require a timetable for withdrawal from Afghanistan.
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    In the wake of bin Laden’s death, the world has witnessed a tidal wave of momentum to end the war in Afghanistan.

    In the midst of this historic moment, the bi-partisan team of Rep. McGovern and Rep. Jones have unveiled new legislation, reviving with new vigor, in a new Congress the cause they have long championed: an exit strategy from Afghanistan.

    Urge your member of Congress to support H.R. 1735, the McGovern-Jones “Afghanistan Exit and Accountability Act”, which would require President Obama to present a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan with a clear date for their departure.

  • Barbara Boxer: Ending the Endless War

    Barbara Boxer, new Senate champion for ending the Afghan war.
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    White House advisers are weighing whether President Obama will initiate a substantial withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan this year.

    Urge your Senators to speak up by asking them to co-sponsor Senator Boxer's bill, S.186, which would require the President to establish a timetable for the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, including a date for the withdrawal's completion.

  • Tell Congress: Bar US Ground Troops from Libya

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    The U.S. military mission in Libya has morphed from "protecting civilians" to "regime change." But many do not believe that regime change can be accomplished without the introduction of ground troops. Rep. John Conyers plans to introduce an amendment to the next government funding bill - the Continuing Resolution which the House will consider in the next few days - which would prohibit the use of funds for any type of ground troop presence in Libyan territory.

    Urge your Representative to cosponsor Rep. Conyers' amendment by using the form below.

  • Press Congress to Debate Libya

    Airport outside Tripoli after a Monday morning air strike.

    The new war in Libya could easily cost over $1 billion and a U.S. warplane has already crashed in Libya. Under the Constitution, Congress must authorize the use of military force, but the Obama Administration has taken the country to war in Libya without Congressional approval.

    Urge your Representative to speak out in favor of the need for Congressional authorization, using the form below.

  • Support Key Legislation to End War in Afghanistan

     

    On Thursday, March 17, 2011, the House is expected to vote on a resolution introduced by Reps. Dennis Kucinich and Walter Jones that would require the President to withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2011, H.Con.Res. 28. Another bill currently in the House, H.R.780, introduced by Rep. Barbara Lee, would cut the funding for the Afghanistan war, leaving money for a safe and orderly military withdrawal.

    Urge your Representative to support the Kucinich-Jones resolution and the Lee bill by using the form below.

  • Make July Drawdown Significant: Get Your Rep to Sign

    President Obama during the State of the Union in January.
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    President Obama has re-affirmed his promise to begin withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan in July. But there is a great division in Washington over whether this will be a significant withdrawal that leads towards getting the U.S. military out of Afghanistan, or a mere token withdrawal that essentially leaves the status quo in place. A bipartisan Congressional letter is urging President Obama to make the July drawdown significant, not token.

    Tell your Representative to sign this letter by completing the form below.

  • Help the Libyan People, But Not With Bombs

    Protestors in Washington show solidarity with Libyans.

    Many Americans have been justly outraged by press reports that the Libyan government has turned its weapons on peaceful protesters. But there's been a lot of loose talk about a unilateral US military intervention, which would be a grave violation of the UN Charter, just as the US invasion of Iraq was. US military officials have explained that US military force isn't a magic wand to solve Libya's problems.

    Join us in urging President Obama and Members of Congress to oppose a unilateral U.S. military intervention by using the form below.

    If you are a U.S. citizen or resident, click here to email your members of Congress as well.

  • Help the Libyan People, But Not With Bombs

    Protestors in Washington show solidarity with Libyans.

    Many Americans have been justly outraged by press reports that the Libyan government has turned its weapons on peaceful protesters. But there's been a lot of loose talk about a unilateral US military intervention, which would be a grave violation of the UN Charter, just as the US invasion of Iraq was. US military officials have explained that US military force isn't a magic wand to solve Libya's problems.

    Join us in urging President Obama and Members of Congress to oppose a unilateral U.S. military intervention by using the form below.

    If you are not a U.S. citizen or resident, click here to email only President Obama.

  • Cut the Funding! End the War in Afghanistan

     

    The massacre of sixteen Afghan civilians by a US soldier on March 11, 2012, is just the latest incident reflecting the intensifying friction between the Afghan people and US soldiers, who have purportedly been sent to "win the hearts and minds" of a foreign nation where they do not understand the history, the culture, or the language. While it has become abundantly clear that the US military presence in Afghanistan is a detriment not only to Afghan reconstruction and reconciliation, but US security as well, the Obama administration is in talks with the Afghan government to leave troops in the country indefinitely.

    This will not do. We must end the occupation of Afghanistan. Sixty-seven Members of the House of Representatives have joined Rep. Barbara Lee in backing legislation -- H.R.780 -- that would cut the funding for the Afghanistan war, leaving money for a safe and orderly military withdrawal.

    Ask your Representative to support the Lee bill by using the form below.

  • Tie US Military Aid to Benchmarks for Democracy

    Sign brandished by Egyptian protestor asks why US supports dictator.

    Some would have us believe that Washington's influence to help bring about democracy in Egypt is limited. But there's one thing Washington hasn't done: tie any portion of U.S. military aid to Egypt to specific reforms that everyone knows are necessary for Egyptians to experience a democratic election.

