Action Spotlight
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. But there are much better ways for the government to save $163 billiion. Email President Obama and Congress >
Tags
Archives
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- December 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
Subscribe
Blog
JFP 3/12: CPCers demand drone answers; Cruz, Paul intro ban of drone strikes in US
Just Foreign Policy News, March 12, 2013
CPCers demand drone answers; Cruz, Paul intro ban of US drone strikes
Go Straight to the News Summary
I) Actions and Featured Articles
Senate: No Backdoor to Iran War
Sign our petition to the Senate against S. Res. 65 at SignOn.
http://signon.org/sign/senate-no-backdoor-to?source=c.url&r_by=1135580
Here Comes AIPAC, Lobbying for War
Over 19,000 people have taken action on our alert to Congress, urging Congress to oppose AIPAC's bills for war with Iran. We've modified our alert so it now sends the New York Times editorial and the APN statements against the Senate and House bills.
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/aipac-2013
If you've written Congress, please call.
FCNL has offered the use of its toll free number, 1-855-68-NO WAR. Urge your Senators and Representative not to cosponsor AIPAC's bills for war with Iran. Mention the New York Times editorial and the APN statements. More information, and a place to report your call, here:
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/sres65-call-in
What Rand Paul & Ted Cruz Exposed About the Drone Strikes
Rand Paul and Ted Cruz's questioning about what the Administration claims would be legal in the U.S. brings public attention to the extraordinary claims of the Administration about what it is legal to do in other people's countries.
JFP 3/11: NYT, APN slam AIPAC's "Back Door to War"
Just Foreign Policy News, March 11, 2013
NYT, APN slam AIPAC's "Back Door to War"
Go Straight to the News Summary
I) Actions and Featured Articles
Here Comes AIPAC, Lobbying for War
Over 17,000 people have taken action on our alert to Congress, urging Congress to oppose AIPAC's bills for war with Iran. We've modified our alert so it now sends the New York Times editorial (#1 below) and the APN statements on the Senate and House bills (#2 and #3 below.)
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/aipac-2013
If you've written Congress, please call.
FCNL has offered the use of its toll free number, 1-855-68-NO WAR. Urge your Senators and Representative not to cosponsor AIPAC's bills for war with Iran. Mention the New York Times editorial and the APN statements (#1-3 below.) More information, and a place to report your call, here:
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/sres65-call-in
What Rand Paul & Ted Cruz Exposed About the Drone Strikes
Rand Paul and Ted Cruz's questioning about what the Administration claims would be legal in the U.S. brings public attention to the extraordinary claims of the Administration about what it is legal to do in other people's countries.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/what-rand-paul-ted-cruz-e_b_2828517.html
Why Do Senators Boxer and Wyden Want to Bomb Iran?
New York Times Calls Out AIPAC Warmongering, Slams Graham's S. Res. 65, House's H.R. 850
The New York Times editorial board has come a long way since its days of upholding the false dichotomy of sanctions versus war as the only options for US-Iran relations. It was less than two years ago that the Times published an editorial assessing the potential paths for addressing the US-Iran impasse—and completely neglected to mention diplomacy or negotiations.
But a Saturday editorial shows that the Times's vocabulary and outlook on the subject has since undergone a significant expansion:
If there is any hope for a peaceful resolution of the nuclear dispute with Iran, President Obama needs Congress to support negotiations. But negotiations and compromise are largely anathema in Washington, with many lawmakers insisting that any deal with Iran would be unacceptable — a stance that would make military action by Israel and the United States far more likely.
Not only did the editorial board recognize that "the best way to avert military conflict is by negotiating a credible, verifiable agreement," but it also slammed two new AIPAC-sponsored Congressional initiatives aimed at sabotaging negotiations. On Sens. Lindsay Graham and Robert Menendez's "backdoor to war" resolution, S. Res. 65, the Times wrote that
Call Your Senators on S. Res. 65!
Call your Senators today to express your opposition to S. Res. 65, the AIPAC/Lindsey Graham bill that tries to "pre-approve" US participation in an Israeli attack on Iran and tries to move the "red line" for war from "preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon" to "preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability"—whatever that means.
