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Monday, May 22, 2017
“Yes to Peace- No to NATO”: World Peace Council’s events against NATO Summit in Brussels
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For Immediate Release
December 8, 2016
Media Contact:
Emily Latimer, (202) 604-2330
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Rep. Tulsi Gabbard Introduces Legislation to Stop Arming Terrorists
Washington, DC—Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) introduced the Stop Arming Terrorists Act today. The legislation would prohibit the U.S. government from using American taxpayer dollars to provide funding, weapons, training, and intelligence support to groups like the Levant Front, Fursan al Ha and other allies of Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, al-Qaeda and ISIS, or to countries who are providing direct or indirect support to those same groups.
The legislation is cosponsored by Reps. Peter Welch (D-VT-AL), Barbara Lee (D-CA-13), Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA-48), and Thomas Massie (R-KT-04), and supported by the Progressive Democrats of America (PDA) and the U.S. Peace Council.
Video of Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s speech on the House floor is available here
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard said, “Under U.S. law it is illegal for any American to provide money or assistance to al-Qaeda, ISIS or other terrorist groups. If you or I gave money, weapons or support to al-Qaeda or ISIS, we would be thrown in jail. Yet the U.S. government has been violating this law for years, quietly supporting allies and partners of al-Qaeda, ISIL, Jabhat Fateh al Sham and other terrorist groups with money, weapons, and intelligence support, in their fight to overthrow the Syrian government.[i]
“The CIA has also been funneling weapons and money through Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar and others who provide direct and indirect support to groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda. This support has allowed al-Qaeda and their fellow terrorist organizations to establish strongholds throughout Syria, including in Aleppo.
“A recent New York Times article confirmed that ‘rebel groups’ supported by the U.S. ‘have entered into battlefield alliances with the affiliate of al-Qaeda in Syria, formerly known as al Nusra.’ This alliance has rendered the phrase ‘moderate rebels’ meaningless. Reports confirm that ‘every armed anti-Assad organization unit in those provinces [of Idlib and Aleppo] is engaged in a military structure controlled by [al-Qaeda’s] Nusra militants.’
“A recent Wall Street Journal article reported that many rebel groups are ‘doubling down on their alliance’ with al Nusra. Some rebel groups are renewing their alliance, while others, like Nour al-Din al-Zinki, a former CIA-backed group and one of the largest factions in Aleppo are joining for the first time. “The Syria Conquest Front—formerly known as the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front—is deeply intermingled with armed opposition groups of all stripes across Syria’s battlefields.â€
“The CIA has long been supporting a group called Fursan al Haqq, providing them with salaries, weapons and support, including surface to air missiles. This group is cooperating with and fighting alongside an al-Qaeda affiliated group trying to overthrow the Syrian government. The Levant Front is another so-called moderate umbrella group of Syrian opposition fighters. Over the past year, the United States has been working with Turkey to give this group intelligence support and other forms of military assistance. This group has joined forces with al-Qaeda’s offshoot group in Syria.
“This madness must end. We must stop arming terrorists. The Government must end this hypocrisy and abide by the same laws that apply to its’ citizens.
“That is why I’ve introduced the Stop Arming Terrorists bill—legislation based on congressional action during the Iran-Contra affair to stop the CIA’s illegal arming of rebels in Nicaragua. It will prohibit any Federal agency from using taxpayer dollars to provide weapons, cash, intelligence, or any support to al-Qaeda, ISIS and other terrorist groups, and it will prohibit the government from funneling money and weapons through other countries who are directly or indirectly supporting terrorists,†concluded Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.