    Urge President Obama and Congress to tie U.S. military aid to democratic reforms by using the form below.

    If you are a U.S. citizen, click here to also email your members of Congress.

  • Tie US Military Aid to Benchmarks for Democracy

    Sign brandished by Egyptian protestor asks why US supports dictator.

    Some would have us believe that Washington's influence to help bring about democracy in Egypt is limited. But there's one thing Washington hasn't done: tie any portion of U.S. military aid to Egypt to specific reforms that everyone knows are necessary for Egyptians to experience a democratic election.

    Urge President Obama and Congress to tie U.S. military aid to democratic reforms by using the form below.

    If you are not a U.S. citizen or resident, click here to email only President Obama.

  • Protesters Attacked in Cairo - Demand That Obama Stop the Violence

    An injured protester in Cairo's Tahrir Square. Violence broke out as groups clashed with protesters, while the Egyptian military stood idly by.

    On Wednesday, a pro-government mob, whom some, including journalists, say were actually police or otherwise paid by the government, attacked peaceful anti-government protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square, while the U.S.-backed Egyptian military did nothing to stop the violence.

    Demand that President Obama and other U.S. officials act immediately to stop the violence by holding the U.S.-backed Egyptian military to account, making clear that U.S. aid to the Egyptian military will be cut if the Egyptian military does not protect peaceful protesters from violence.

    If you are a U.S. citizen or resident, click here to email your members of Congress as well.

    Call the White House.

  • Protesters Attacked in Cairo - Demand That Obama Stop the Violence

    An injured protester in Cairo's Tahrir Square. Violence broke out as groups clashed with protesters, while the Egyptian military stood idly by.

    On Wednesday, a pro-government mob, whom some, including journalists, say were actually police or otherwise paid by the government, attacked peaceful anti-government protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square, while the U.S.-backed Egyptian military did nothing to stop the violence.

    Demand that President Obama and other U.S. officials act immediately to stop the violence by holding the U.S.-backed Egyptian military to account, making clear that U.S. aid to the Egyptian military will be cut if the Egyptian military does not protect peaceful protesters from violence.

    If you are not a U.S. citizen or resident, click here to email only President Obama.

    Call the White House.

  • US: Drop Insistence That Mubarak Lead Democracy Transition

    Protesters tear down a portrait of Mubarak in Alexandria.

    The U.S. is still insisting that a transition to democracy in Egypt should be led by the Mubarak government, while the opposition in Egypt sees the departure of the present government as necessary for a democratic transition.

    Urge the Obama Administration to drop its insistence that a transition to democracy in Egypt should be led by the Mubarak government.

    If you are a resident of the US, click here to also email your members of Congress.

  • US: Drop Insistence That Mubarak Lead Democracy Transition

    Protesters tear down a portrait of Mubarak in Alexandria.

    The U.S. is still insisting that a transition to democracy in Egypt should be led by the Mubarak government, while the opposition in Egypt sees the departure of the present government as necessary for a democratic transition.

    Urge the Obama Administration to drop its insistence that a transition to democracy in Egypt should be led by the Mubarak government by writing to the President and your members of Congress.

    If you are not a resident of the US, click here to just email President Obama.

  • Urge US Not to Veto Israeli Settlements Resolution

    Palestinian house being demolished to make way for Israeli settlement construction.

    A key resolution on the Israel-Palestine conflict is before the UN Security Council. The resolution embraces negotiations, endorses the creation of a Palestinian state, and demands an immediate halt to Israeli settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, largely echoing stated US policy. Despite this fact, forces in Washington who want to protect the Israeli occupation are pressuring President Obama to veto the UN resolution.

    Join Just Foreign Policy and Jewish Voice for Peace in urging President Obama to support the UN resolution condemning Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank and East Jerusalem by using the form below.

  • Urge Obama to Freeze Assets of Deposed Tunisian Clan

    Sign outside of Tunisian Embassy in Washington.

    A Tunisian prosecutor is investigating overseas bank accounts, real estate and other assets held by deposed Tunisian President Ben Ali, his wife Leila Trabelsi and other relatives. France, Switzerland, and Germany have announced moves to freeze assets linked to the Ben Ali clan. But the US has made no such move.

    Urge President Obama to support democracy in Tunisia by freezing any assets in the US linked to the Ben Ali clan and fully supporting Tunisian efforts to investigate and recover stolen assets, by using the form below.

    Update: US Treasury has instructed US banks to report on Tunisian transactions, and the US has has canceled visas of the Ben Ali clan, the Guardian reports.

  • A Timetable to Withdraw UN Troops from Haiti

    Two UN soldiers stand outside bank in Haiti.

    UN troops have been in Haiti for six years, since the 2004 coup against the democratically elected government of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. To date, there has been no announcement concerning when they plan to leave.

    Urge President Obama and Congress to support the establishment of a timetable for the withdrawal of UN troops from Haiti by signing the petition below.

     

  • Urge Obama to stick to "serious drawdown" from Afghanistan in July 2011

    Pres Obama promised to begin withdrawing troops from Afghanistan in July 2011 during an address to Congress in January. VP Biden and Speaker Pelosi have both publicly proclaimed their support of a significant withdrawal beginning then.