Here's what you do:
- Check whether your Senator is a co-sponsor. Below is a list of current co-signers and the date that they co-signed:
Sen Ayotte, Kelly [NH] - 2/28/2013
Sen Barrasso, John [WY] - 3/6/2013
Sen Baucus, Max [MT] - 3/5/2013
Sen Begich, Mark [AK] - 2/28/2013
Sen Bennet, Michael F. [CO] - 3/5/2013
Sen Blumenthal, Richard [CT] - 2/28/2013
Sen Blunt, Roy [MO] - 2/28/2013
Sen Boozman, John [AR] - 3/5/2013
Sen Boxer, Barbara [CA] - 2/28/2013
Sen Brown, Sherrod [OH] - 2/28/2013
Sen Burr, Richard [NC] - 3/5/2013
Sen Cantwell, Maria [WA] - 3/18/2013
Sen Cardin, Benjamin L. [MD] - 2/28/2013
Sen Casey, Robert P., Jr. [PA] - 2/28/2013
Sen Chambliss, Saxby [GA] - 3/5/2013
Sen Coats, Daniel [IN] - 3/18/2013
Sen Coburn, Tom [OK] - 3/12/2013
Sen Cochran, Thad [MS] - 3/18/2013
Sen Collins, Susan M. [ME] - 2/28/2013
Sen Coons, Christopher A. [DE] - 3/6/2013
Sen Cornyn, John [TX] - 2/28/2013
Sen Crapo, Mike [ID] - 2/28/2013
Sen Cruz, Ted [TX] - 3/5/2013
Sen Donnelly, Joe [IN] - 3/5/2013
Sen Durbin, Richard [IL] - 3/13/2013
Sen Feinstein, Dianne [CA] - 3/12/2013
Sen Fischer, Deb [NE] - 3/5/2013
Sen Flake, Jeff [AZ] - 3/11/2013
Sen Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [NY] - 2/28/2013
Sen Grassley, Chuck [IA] - 3/5/2013
Sen Hagan, Kay [NC] - 3/5/2013
Sen Hatch, Orrin G. [UT] - 3/14/2013
Sen Heitkamp, Heidi [ND] - 3/11/2013
Sen Heller, Dean [NV] - 3/5/2013
Sen Hirono, Mazie K. [HI] - 3/5/2013
Sen Hoeven, John [ND] - 2/28/2013
Sen Inhofe, James M. [OK] - 3/6/2013
Sen Isakson, Johnny [GA] - 3/5/2013
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!
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/holder-hearing
Here are some questions we think members of the Senate Judiciary Committee should ask Attorney General Holder:
- Will you release the Justice Department drone memos detailing the legal justification for US drone killings? If not, why?
- What are the mechanisms in place for the investigation of unlawful killings during a drone strike? What are the mechanisms for redress of such killings?
- Has the Justice Department investigated allegations of secondary drone strikes targeting civilian first responders and other extrajudicial killings, such as that of 16 year-old US citizen Abdulrahman Al-Awlaki? If not, why?
- What is the Justice Department's definition of “imminent threat”?
- Is it true that the CIA is counting every “military age male” killed in a US drone strike as a “militant”? What would this imply about CIA claims that civilian casualties have been “exceedingly rare”?
If you think Holder should have to face these questions and others, let your Senator know.
Here Comes AIPAC, Lobbying For War
On Tuesday, after overcoming months of smears, hysterical rhetoric, and procedural obstruction, Chuck Hagel was confirmed as our next Secretary of Defense. We hope Secretary Hagel will help speed the withdrawal of our troops from Afghanistan, help avoid war with Iran, and help cut the Pentagon budget, as groups who supported his nomination expect.
But one thing is in the bag: we showed that in Congress we could beat the Likud Lobby—the group of people in Washington that drove the opposition to Hagel's nomination. [1] This faction 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. [2]
Now the Likud Lobby is pressing the Senate to endorse an Israeli military attack on Iran. If the U.S. were to support such an attack, it would likely draw us into war.
If we could beat the Likud Lobby on Hagel, we can beat them on this.
Urge your Senators to oppose the AIPAC "backdoor to war" bill and to take steps towards peace with Iran and Palestine.
