<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Just Foreign Policy</b> <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:info@justforeignpolicy.org">info@justforeignpolicy.org</a>></span><br>
Date: Tue, Feb 5, 2013 at 6:42 PM<br>Subject: Pressure Works: Urge the Senate to Press Brennan on Drone Strikes<br>To: <a href="mailto:naiman.uiuc@gmail.com">naiman.uiuc@gmail.com</a><br><br><br>
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<div style="border:1px solid rgb(68,68,68);margin:0pt;padding:0pt;font-size:10pt;color:rgb(68,68,68)"><a href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=h8XbyeuxjU1onqxOXy1f4Ev7MGq6qlAE" target="_blank"><img width="600" height="84" src="http://justforeignpolicy.org/images/emailheader.jpg" alt="Just Foreign Policy" style="border:0pt none;margin:0px;display:block"></a>
<div style="border-bottom:8px solid rgb(68,68,68);padding:12px"><p>Dear Robert,</p>
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<p><b>Tell your Senators to press Brennan on US drone strike policy during his confirmation hearing on Thursday.</b></p>
<h2 style="color:#a02522"><a href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=9lWKu6BUmMDHovKjs2UN6Ev7MGq6qlAE" target="_blank">Take Action</a></h2>
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<p>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. <br>
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What might more pressure accomplish?<br>
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John Brennan is appearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday for his confirmation hearing as director of the Central Intelligence Agency.<br>
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<b>Urge your Senators to press John Brennan on US drone strike policy.</b><br>
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<b><a href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=oyLmDGc0LzmHi1hMqX1Pakv7MGq6qlAE" target="_blank">http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/brennan-hearing</a></b><br>
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The <i>New York Times</i> reports that the Justice Department "white paper" closely tracks a classified memorandum in which the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel signed off on the killing of U.S. citizen Anwar al-Awlaki, who died in U.S. drone strike in September 2011. [1] Members of Congress, the press, and human rights groups have been pressing the Administration for disclosure of this memo (which still has not been disclosed). <br>
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In January, Oregon Senator Ron Wyden sent a letter demanding to see the memo. [2] On February 4, a bipartisan group of Senators made the same demand. [3]<br>
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This shows that the Administration's policy can move under the pressure of Senators' questions. More questions will generate more movement.<br>
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There are many other questions Senators should ask Brennan:</p>
<blockquote> - How many civilians do you believe have been killed by drone strikes?<br>
- Is it true that the CIA counts all "military-aged males" as "militants" when they are killed by a drone strike?<br>
- Do you agree with those who say that drone strikes should not be conducted by the CIA? <br>
- Is it true that the CIA has conducted "secondary strikes" where they hit the same target twice, after rescuers have come to the scene of a strike? <br>
- Is it true that the CIA has targeted funerals and weddings with drone strikes?<br>
- Is it true that the CIA has targeted unknown persons with "signature strikes," simply on the basis that they were carrying weapons?<br>
- Why doesn't the U.S. have a procedure to investigate claims of civilian harm due to drone strikes, and to compensate civilian victims and their families, as the U.S. military currently does in Afghanistan?<br>
- Does the Administration intend to fully cooperate with the UN investigation of drone strikes? </blockquote>
<p><b>Urge your Senators to ask these questions of Brennan before his confirmation as head of the CIA.</b><br>
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<b><a href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=fWTrHbFA7%2BVxgxRLTtAiWkv7MGq6qlAE" target="_blank">http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/brennan-hearing</a></b><br>
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Thank you for all you do to help bring about a more just foreign policy,<br>
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Robert Naiman, Chelsea Mozen, Sarah Burns and Megan Iorio<br>
Just Foreign Policy<br>
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References:<br>
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1. "Memo Cites Legal Basis for Killing U.S. Citizens in Al Qaeda," Charlie Savage and Scott Shane, New York Times, February 5, 2013, <a href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=22aShFSgcIrxy4aHdYUs9Uv7MGq6qlAE" target="_blank">http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/05/us/politics/us-memo-details-views-on-killing-citizens-in-al-qaeda.html</a><br>
2. "Senator Asks to View Files on Killings of Americans," Scott Shane, New York Times, January 14, 2013 <a href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=CP9ftEvswz17sDD4V8U%2BWUv7MGq6qlAE" target="_blank">http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/15/us/senator-wyden-asks-john-brennan-for-legal-opinions-on-killings-of-americans.html</a><br>
3. "Bipartisan Group of Senators Seeks Legal Justifications for the Deliberate Killing of Americans," Office of Senator Ron Wyden, Monday, February 4, 2013, <a href="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=55WAQVaWcKEqHuR%2BxDGHvw324LPn0dme" target="_blank">http://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/bipartisan-group-of-senators-seeks-legal-justifications-for-the-deliberate-killing-of-americans-</a></p>
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<img width="1" height="1" src="http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/TrackImage?key=2463630023"><u></u></div><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br>Robert Naiman<br>Policy Director<br>Just Foreign Policy<br><a href="http://www.justforeignpolicy.org" target="_blank">www.justforeignpolicy.org</a><br>
<a href="mailto:naiman@justforeignpolicy.org" target="_blank">naiman@justforeignpolicy.org</a><br>