    Recent press reports by McClatchy and the New York Times have suggested that the Obama Administration intends to "publicly walk away from" President Obama's promise to begin drawing down U.S. troops from Afghanistan in July 2011 at the NATO summit this week.

    While the White House has denied that there has been a retreat from the President's promise, there is still the question of how significant a withdrawal the Administration is planning. Vice President Biden and Speaker Pelosi have both made remarks to the effect that the draw down would be "significant" or "serious". But now the White House may be moving away from this toward a more token withdrawal.

    Join us in urging President Obama to keep his promise by making the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in July 2011 significant and serious.

  • Urge President Obama to Stand for Democracy in Ecuador

    Supporters of President Correa protest police rebellion in Ecuador.

    On Thursday, September 30, there was a police rebellion in Ecuador that many have described as an attempted coup. Many in the region are questioning what the role of the United States might be in these events.

    Urge President Obama to make a clear, personal statement of opposition to any attempt to overthrow the democratically elected government of Ecuador by using the form below.

  • Urge President Obama to Stand for Democracy in Ecuador

    Supporters of President Correa protest police rebellion in Ecuador.

    On Thursday, September 30, there was a police rebellion in Ecuador that many have described as an attempted coup. Many in the region are questioning what the role of the United States might be in these events.

    Urge President Obama to make a clear, personal statement of opposition to any attempt to overthrow the democratically elected government of Ecuador by using the form below.

    If you are outside the U.S., email President Obama by clicking here.

  • Use the Afghanistan Study Group Report to Help End the War

    Last week, a group of policy experts who want to end the war in Afghanistan - the Afghanistan Study Group - unveiled a report calling for the U.S. to scale back its military operations in Afghanistan, and to promote power-sharing and political reconciliation in Afghanistan and diplomacy in the region to end the war.

    Help this report achieve maximum impact in Washington by sending a link to it, along with your comments, to your representatives in Congress and to President Obama.

  • Tell the Senate: Say No to "Enduring" U.S. Bases in Afghanistan

    Walter Pincus reported recently in the Washington Post that the Pentagon is planning to build long-term U.S. military bases in Afghanistan.

    Urge your Senators to reject or restrict the Pentagon's funding request, as it rejected a long term military construction request for Iraq in 2008 by using the form below.

  • Obama: Prioritize Pakistan Flood Relief Over Afghan War

    Pakistan has asked that the U.S. immediately provide more helicopters that are urgently needed to save victims of the flood disaster that has affected 14 million people. The U.S. military says that it has helicopters in Afghanistan but redirecting them requires a political decision in Washington.

    Join us in asking President Obama to make that political decision by using the form below.

  • An Israeli Backdoor to War with Iran?

    Some Members of Congress are trying to create a political "backdoor" to war with Iran by pushing a resolution expressing support for Israel's "right" to launch a military attack on Iran. Such an Israeli attack would be likely to draw the U.S. into war, so efforts to legitimize an Israeli attack constitute a stealth path to a U.S. war.

    Please urge your Representative to oppose this resolution by using the form below.

  • Don't Let Petraeus Sabotage Afghan Peace Talks

    General Petraeus during a Congressional hearing.

    54% of Americans think the U.S. should set a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, CBS News reports. But if General Petraeus has his way, the U.S. will dig in deeper, not establish a timetable for withdrawal. Petraeus wants the State Department to designate part of the Afghan Taliban as a terrorist group, a move which could make it more difficult for the Afghan government to reach a political settlement with the Afghan Taliban, the New York Times reports.

    Write your representatives now, asking them to tell the State Department not to do anything that would undermine U.S. commitments to support Afghan government efforts to end the war through political negotiations -- including designating part of the Afghan Taliban as a terrorist organization.

  • Urge Obama to Protect MV Rachel Corrie's Passage to Gaza

    Protesters of Israeli raid of Free Gaza flotilla in Brussels, Belgium.

    Despite the Israeli military attack on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, the Irish-flagged Rachel Corrie, which is carrying humanitarian supplies inspected in Ireland, is pressing on towards Gaza, the Irish Times reports. Irish Taoiseach (the Irish Prime Minister) Brian Cowen called on Israel to allow the Rachel Corrie to pass through its military blockade of Gaza, and warned there would be "most serious consequences" should any harm come to Irish citizens involved with the aid flotilla.

    But the Obama Administration has made no public statement in support of the Rachel Corrie's safe passage to Gaza. Will you join us in urging President to speak up?

  • President Obama: Don't Be Afraid to Negotiate

    President Obama commits to pursuing real, direct and sustained diplomacy with Iran, without preconditions, on the campaign trail. Many, many times -- so many times you'd think he wouldn't need reminding. Share this video with Twitter Share

    During the Presidential campaign, Senator Obama repeatedly quoted President Kennedy: "Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate."

    But now the Obama Administration appears to be missing a key opportunity to deescalate conflict with Iran through negotiation. Last May, Iran agreed to send 2,640 pounds of its low-enriched uranium to Turkey within a month as part of a confidence building measure negotiated by Turkey and Brazil. Ivan Oelrich, vice president of the Strategic Security Program at the Federation of American Scientists, said the technical difference between the deal Iran just agreed to and the deal the Obama administration proposed in October 2009 is small and that Iran is offering a key opportunity for engagement.

