Once you’ve made your call, which is the most important action you can take today, please also take a moment to send a letter to your Senators and Representative using our online form, demanding that they stop supporting potential war crimes in Yemen!

Please contribute $10 to keep our campaign for peace going!

Thank you for taking this important action, today!

In Solidarity,

UFPJ’s Coordinating Committee

The post [Action Alert] Stop Weapons Sales to Saudi Arabia. End the War in Yemen. appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

“There have already been thousands and thousands of civilians killed…If you talk to Yemenis, they will tell you that this is perceived inside Yemen as not a Saudi-led bombing campaign, which it’s broadly advertised in the newspapers, but as a US bombing campaign or at best a US-Saudi bombing campaign. There is a US imprint on every civilian death inside Yemen, which is radicalizing the people this country against the United States.” -Sen. Chris Murphy

Yemen is in the midst of a humanitarian crisis, and the US-backed Saudi-UAE led coalition is responsible. Since their bombing campaign in Yemen began two years ago, more than 10,000 people have been killed, and millions have been forced from their homes. As a weapon of war, the Saudi Coalition is inflicting starvation on the population by blockading the country’s ports.  Fourteen million out of 26 million Yemenis are food insecure and Yemen is standing at the brink of famine.

Right now, all eyes are on the Port of Hodeida, which is a main entry point for a vast majority (70%) of Yemen’s food, medicine, and aid which 80% of the population depends on. Coalition forces have already imposed a blockade on the port and destroyed many of the vital roadways and bridges in Hodeida province. Now, many fear a military attack on the port, which would threaten the lives of over a million children already suffering from malnutrition. In response to the threat, the United Nations and aid organizations are busy preparing humanitarian contingency plans.

“Administration officials have proposed the US. participate directly in an attack on Yemen’s major port…such an attack could push the country into full-blown famine, where nearly half a million children in Yemen are facing starvation”. –Rep. Mark Pocan

The attack can be prevented. As Reuters stated, “the coalition of Gulf Arab countries might still be waiting for a go-ahead from its Western allies [to] launch the Hodeida offensive.” The US must act now and use its influence to stop provoking militarism and start using diplomacy in Yemen.

While Donald Trump goes to Saudi Arabia to sell weapons to the murderous Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, tell Congress that US should be working for a ceasefire and peace negotiations instead.

Peace activists are pressing forward through protest, lobbying, vigils, and even fasting to end to the war in Yemen. Our movement must continue to lead with actions to prevent an imminent attack on Hodeida, to stop arming and aiding the Saudi led coalition, and to support the work of humanitarian aid organizations on the ground in Yemen.

The post Send a Letter to Congress: No weapons to Saudi Arabia! No attack on Hodeida! Stop war crimes in Yemen! appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

UFPJ is pleased to join our peace movement partners in supporting a joint petition to Congress to block war funding.

The petition urges Congress to “enact legislation to block the use of any U.S. taxpayer funds for continuing warfare, directly or by proxy, in Syria.”

We also call on our elected representatives to avert a nuclear confrontation by improving diplomatic relations with Russia.

Tell Congress, “While defunding endless and disastrous wars as well as cutting wasteful military expenditures, you can provide funds for urgent human and environmental needs”, by signing this petition and make a call directly to Congress using this link.

Thank you for taking action.

Click here to read UFPJ’s recent call “Stop US Military Action In Syria”

If you support UFPJ’s never-ending work for peace and justice, please make a contribution today, to help us carry-on and expand the success of our campaigns

And if you haven’t already, please sign the UFPJ Peace Pledge petition against Trumps $54 billion military budget increase!

Tell Democrats and Republicans in Congress that we value and support a system that supports public needs, not endless war and corporate profiteers.

The post PETITION: Block War Funding in Syria– Improve Diplomacy With Russia appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

Both the United Nations Charter and the Chemical Weapons Convention provide means for international investigation and sanction of the use of prohibited weapons.  Unilateral use of military force in these circumstances by the United States, which has not been attacked and is not in imminent danger of attack, is unlawful.

Call the White House  202-456-1111 and your Senators and Congressional Representatives 202-224-3121 and tell them that military action only increases the dangers and intensifies the humanitarian catastrophe in the region.

Activate your community. Protest, vigil or march to Say No to War! Let Trump know that bombing is not the answer.

There should be no further strikes against the Syrian military or government. U.S. forces in Syria should be withdrawn. There must be an independent investigation of the chemical attack through the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, and immediate, urgent diplomatic efforts to end the war in Syria.

This attack, dangerous as it is in itself, has broader implications. It underscores how impulsive Donald Trump is, and how willing to make decisions on matters of life and death very quickly, on the basis of sparse evidence. More worrisome still, it shows us that there are no elements, either in the broader government or in the military, that appear willing or able to restrain him. It is urgent that the people of the United States act to prevent a wider war.