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/aipac-2013
AIPAC is holding its annual policy conference next week, during which hundreds of pro-Likud activists will descend on Congress to push your representatives to support war with Iran and a continuation of the status-quo between Israel and Palestine. Here are three things you can ask your reps to do to promote peace instead:
- Urge your Senators to oppose the Graham bill endorsing an Israeli attack on Iran. Senator Lindsey Graham is introducing a bill that says that if Israel attacks Iran, the U.S. should support Israel militarily and diplomatically. [3] JTA reports that winning Congressional support for this bill will be a focus of AIPAC's policy conference next week. [4] Urge your Senators to oppose this bill and to insist that the language endorsing an Israeli attack on Iran be removed.
AIPAC's "Backdoor to War" bill endorses Israeli attack on Iran
JFP 2/27: Subpoena the drone strike memos; Former hostages push Iran diplomacy
Just Foreign Policy News, February 27, 2013
Subpoena the drone strike memos; Former hostages push Iran diplomacy
Go Straight to the News Summary
Congress: Subpoena the Drone Strike Memos
On the outskirts of a House Judiciary Committee hearing today, Members of Congress mooted issuing subpoenas for the drone strike memos if the Administration doesn't hand them over. Urge them to do it.
http://signon.org/sign/congress-issue-subpeonas?source=c.url&r_by=1135580
Conyers at the Drone Strike Hearing: "this Committee requires those documents"
Today the House Judiciary Committee held the first ever public hearing of a full committee on the drone strike policy of either the House or Senate. In his opening statement, Rep. Conyers, the ranking Member, said about the drone strike memos: "I am pleased that we have reached a clear, bipartisan consensus on this issue: this Committee requires those documents to fulfill its oversight responsibilities, and we will work together to convince the Administration to satisfy our request."
http://democrats.judiciary.house.gov/press-release/conyers-statement-oversight-hearing-drones
The Real News: Secretary Hagel, Israel's Future, and the Pentagon Budget
The Real News talks to Just Foreign Policy, the National Priorities Project, and Bob Pollin about Hagel's confirmation, Israel-Palestine, and the Pentagon budget.
OMG! Did Chuck Hagel say the A word?
Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse — 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. [1] [2]
Join us and our partners at Jewish Voice for Peace now.
Sign our petition to Senator Lindsey Graham telling him that he can't smear Chuck Hagel for having a mainstream Israeli view.
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/hagel-a-word
[More quotes from prominent Israelis using "the A word" can be found here.]
Graham and friends fail to understand that a responsible United States’ Middle East policy must include recognition of millions of Palestinians living under Israeli military rule without their basic rights, or inside of Israel as second-class citizens. Only then can we hope to reach a lasting peace for both peoples.
Israel’s many public officials who have talked about apartheid recognize this, but most Senate Republicans are acting as if full support of Israel’s settlement policies is required for the position of US Secretary of Defense.
Already, Christians United for Israel has called for President Obama to remove Hagel’s candidacy. And the American Jewish Committee has called for “further deliberation” on Hagel’s candidacy. Now 15 Senate Republicans have written to President Obama, demanding that he withdraw Hagel's nomination. [3]
JFP 2/21: Hagel attacked for allegedly warning of apartheid in Israel
Just Foreign Policy News, February 21, 2013
Hagel attacked for allegedly warning of apartheid in Israel
Go Straight to the News Summary
I) Actions and Featured Articles
Scott McConnell: The Hagel Foes' Self-Defeating Witch Hunt
A clip from Bill Maher's show drives home McConnell's point: Maher says that the statements of Republicans suggest that they are controlled by the Israeli government, and the audience applauds.
http://www.theamericanconservative.com/the-hagel-foes-self-defeating-witch-hunt/
Atlantic: Palestinian Filmmaker Detained on His Way to the Oscars
"5 Broken Cameras" director Emad Burnat: "Last night, on my way from Turkey to Los Angeles, CA, my family and I were held at US immigration for about an hour and questioned about the purpose of my visit to the US. Immigration officials asked for proof that I was nominated for an Academy Award for the documentary '5 Broken Cameras' and they told me that if I couldn't prove the reason for my visit, my wife Soraya, my son Gibreel and I would be sent back to Turkey on the same day... Although this was an unpleasant experience, this is a daily occurrence for Palestinians, every single day, throughout the West Bank."
Trailer for the film, which is available on Netflix, at the Atlantic link.
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/global/2013/02/palestinian-filmmaker-detained-his-way-oscars/62336/
BBC Video: How sanctions deprive Iranians of basic medication