[Peace-discuss] fwd: No U.S. Drone Strikes in Mali Without Congressional Approval

[Robert Naiman]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Just Foreign Policy <info at justforeignpolicy.org>
Date: Wed, Jan 16, 2013 at 6:09 PM
Subject: No U.S. Drone Strikes in Mali Without Congressional Approval
To: naiman at justforeignpolicy.org


  [image: Just Foreign
Policy]<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=L1xLKMLaHhV3ZLIuqi0s2TJhRzAi1y7H>

Dear Robert,

*Tell Congress to insist the Administration obtain explicit Congressional
authorization before conducting drone strikes in Mali.
*
Take Action<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=P77yi6TJfW6O4Q46QjfOCtzaJIMQCl9N>

 France has undertaken a major military campaign in Mali. *U.S. officials
are talking about the possibility of supporting the French military
campaign with U.S. drone strikes.*

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

*Urge your Representative and Senators to publicly insist that the
Administration obtain explicit Congressional authorization before
conducting drone strikes in Mali.*

*http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/mali-drones<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=eUlT3lInUmnnmhE8x1tSatzaJIMQCl9N>
*

The *Washington Post* reports: [1]

*[A senior U.S.] official said contingency plans for the use of armed
drones were already in place and are being reevaluated.*

Without explicit Congressional authorization, the only U.S. legal authority
the Administration could claim for conducting drone strikes in Mali is the
2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force passed after the September
11 attacks. This is the legal authority the Administration has invoked for
conducting drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia. The invocation of
the 2001 AUMF to justify drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia is
already very controversial. The invocation of the 2001 AUMF to justify
drone strikes in Mali should be even more controversial.

Indeed, on November 1, the *Washington Post* editorial board, which
supports the drone strike policy overall, and believes that US drone
strikes in Pakistan and Yemen are legal overall, wrote: [2]

The *Post*’s reporting suggests that the administration is … contemplating
the use of drones in more countries where jihadist forces are active,
including Libya and Mali. This raises new legal and political quandaries. *The
further — in geography, time and organizational connection — that the drone
war advances from the original al-Qaeda target in Afghanistan, the less
validity it has under the 2001 congressional authorization … most of the
world is unlikely to accept an argument that the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks
justify drone strikes more than a decade later in Northern Africa.*

The *Washington Post* now notes that U.S. support for France's military
campaign could "*test U.S. legal boundaries*"; that direct U.S. military
aid to Mali is "*forbidden under U.S. law because the weak rump government
there seized power in a coup*"; and that some fighters who may be targeted
by France are "*longtime foes of the Malian government and pose no direct
threat to U.S. interests*" [3] - thus, they have nothing to do with the
September 11 attack and therefore the 2001 AUMF can't be invoked to justify
attacking them.

If the Administration conducts drone strikes in Mali without new
Congressional authorization, it would be a major setback both for efforts
to bring accountability and transparency to the drone strike program and to
efforts to protect Congressional authority to decide when the United States
goes to war. We have a responsibility to try to draw a line in the sand in
front of expansion of the drone war to Mali.

*Urge your Representative and Senators to speak up.*

*http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/mali-drones<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=3FUFdlSISAzPzlByY9Mxk9zaJIMQCl9N>
*

Thank you for all you do to help bring about a more just foreign policy,

Robert Naiman, Chelsea Mozen, Sarah Burns and Megan Iorio
Just Foreign Policy

*Please support our work. Donate for a Just Foreign Policy.*
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/donate<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=SwZpe5QJZe61uFyQIo%2FePNzaJIMQCl9N>

References:

1. "U.S. weighs military support for France’s campaign against Mali
militants," Anne Gearan, Karen DeYoung and Craig Whitlock, Washington Post,
January 15, 2013
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-weighs-military-support-for-frances-campaign-against-mali-militants/2013/01/15/a071db40-5f4d-11e2-b05a-605528f6b712_story.html<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=xq6v%2FTBuoGpYXBI8S85%2F7tzaJIMQCl9N>
2. "Pulling the U.S. drone war out of the shadows," Editorial, Washington
Post, November 1, 2012,
http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-11-01/opinions/35503416_1_drone-attacks-drone-strikes-qaeda<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=GHnTdIEtmFf2xzui1SY%2FmDJhRzAi1y7H>
3. "U.S. weighs military support for France’s campaign against Mali
militants," Anne Gearan, Karen DeYoung and Craig Whitlock, Washington Post,
January 15, 2013
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-weighs-military-support-for-frances-campaign-against-mali-militants/2013/01/15/a071db40-5f4d-11e2-b05a-605528f6b712_story.html<http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=aSQHJvMm%2F78pndv9j9ngmtzaJIMQCl9N>


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-- 
Robert Naiman
Policy Director
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org
naiman at justforeignpolicy.org
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