    But, as author Stephen Kinzer noted, the U.S. seems to be "reflexively dismissing" the deal, appearing to be "unreasonable and petulant."

    Help us remind President Obama of his campaign pledge to "negotiate with our enemies" by signing our petition below.

  • Urge Your Reps to Support a Timetable for Withdrawal from Afghanistan

    Just Foreign Policy's video promoting a withdrawal timetable from Afghanistan, featuring Rep. Jim McGovern's speech introducing H.R. 5015. Please share the video and help spread the word about this important legislation.     Twitter     Share

    This month, we have a rare opportunity to fundamentally change the course of U.S. policy towards Afghanistan: Senator Russ Feingold, Representative Jim McGovern, and Representative Walter Jones have introduced legislation -- H.R. 5015 in the House and S. 3197 in the Senate -- that would require President Obama to establish a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. military forces. If this legislation attracts enough support, it could reach the House floor as an amendment, allowing Congress a fundamental -- and widely reported -- vote on the direction of U.S. policy.

    The key idea of the Feingold-McGovern-Jones bill is straightforward. By January 1 - or within 3 months of the enactment of the bill, if that is earlier - the President is required to submit to Congress a plan for the redeployment of the U.S. military from Afghanistan, with a timetable for doing so. After submitting the plan, the President has to update Congress every 90 days on how the implementation of the plan is going.

    Would you help build support for this important legislation by asking your Representative and Senators to co-sponsor the Feingold-McGovern-Jones bill?

  • Oppose War Funding, Support Military Withdrawal Legislation

    U.S. military video made public by WikiLeaks documenting the slaying of over a dozen Iraqis -- including two Reuters employees -- by U.S. forces. This leak, together with reports of a cover-up by the military concerning the killing of five Afghan civilians in a night raid in February, throw tremendous concern over the government's obfuscation of the true costs of such armed conflicts.

    In the next several weeks, Congress is expected to be asked to approve $33 billion more for war in Afghanistan. The money will be used chiefly to pay for the current military escalation and the U.S. military's offensive in the Afghan city of Kandahar planned for this summer. This week, Senator Feingold and Representative McGovern announced they are introducing legislation that would require the President to establish a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan.

    Recently, WikiLeaks made public a classified military video (right) depicting the U.S. military killing over a dozen individuals, including two Reuters employees. A second report claims that U.S. forces covered-up details surrounding the slaying of five Afghan civilians -- including two pregnant women -- during a night raid in February.

    Killing of innocents will stop only when the war stops.

    Will you write to your representatives, urging them to oppose more money for war and to support the Feingold-McGovern bill?

  • Congress: Talk About the Human Cost of War

    Afghan man listens to US soldier at checkpoint in southern Afghanistan.

    In the next few weeks, Congress is expected to be asked to approve $33 billion more for war and occupation in Afghanistan. When Congress debates more money for war, it's an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the human cost of continuing war and occupation.

    AP reports that the number of U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan has doubled in the first three months of 2010 compared to the same period last year, while injuries have more than tripled. The New York Times reports that General McChrystal has acknowledged that despite his directives, shootings of Afghan civilians at U.S. military checkpoints and by U.S. military convoys have not decreased. And when the House debated a resolution calling for a timetable for U.S. military withdrawal, Rep. Bob Filner, chair of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, pointed out that hundreds of thousands of veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have gone to the VA for service-related injuries. Veterans for Common Sense places the number at 508,152 in a recent fact sheet based on VA documents obtained under the FOIA.

    Urge your representatives in Congress to use the coming supplemental debate to talk about the human cost of the war, citing recent press reports, using the form below.

  • Defend Obama From AIPAC

    The Israeli settlement of Ofra, in the northern West Bank.

    This is a critical moment for efforts to bring about peace between Israel and the Palestinians. President Obama, Vice-President Biden, and Secretary of State Clinton have taken a public stand against Israeli settlement expansion in Palestinian East Jerusalem. But AIPAC lobbyists in Washington are urging Congress to pressure President Obama not to insist on a freeze in the expansion of Israeli settlements.

    Urge your representatives in Congress to support President Obama, using the form below.

  • Help Kucinich Use War Powers Act to Force Afghanistan Debate

    Early this week, Congress is expected to debate and vote on Rep. Kucinich's privileged resolution, H. Con Res. 248, a resolution that calls for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan by the end of this year. Even though the resolution is unlikely to pass, the debate over this resolution will likely prove to be an important step toward ending the war in Afghanistan.

    Ask your Representative to become a co-sponsor, vote for and participate in the debate on H. Con Res. 248 by using the form below.

  • NYT Should Investigate Op-Ed's Push for Increased Use of Airpower in Afghanistan

    On February 18th, the New York Times op-ed page published an op-ed by an obscure and poorly identified author attacking General McChrystal for his directive last July that air strikes in Afghanistan be authorized only under "very limited and prescribed conditions." The op-ed denounced an "overemphasis on civilian protection" and charged that "air support to American and Afghan forces has been all but grounded by concerns about civilian casualties." Now it has been revealed that the author of the piece works for Booz Allen, a major Pentagon contractor.