Two days ago, major newspapers reported that a chemical attack had occurred in a village in Syria, killing and injuring many civilians. Despite the fact that there has been no investigation by any international agency that might confirm a chemical weapons attack occurred or who is responsible, the U.S. military now has launched a direct attack on Syria’s military.

Since World War I, use of chemical weapons has been viewed almost universally as monstrous, and as a violation of treaty-based and customary standards of international humanitarian law.  If they were used in Syria by any party, that action should be condemned, and all states should cooperate in identifying the perpetrators and in pursuing their apprehension and prosecution by all legal means.  There is no provision of international law, however, that allows countries to determine for themselves who they believe the guilty parties to be, and to punish them by acts of war against the territory of a sovereign state. International treaties outlawing chemical weapons and prohibiting their use provide no special exception for such ad hoc use of military force.  

To the contrary, the Chemical Weapons Convention, the most comprehensive instrument concerning chemical weapons, provides for investigation of alleged violations by specialist bodies constituted by the Convention and recourse to the United Nations to authorize any use of force.

These events are occurring amidst a civil war, with outside forces ranging from neighboring states to nuclear-armed great powers aiding an array of warring groups. Russia and the United States, both nuclear-armed, each have troops on Syrian soil and aircraft flying combat missions against targets inside Syria’s borders. Even if the principle is accepted that the world community has a responsibility to protect people from the violence of their own governments, any such action must be crafted to reduce, rather than increase, the level of violence and chaos. Unilateral military strikes by a country already backing factions in a complex civil war are far more likely to intensify an already grave humanitarian crisis, and also could lead to a cycle of confrontation amongst heavily-armed militaries that easily could spiral out of control. In this dangerous context, it is especially important that transparent, credible procedures be followed for investigation of the allegations of chemical weapons use and a determination of the responsible party or parties, as well as for actions to prevent further use and to punish those culpable.

All U.S. military action against Syria’s government and military should cease immediately. All parties in the region, and especially the United States and Russia, which each hold vetoes in the Security Council, should take all necessary measures to facilitate a speedy and thorough investigation of the alleged attack, and to assure that those responsible are held to account. This incident only underscores the danger of this ongoing war and its terrible human toll. All the warring parties and the states that support them must renew a determined pursuit of the war’s end, and of a wider peace.

Call the White House 202-456-1111 and your Senators and Congressional Representatives 202-224-3121 and tell them that military action only increases the dangers and intensifies the humanitarian catastrophe in the region.

The post Stop US Military Action In Syria. Call the White House & Congress appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

People inspect damage at a house after it was destroyed by an air strike in Yemen’s capital Sanaa, February 25, 2016. REUTERS/Mohamed al-Sayaghi

The Obama Administration has recently blocked the sale of cluster bombs to the Saudi Kingdom, but the State Dept. has permitted the sale of $1.15 BILLION in weapons sales, despite popular concerns about US complicity in war crimes in Yemen. Congress has 30 days from the official announcement to block the sale of weapons, but Congress is on recess.

Some Congressmen, including Lieu and Conyers, have drafted a letter to President Obama, asking him to halt the sale of these war machines so that Congress can deliberate on the sale and potentially block it from happening. They need our help to get other representatives to sign on to their letter to the President.

Will you send a letter to your representatives, asking them to sign on to this rare congressional letter?

The post URGENT ACTION: Send a Letter to Congress to Halt Saudi Weapons Deal appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

The post Iran Agreement: No Time for Silence! appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

Recorded Live on Wednesday, August 12, 9PM EST

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Finally, there is a diplomatic achievement we can support. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) negotiated by the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France, Germany and Iran is a vital first step in avoiding the risk of a new war, advancing towards a nuclear-free Middle East, relieving the economic suffering of the Iranian people and opening the prospect of a more peaceful approach to the grave conflicts in the region.

Congressional Republicans are determined to kill this deal. It is no secret that they are being vigorously supported by AIPAC and other well-funded lobbying groups aligned with the Netanyahu government. With so much money being spent by opponents of the agreement, there is a clear danger that without a strong grass-roots mobilization, Congress will vote against the deal and could have the votes to override a Presidential veto. This battle is happening now.

As President Obama rightly observed, “Many of the same people who argued for the war in Iraq are now making the case against the Iran nuclear deal.”

Click here to download the MP3 audio of the call.

Hear Phyllis Bennis, Institute for Policy Studies, Tyler Cullis, National Iranian American Council, and Lara Friedman, Americans for Peace Now, give an update on the nuclear agreement and steps we can take to defeat Congressional hawks, who would lead us into another war.

