[Peace] PDA Press Release on HJ Res 30

Thu Feb 12 13:35:05 EST 2015

Carl:

No one is trying to co-opt anything here. HJ Res 30 proposes diplomacy
and political solutions over military forays in the Mideast. It is not
perfect by a long shot, but it is the least military-oriented of
resolutions being proposed in answer to the AUMF. I understand that it
is not up to your standards of pacifism. Nevertheless, it may help
provoke a real discussion of the range of options available. Not to
worry--it does not have a chance to pass this hawkish Congress.

Debra

On 2/12/15, C. G. Estabrook <carl at newsfromneptune.com> wrote:
> ANOTHER CO-OPTION OF THE ANTI-WAR MOVEMENT?
>
> Ms. Schrishuhn:
>
> The Obama administration continues to murder people throughout the Mideast
> in pursuit of their economic goals, the profits of the 1%.
>
> What does PDA propose as an alternative?  A “comprehensive solution” as set
> out in H.J.RES. 30?
>
> "... a robust regionally-led, political, economic and diplomatic strategy”?
>
>
> What does that mean? Let local armies do the killing and dying on the ground
> while the US continues to kill from the air with planes and drones?
>
> It's true fewer Americans die that way, and we kill Middle-easterners who we
> think might one day want to do us harm (along with their families and
> children), instead of holding them in our wretched prisons until they become
> an international embarrassment.
>
> But H.J.RES. 30 is little more than an authorization for the mass murder the
> Obama administration is currently carrying out in the Mideast.
>
> Why not instead bring US troops (and mercenaries) home, close American bases
> in the region, and follow international law by submitting problems like ISIL
> to the Security Council, as the UN Charter demands?
>
> President Putin said in Cairo this week, "Regrettably, we must note that the
> actions being undertaken today by the members of the anti-terror coalition,
> their strategy and tactics are disproportionate to the scale and nature of
> the existing threat. Airstrikes alone are not enough to deal with it. What
> is more, such actions lack legitimacy since they were not directly
> sanctioned by the UN Security Council and in certain cases are taken without
> the consent of states whose territories are being targeted.”
>
> The problem, of course, is that the policy of obeying international law
> would no longer allow the US military to control the flow of energy
> resources from the Mideast - which gives the US government an unparalleled
> advantage over its economic rivals in Europe and Asia.
>
> Under these circumstances, the only comprehensive strategy worth supporting
> is a US withdrawal and a submission of the matter to the UNSC.
>
> Regards, C. G. Estabrook
>
>
>
> On Feb 11, 2015, at 5:36 PM, Debra Schrishuhn via Peace
> <peace at lists.chambana.net> wrote:
>
>> Local PDA members will be delivering letters next week to the
>> Springfield offices of Sens Durbin and Kirk; to the Champaign and
>> Decatur offices of Rep. Rodney Davis (IL-13); to the Danville office
>> of Rep. John Shimkus (IL-15). I will post the full text of our letters
>> tomorrow. Anyone wishing to sign on to them should contact me at
>> deb.pdamerica at gmail.com
>>
>> Deb
>>
>> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>> From: Conor Boylan <conor at pdamerica.org>
>> Date: Wed, 11 Feb 2015 13:23:28 -0600
>> Subject: PDA Press Release on HJ Res 30
>> To:
>>
>> Progressive Democrats of America
>>
>> Progressive Democrats Support New Legislation For Comprehensive Strategy
>> Against ISIL
>> *Progressive Democrats of America announces support for Congresswoman
>> Lee's
>> and congressman Honda's new legislation to establish a comprehensive
>> strategy against ISIL and to stop a new American ground war in the Middle
>> East*
>>
>> *Feb. 11, 2015 - WASHINGTON -- *Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) is
>> endorsing the “Comprehensive Solution to ISIL Resolution” (H.J.RES. 30),
>> introduced on February 10th of 2015 by Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13).
>> PDA supporters will deliver 100s of letters to Congressional offices,
>> urging Representatives to vote for this resolution, and other progressive
>> priorities next week.
>>
>> Progressive Democrats of America National Director Conor Boylan said,
>> "The
>> United States has had large-scale military involvement in Iraq and
>> Afghanistan for over a decade. What is the result of all of this effort?
>> The spreading of terrorism, the death of thousands of Americans, the
>> death
>> of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, Afghanis, and others throughout the
>> region; while leaving the Middle East unstable with millions of people in
>> refugee camps, loss of trillions of dollars to the U.S. economy, no
>> significant lasting contribution to civil society in this region and the
>> potential for an endless cycle of war that could spread to other
>> nations."
>>
>> Boylan added, "The time has come for a comprehensive strategy to stop the
>> endless war in the Middle East. PDA strongly opposes sacrificing more
>> blood
>> of men and women of the United States Armed Forces through a new war in
>> the
>> Middle East. We cannot continue to request life sacrifices of military
>> personnel, aid workers, journalists, and others over battles that
>> American
>> ground troops should not have to fight, over resources that are not ours
>> to
>> control, and over disagreements that could be handled using diplomacy,
>> economics, and politics, rather than bullets and bombs."
>>
>> PDA Advisory Board Member Congressman Jim McGovern (MA-02) said, “I am
>> troubled by the Administration’s request, which I believe is far too
>> open-ended and does little to constrain this or the next Administration
>> from engaging in sustained combat.  We should be doing much more to
>> promote
>> a legitimate and lasting political solution in the region.”
>>
>> PDA Advisory Board Member Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-13) said, “[W]e
>> must be comprehensive in our strategy. National security experts have
>> clearly stated that there is no military solution to ISIL. In order to
>> ultimately degrade and dismantle ISIL, we must craft a robust
>> regionally-led, political, economic and diplomatic strategy.”
>>
>> PDA invites all Americans to join the PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS OF AMERICA in
>> calling for real and lasting solutions to this conflict and to OPPOSE A
>> NEW
>> AMERICAN GROUND WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST. PDA asks all Americans to contact
>> their member of Congress and ask them to cosponsor and vote for H.J. RES.
>> 30.
>>
>> For more information please see: www.pdamerica.org and visit the Educate
>> Congress page, or contact PDA directly at info at pdamerica.org
>>
>> *Media Contact*
>> Conor Boylan, Progressive Democrats of America
>> 206-965-0802
>> conor at pdamerica.org <http://www.prlog.org/email-contact.html#12424459>
>>
>> --
>> Conor Boylan
>>
>> National Co-Director
>> *•* Progressive Democrats of America *•*PDAmerica.org *•
>> *PDAcommunity.org
>> Hey you! Yes, YOU! Have you signed? -->http://bit.ly/RunBernieRun
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> Peace mailing list
>> Peace at lists.chambana.net
>> https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/peace
>
>