    Please write to the New York Times' Public Editor Clark Hoyt and ask him to investigate why the Times published an op-ed calling for increased U.S. use of air power in Afghanistan without regard to civilian life, and why the New York Times failed to disclose that the author of the op-ed works for Booz Allen.

  • US Must Protect Civilians in Marjah

    On Thursday, US Marines patrol outside Marjah in Helmand province of Afghanistan.

    The United States and NATO have launched a major assault in the Marjah district in southern Afghanistan. Afghan civilians have already been killed. Tens of thousands of Afghan civilians are in peril.

    Write to President Obama and Congress and demand that they act to protect civilians in Marjah, in compliance with the obligations of the United States under international law, by using the form below.

    Send an email:

  • Respect Democracy in Japan

    Protesters against US plans to move military base within Okinawa.

    Voters in Japan have spoken. They don't want the Futenma US military base in Okinawa. But instead of respecting the will of the majority of Japanese voters, US officials have tried to bully the newly elected reformist Japanese government into reneging on its election promise to remove the US military base from Okinawa.

    Join us in urging President Obama and Congress to respect democracy in Japan by using the form below.

     

     

  • Urge President Obama to Support Peace Talks in Afghanistan
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    Recent press reports in the New York Times and Inter Press Service indicate that the Obama Administration is having an internal debate on whether to supports talks with senior Afghan Taliban leaders, including Mullah Muhammad Omar, as a means of ending the war in Afghanistan. Senior officials like Vice President Biden are said to be more open to reaching out, the Times reports, because they believe it will help shorten the war.

    Would you write to President Obama and urge him to support talks with senior Afghan Taliban leaders? To email the President, simply use the form below.

  • End the War in Afghanistan

    Members of Congress make the case for an exit from Afghanistan during the recent House debate. More info >

    As early as next month, Congress will have a major opportunity to move forward the debate over ending the war in Afghanistan when Congress considers an "emergency supplemental" to pay for the military escalation announced by President Obama back in December. There are two things Congress should do: debate and vote on a timetable for military withdrawal from Afghanistan, and declare its support for political negotiations with leaders of Afghanistan's insurgencies and regional diplomacy with Afghanistan's neighbors.

    But if we want an end to the war to be at the center of the public debate, we need to press Members of Congress now. Could you email your members of Congress and ask them to pledge their support on these important issues?

  • Urge Congress to Expand Airdrops in Haiti
    Connect with Just Foreign Policy on

    In part because of restrictions imposed by the U.S. military, aid is still not getting through quickly enough to people in Haiti who desperately need it. In particular, fresh water is not getting through to people who need it.

    Established aid groups who have a long history of working in Haiti have suddenly found themselves unable to deliver urgently needed medical, water, and food supplies because the U.S. military will not grant them access to ports and airports. Doctors Without Borders reports that a “plane carrying 12 tons of medical equipment, including drugs, surgical supplies and two dialysis machines, was turned away three times from Port-au-Prince airport since Sunday night.” Groups ready to deliver aid to Jacmel – the fourth-largest city in Haiti – were told they would receive no clearance to land there from the U.S. military, even though they already had both aid supplies and the means for distributing them. This aid is only just now beginning to be delivered – thanks to assistance from the Dominican Republic, not the U.S.

    In Port-au-Prince, huge stockpiles of aid sit in warehouses while people wait for supplies that mean the difference between life and death.

    The US has finally begun airdrops of water and food, but the program needs to be expanded.

    Please write your Representative and Senators and ask them to press the Obama Administration to lift military restrictions preventing aid groups from bringing aid into Haiti and to expand airdrops of water, water purification tablets, and food.

  • Let Haitian Immigrants Stay in the US Till Haiti Recovers
    Connect with Just Foreign Policy on

    As you are no doubt aware, Haiti was hit by a devastating earthquake earlier this week. The devastation was amplified by Haiti's unaddressed extreme poverty because Port-au-Prince is crowded with economic refugees from the countryside, forced to live in substandard housing. President Obama has promised that the U.S. will do all it can to help Haiti in this moment of crisis.

    But the Obama Administration has a simple tool at its disposal to help Haiti that it has so far refused to use: it can grant Haitians in the U.S. "Temporary Protected Status," allowing them to stay and work in the U.S. until Haiti recovers.

    Would you write to President Obama and your representatives in Congress and ask them to grant Haitians Temporary Protected Status?

    UPDATE The Obama administration has announced that it will grant temporary protective status to Haitians currently in the US illegally. Thank you to everyone who wrote in!

  • Why isn't the American Press Covering the International Gaza Freedom March?

    Hedy Epstein, Holocaust survivor, on hunger strike to protest blocking of Gaza march. The items at her feet are humanitarian supplies she intended to take into Gaza.

    JFP's Robert Naiman is in Egypt this week participating in the International Gaza Freedom March. But the Egyptian government has blocked the marchers from even approaching the Egyptian border with Gaza. Egypt is also blocking an aid convoy that has the support of the Turkish government from entering Egypt at Nuwieba. Even a peaceful protest at UN offices in Cairo was largely walled off from public view by Egyptian policy.

    Meanwhile there is largely a U.S. press blackout of these striking developments. A search of the New York Times and the Washington Post only turns up a tiny AP story on the websites of the Times and the Post. Yet, there have been many AFP and BBC reports on the march and aid convoy.