Other steps:

• Sign this petition in support of the nuclear agreement, which now has more than 400,000 signatures: https://www.unitedforpeace.org/2015/07/18/petition-act-now-to-save-iran-deal/
• Check out our resources. Our legislative action team has worked to provide a list of articles to help others understand the rest of the process and why urgent action is needed: https://www.unitedforpeace.org/iran-deal-resources-articles-links/
• Call or write your Congressional Representatives and Senators letting them know that you strongly support this agreement with Iran and believe that it is in the security interest of the United States and the entire Middle East. For Congressional Switchboard: 202-224-3121.
• Plan an event at the local office of your Congressional Representative or Senator. They are back home this month. Set up appointments at local offices, deliver letters or petitions, or conduct a vigil with a few friends.

Wednesday August 26 will be a National Day of Action at Congressional offices, sponsored by a coalition of national groups. We will forward the relevant details and links to you as they become available.

If you have not already done so please send us the State and names of your Senators and Congressional Representative: rustiandgael@unitedforpeace.org

All we are saying is give peace a chance! If you appreciate receiving timely action alerts like this, please make a donation to UFPJ so that we can continue to keep our member groups and dedicated activists linked together for effective action and impact.

The post [Listen] National Briefing Call: Iran Nuclear Agreement appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

Click here to sign the petition to uphold the Iran Deal! http://www.stopwarwithiran.com?source=ufpj

The long months of arduous negotiations attests to the difficulty of achieving compromise among adversaries. But at the end of this process, nobody has been killed, no communities have been obliterated, nor have billions of dollars been squandered on instruments of death. The lesson is clear. When the political will is there, diplomacy can succeed. United for Peace Justice views this agreement as the beginning, not the end of a path to peace. Iran’s potential capacity to develop nuclear weapons in the future has been understandably perceived as threatening. But much more immediately threatening are the existing arsenals of the nuclear-armed states: the U.S., Russia, Britain, China, France, Israel, India, Pakistan,and North Korea. We believe that the survival of humanity require new commitments to eliminate them all.For the immediate future, we recognize that irresponsible voices in Congress will do everything possible to kill the agreement with Iran. United for Peace and Justice is joining together with other national organizations in a Stop the Iran War Coalition to build a firewall of support for this deal. This will be an ongoing effort that will extend over the coming months.For now you can help by signing and circulating this petition. http://www.stopwarwithiran.com?source=ufpj

To assist in our ongoing Congressional campaign, please send a quick email with your name, and Congressional district to Rustiandgael@unitedforpeace.org

Our years of protest have helped to bring this historic deal to completion. Let’s make sure it passes.

The post PETITION: Act Now to Save Iran Deal! appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

ISIS displaying captured US-made weapons and military machinery

With the Islamic State on the rise, and the ever pressing threat of U.S. attacks or invasion in the Middle East, the peace movement is demanding that President Obama come clean on his strategy for Iraq. While the President has recently claimed that he has “no complete Iraq strategy,” the administration is already deploying around 500 troops, and building a new military base, in addition to the over 3,100 US troops already stationed in Iraq. Meanwhile, war mongers in Congress are beating drums for full-on escalation.

It’s time for the international peace movement to re-activate and oppose continued U.S. military intervention in Iraq.

Read the recent analysis by Phyllis Bennis, former UFPJ Steering Committee Member and Director of the New Internationalism Project at the Institute for Policy Studies here: “Obama Does Have a Strategy in Iraq: Escalation.”

Please share this post and tell us what your group is doing to oppose U.S. military escalation in Iraq.

The post Obama’s Strategy for Iraq: Escalation appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.

Join a Nat’l Conference Call on Syria w/ Phyllis Bennis – Mon., 11/16

Although it has evaded the issue for almost a year, Congress recently voted on H Res Con.55, introduced by Congressional Reps Jim McGovern, Barbara Lee and Walter Jones. This resolution was designed to force a Congressional decision on the war against ISIS. And most importantly it would bring all US troops home in the absence of a decision.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-concurrent-resolution/55/text

On Wednesday June 17. Congress voted against H. Res. Con. 55. The resolution Failed by the Yeas and Nays: 139 – 288, 1 Present (Roll no. 370).

United for Peace and Justice supported this resolution because we believe that Congress has the responsibility to make decisions on issues of war and peace. We asked activists like yourself to call Congress and tell them to support the resolution.

We believe members of Congress should vote against US military intervention against ISIS — whether this involves ground troops or the use of air power.

Please Call your Representative and say, “Do your job; vote against endless war.” You can reach your Representative via the Capitol switchboard, (202) 224-3121 (to confirm who your Representative is, click here). Ask the operator to put you through to your Representative, and then tell the person who takes your call that you want your member to know that you do not believe that accelerated air-strikes, increased weapons deliveries or expanded “boots on the ground” are a practical or moral answer to the danger of international terrorist plots or solving the ground situation or humanitarian crisis in Syria.

All we are saying, is give peace a chance! If you appreciate receiving timely action alerts like this, please make a donation to UFPJ so that we can continue to keep our member groups and dedicated activists linked together for effective action and impact!!

The post War on ISIS? Oppose US Military Intervention in Syria appeared first on United For Peace and Justice.