    Would you email the editors at the New York Times and the Washington Post and ask them why they are not covering these incredibly important events?

    ** Update ** The New York Times published this piece on its website on Dec 29 and printed the same piece in its New York edition on Dec 30.

    ** Update 2 ** The New York Times published another piece on its website on Dec 31.

  • Tell Egypt: Don't Block International Gaza Freedom March!
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    On December 31, JFP's Robert Naiman – along with more than a thousand other peace advocates from around the world – plans to join tens of thousands of Palestinians in a march in Gaza to the Erez border crossing to protest the Israeli blockade and to demand international action to relieve the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Unfortunately, it appears that the Egyptian government will not allow the internationals to enter Gaza as planned.

    But this decision could be reversed with sufficient public pressure in Egypt and around the world. Would you help pressure the Egyptian government to open the border to Gaza?

  • Ask your Rep to Press Against the Blockade of Gaza
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    This week, two “dear colleague” letters on the Gaza siege are making the rounds in the House. Both letters call on the Obama Administration to press Israel to ease its blockade of Gaza.

    The McDermott/Ellison letter calls on President Obama to press for an easing of the Israeli blockade of Gaza by making it easier for Palestinians to leave Gaza and improving their access to necessities such as clean water, food, fuel and medicine. The Moran/Inglis letter calls on Secretary of State Clinton to put pressure on the Israeli government to allow Gazan students to travel to study at West Bank universities.

    Would you ask your Representative to take action against the siege by signing each of these letters?

  • Tell Congress: Don't Limit the President's Ability to Negotiate with Iran
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    Next week, the House of Representatives is expected to vote on an expansion of sanctions against Iran that threatens to undermine President Obama's strategy of engagement with Iran concerning its nuclear program.

    The bill – H.R. 2194, known as the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act of 2009 – targets Iran's energy sector in a way that is likely to hurt the Iranian people, not the Iranian government.

    Furthermore, while this legislation claims to enhance the President's ability to negotiate with Iran, in actuality, if the bill were to become law, it would limit the President's choices in negotiations. The bill calls for a revision in the language of the President's waiver ability that would make it more difficult for him to exempt entities from sanction. And since some of the companies that will face sanctions are from Russia and China, this legislation could undermine the international cooperation concerning Iran's nuclear program that the President has been working to achieve.

    Would you write to your Representative and urge them not to limit the President's ability to negotiate with Iran?

  • Inform the President of Your Disappointment with his Afghanistan Decision
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    President Obama has informed the public that he intends to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan. In his address to the nation, the President announced a most farcical excuse for an exit strategy and failed to detail any extensive plan for reconciliation talks between the warring factions that lie at the center of Afghanistan's instability.

    But this announcement, however disappointing it is, should not deter those who oppose military escalation to continue to make their opposition known to the President. So please, take a minute to send an email to President Obama to express your disappointment with his decision and to reinforce your opposition to military escalation in Afghanistan by using the form below.

  • Demand a Congressional Debate on Troop Escalation
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    On December 1st, President Obama announced plans to send 30,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, escalating the military conflict, instead of working to end it. Details of an exit strategy were restricted to a date for troop removal to begin, and a diplomatic strategy for reconciliation between Afghanistan's warring factions was barely mentioned.

    But Congress can still reject or limit the troop increase. To do this, however, Congress would have to move up the debate and vote on the emergency war funding that the Pentagon is preparing, which typically would not be considered until sometime in the spring after many of the additional troops have been sent to Afghanistan. If Congress waits to debate the issue, it will have little power over the deployment of additional troops.

    Urge your Representative and Senators to support a debate and vote now on the President's plans to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan.

  • Tell Congress: Don't Fund Honduras Coup Regime
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    A recent statement released by Sen. Lugar's office states that the State Department plans to to fund election observer missions of the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute for the November 29 Honduras election. If the US sends election observers before President Zelaya is restored, it would prepare the ground for recognizing the coup regime and its election as legitimate, putting the U.S. at odds with the rest of the hemisphere. Funding election observers is part of a strategy to legitimize the coup.

    But the IRI and the NDI are funded by Congress through the National Endowment for Democracy. That suggests that Members of Congress could put a stop to this.

    Could you write to your representatives in Congress, asking them to oppose funding for sending observers to elections under the coup regime?

  • Tell Congress: Negotiate, Don't Escalate, in Afghanistan
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    Help us promote the idea of negotiations in Afghanistan by sending JFP board member Tom Hayden's Los Angeles Times op-ed to your representatives in Congress. Tom calls for the U.S. to support peace talks in Afghanistan instead of military escalation.

    You can read the piece, "Why Die for Karzai?", here:
    http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-hayden10-2009nov10,0,5592560.story

  • Tell the WaPo: Retire Your Biased Afghanistan News Header

    Washington Post header for Afghanistan and Pakistan news.

    Urge the Washington Post to retire its biased Afghanistan and Pakistan news header, "The AfPak War: Combating Extremism in Afghanistan and Pakistan." The editorial claim that the United States is "combating extremism" in Afghanistan and Pakistan, rather than fueling it, does not belong in the news section of the Post.

  • Urge Your Reps to Speak Out Now Against Military Escalation in Afghanistan
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    President Obama is deliberating on a proposal to send 40,000 more U.S. troops to Afghanistan. Press reports suggest that any announcement may be postponed until after the scheduled election in Afghanistan on November 7. If Members of Congress speak up now, that will affect President Obama's decision.

    Could you urge your representatives in Congress to take a stand against military escalation?

  • After 8 Years, Will Congress Say “Enough”?
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    In December, President Obama announced that he would increase the US troop presence in Afghanistan. 

    But that doesn't mean that escalation is set in stone.  27 members of Congress have joined Rep. Barbara Lee to take a definitive step toward exercising Congress' most powerful lever against escalating the war. The bill – H.R. 3699 – would prohibit any increase in the number of troops serving in Afghanistan by declaring that no funds be used for that purpose.

    Urge your Member of Congress to support Barbara Lee's bill:

  • Letter to Obama for Security Council meeting on Honduras

    Sign on letter to President Obama urging support of Brazil's request for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the crisis in Honduras

  • Tell President Obama: No More Troops for Afghanistan!
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    It was not too long ago that serious public debate over U.S. policy in Afghanistan was non-existent. Now, President Obama is publicly deliberating whether to send more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, or to finally rethink policy. Some of the President's advisers - including Vice-President Biden - have called for reducing U.S. troops [1]; some have proposed redirecting U.S. efforts toward persuading the Taliban to stop fighting. [2]

    But the Pentagon is publicly pressuring President Obama to approve more U.S. troops, trying to "push Obama into a corner" with public statements that the situation in Afghanistan needs more forces. [3]

    This moment could prove to be a real turning point in U.S. policy in Afghanistan; but as the Pentagon and the hawks try to push the President in their direction, we must pull him in ours. Urge President Obama not to approve more U.S. troops for Afghanistan by writing to him below.

  • Letter of American support to the Campaign for Labour Party Democracy

    On September 27, the British Labour Party – which is currently the governing party - is having its annual policy conference. At this conference, members of the Labour Party who oppose the continuing war in Afghanistan are planning to offer a resolution for the withdrawal of British troops. [1]

    Since Britain maintains the second largest foreign force in Afghanistan, its participation in the war is often used as a political justification for the U.S.'s continued occupation of the country. If Britain were to withdraw, the case for staying in Afghanistan would be more difficult to make.

    Help end the war in Afghanistan by signing our petition of support to the British Labour Party.

  • Recruit a Republican Against the War in Afghanistan

    In yesterday's Washington Post, prominent conservative columnist George Will expounded an argument against the continued occupation of Afghanistan in an op-ed entitled “Time to Get Out of Afghanistan”. [1]

    This is important because it shows conservative support for the occupation of Afghanistan is not monolithic, and it will help recruit some Republicans to support an end to the U.S. military occupation of Afghanistan.

    With an escalation in the war being planned, we need to foster more debate in Congress. Would you help promote debate over the war in Afghanistan by sending George Will's op-ed to your representatives?

  • Demand an Exit Strategy from Afghanistan

    Robert Naiman makes the case for withdrawal from Afghanistan.

    Afghanistan has become a quagmire for the United States and its allies. U.S. strategy consists of an open-ended military commitment without any clear, practical goals. Troop escalation and an increase in offensive combat missions has only resulted in a deteriorating situation on the ground [1]. Yet, there is talk of further escalating troop levels in Afghanistan.

    Increasing U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan is unlikely to ameliorate the situation. In fact, there is reasonable evidence to suggest that the presence of foreign forces is one of the key factors driving the insurgency. [2]

    We need a new strategy in Afghanistan that does not require an open-ended military commitment. We need a plan for removing our troops. We need an exit strategy from Afghanistan.

  • Demand Fair Reporting on Honduras

    While the Obama administration's previous round of targeted sanctions demonstrated great promise in helping to reverse the coup in Honduras, the administration has since appeared to back down from its position of active support for the reinstatement of President Zelaya. This may be at least in part due to the outspoken opinions of a few Senators and Congressmen who wish to allow the coup to stand.

    Meanwhile, Amnesty International released a report on August 19 documenting the extent of the suppression taking place.

    One reason there hasn’t been more public pressure on the Obama Administration to continue to help Latin America reverse the coup is that repression in Honduras and opposition in the U.S. Congress have been under-reported in the U.S. press. 

    While the Miami Herald – a very influential newspaper in its reporting on U.S. policy in Latin America – and McClatchy News, the Herald's parent company, have reported on Congressional support for the coup, they haven't reported either of these key facts.

    Could you urge the Miami Herald and McClatchy News to report on repression in Honduras since the coup and calls in Congress for the Obama Administration to take further measures against the coup regime?

  • Urge Your Rep to Sign Grijalva Letter for More US Pressure on Coup Regime in Honduras

    Talks between President Zelaya and the coup regime in Honduras broke down over the coup regime's refusal to accept the international demand for President Zelaya's return. The U.S. has so far failed to sufficiently pressure the coup regime.

    Rep. Raul Grijalva is circulating a letter to President Obama, calling on him to denounce the repression in Honduras by the coup regime, and to freeze U.S. assets and suspend U.S. visas of coup leaders. Signers of the letter include Reps. McGovern, Conyers, and Serrano.

    Urge your Representative to sign the Grijalva letter calling for more U.S. pressure on the coup regime.

  • Obama Administration Must Support Human Rights In Honduras

    In a recent statement, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton called President Zelaya's actions to approach the Nicaragua-Honduras border "reckless", but the administration has yet to condemn the human rights abuses being perpetrated by the Honduran military. 

    Could you sign this letter asking the State Department to condemn the human rights abuses taking place in Honduras?

  • Urge Congress to Increase U.S. Pressure on Coup Regime in Honduras

    On July 19th, talks in Costa Rica between representatives of Honduras' democratically elected President Zelaya and representatives of the coup government in Honduras broke down, reportedly because representatives of the coup government would not accept the international demand that President Zelaya be allowed to return to Honduras to resume his presidency. Press reports suggest that the coup leaders and their backers in Honduras' elite believe that they can simply wait out US criticism, because the Obama Administration will be distracted by other issues.

    Representatives Delahunt, McGovern, and Serrano have introduced a resolution [H. Res. 630] denouncing the coup and calling for the return of President Zelaya. This resolution has about equal support so far as a pro-coup resolution introduced by Florida Republican Connie Mack. If Members of Congress speak out against the coup, the Obama Administration will be more likely to take stronger action.

    Could you write to your Representative and ask them to co-sponsor the Delahunt-McGovern resolution?

  • Correct False Wall Street Journal Claim That Hondurans Support Coup

    Last week, the Wall Street Journal falsely reported that a plurality of Hondurans supported the military coup against President Zelaya. The Journal reported: "Complicating matters, Honduran media published a CID-Gallup poll that showed 41% of Hondurans said the coup was justified, while 28% were opposed. The survey, conducted between June 30 and July 4, supported anecdotal evidence of anger at Mr. Zelaya."

    But that's not what the poll said. It found a plurality of Hondurans - 46% - were opposed to the coup. This was reported correctly by the New York Times, Associated Press, and the Voice of America, which actually interviewed the president of CID-Gallup.

    Can you join us in asking the Wall Street Journal for a correction of its inaccurate report?

  • Correct False Washington Post Claim That Hondurans Support Coup

    Last week, the Washington Post falsely reported that a plurality of Hondurans supported the military coup against President Zelaya. The Post reported: "According to results of a Gallup poll published here Thursday, 41 percent of Hondurans think the ouster was justified, with 28 opposed to it."

    But that's not what the poll said. It found a plurality of Hondurans - 46% - were opposed to the coup. This was reported correctly by the New York Times, Associated Press, and the Voice of America, which actually interviewed the president of CID-Gallup.

    Can you join us in asking the Washington Post for a correction of its inaccurate report?

  • Congress Should Require an Exit Strategy from Afghanistan

    President Obama has said that we must have an “exit strategy” in Afghanistan. More than 80 Members of Congress agree: they’re supporting a bill that would require the Pentagon to report to Congress what the U.S. exit strategy is by the end of the year. This coming week, supporters of an exit strategy from Afghanistan will try to attach this language to the 2010 military authorization bill.

    Please urge your Representative in Congress to support efforts next week to enact the requirement for an exit strategy into law by using the form below.

  • US Should Stay Out of Iran Dispute

    President Obama has faced pressure from some members of Congress and voices in the media to take sides in the internal dispute in Iran over their recent presidential election.  While the events that have transpired in the wake of the election are disturbing, an aggressive response by the United States could make the situation for Iranians – and the future of U.S.-Iran relations – even worse.

    So far, President Obama has responded cautiously, neither endorsing the election result nor the opposition claims of fraud, and re-affirming his intent to engage Iran diplomatically, regardless of the election result.  Would you thank President Obama for his smart response and urge him to continue his efforts to engage Iran diplomatically?

  • Hey Hillary, Visit Iran!


    President Obama has said that by year's end, he'll judge whether U.S. efforts to engage Iran diplomatically are working. That makes it urgent for those efforts succeed -- we don't want to see what will happen if they are judged to fail. We need a "game-changer" to put U.S.-Iran relations on a new footing. That's why we're urging Secretary of State Clinton to visit Iran. Join our campaign for real diplomacy by signing the petition below.

  • President Obama: Stop U.S. Airstrikes in Pakistan

    Please sign our petition asking President Obama to halt U.S. airstrikes in Pakistan.

  • Ask your Members of Congress to allow travel between the U.S. and Cuba

    President Obama has made historic steps to improve U.S. diplomatic relations with Cuba and Venezuela. Ask your Members of Congress to add their voice, by supporting the Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act, using the form below. 70% of Americans say that all Americans should be allowed to travel to Cuba.

  • Prevent Accidental War With Iran

    To prevent an accidental military conflict with Iran in the Strait of Hormuz and to protect American Sailors in the Persian Gulf, Congressmen John Conyers (D-MI) and Geoff Davis (R-KY) have introduced a bipartisan resolution calling for President Obama to include the negotiation of an "Incidents-at-Sea Agreement" with Iran as part of his talks with Tehran.

    The United States had a similar agreement for incidents at sea with the Soviets during the Cold War -- why not with Iran?

    Ask your representative to cosponsor this important legislation.