Stephen Kinzer, a senior fellow at the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown University, and award-winning author and journalist said, “The proposal to stop sending weapons to insurgents in Syria is based on the principle that pouring arms into a war zone only intensifies suffering and makes peace more difficult to achieve. Congress made a decision like this about the Nicaraguan contras during the 1980s. Aid to the contras was cut off by the Boland Amendment. The result was a peace process that finally brought an end to wars not only in Nicaragua, but also in El Salvador and Guatemala. This is the example we should be following. Cutting off arms shipments forces belligerents to negotiate. That is what we achieved in Nicaragua. It should be our goal in Syria as well.â€
Donna Smith, Executive Director of Progressive Democrats of America said, “Progressive Democrats of America believes that it is fundamentally wrong for the United States to fund those groups or individuals aligned with al-Qaeda, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, ISIS, or other terrorist/extremist organizations. The ‘Stop Arming Terrorists’ bill authored by Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, of Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District, would help bring an end to the human tragedy unfolding in Syria where the haunting eyes of the innocent children of Aleppo call on us all to stop supporting those who threaten and kill them with ferocious intention. War is war, and terrorism is terrorism whether waged by the state or from external forces. PDA supports this measure.”
Alfred Marder, President of the U.S. Peace Council said, “The U.S. Peace Council is honored to endorse and support the ‘Stop Arming Terrorists Bill’ as a major contribution to peace. This legislation will serve to galvanize the anti-war movement and the opposition to regime change policies that characterize our present foreign policy.â€
Background: The Stop Arming Terrorists bill prohibits U.S. government funds from being used to support al-Qaeda, ISIS or other terrorist groups. In the same way that Congress passed the Boland Amendment to prohibit the funding and support to CIA backed-Nicaraguan Contras during the 1980’s, this bill would stop CIA or other Federal government activities in places like Syria by ensuring U.S. funds are not used to support al-Qaeda, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, ISIS, or other terrorist groups working with them. It would also prohibit the Federal government from funding assistance to countries that are directly or indirectly supporting those terrorist groups. The bill achieves this by:
- <!–[if !supportLists]–> <!–[endif]–>Making it illegal for any U.S. Federal government funds to be used to provide assistance covered in this bill to terrorists. The assistance covered includes weapons, munitions, weapons platforms, intelligence, logistics, training, and cash.
- <!–[if !supportLists]–> <!–[endif]–>Making it illegal for the U.S. government to provide assistance covered in the bill to any nation that has given or continues to give such assistance to terrorists.
- <!–[if !supportLists]–> <!–[endif]–>Requiring the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) to determine the individual and groups that should be considered terrorists, for the purposes of this bill, by determining: (a) the individuals and groups that are associated with, affiliated with, adherents to or cooperating with al-Qaeda, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, or ISIS; (b) the countries that are providing assistance covered in this bill to those individuals or groups.
- <!–[if !supportLists]–> <!–[endif]–>Requiring the DNI to review and update the list of countries and groups to which assistance is prohibited every six months, in consultation with the House Foreign Affairs and Armed Services Committees, as well as the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
- <!–[if !supportLists]–> <!–[endif]–>Requiring the DNI to brief Congress on the determinations.
Saturday, November 12, 2016
Erdogan shuts down the Peace Association of Turkey- Solidarity with the Turkish people and Barış Derneği!
Police raid to the Peace Association of Turkey.
We are warning the government. The struggle for peace is not subject to your decisions. We acquire our legitimacy from the longing for peace; we will continue to do so.
US PEACE COUNCIL
- P.O. Box 3105, New Haven, Connecticut 06515
Telephone: 203-387-0370; Fax: 203-397-2539; Email: amistadmarder@gmail.com
October 9, 2016
To The US Peace Movement
Dear Fellow Peace Activists:
We must come together at once to halt the spiraling danger of a US-Russia war in Syria.
The issue is World War 3. The crisis is between US and Russia. Syria, Assad are not the issue.
We must not, we cannot, let any differences prevent us from coming together to prevent any provocation that can lead to a catastrophe.
The press, the White House, the military, the candidates for office are fueling the fire for a leap in military action by the US in Syria. The “regime-change†campaign is focused on securing support for intervention based upon “humanitarian†grounds. There is no longer any talk about the jihadists, the terrorists. Russia and Syria have become the targets.
We call upon the peace movement, “the other superpowerâ€, to flood the White House and Congress with “HANDS OFF SYRIAâ€Â CALLS.
We call upon the Peace movement to organize local demonstrations and vigils demanding HANDS OFF SYRIA.
We call upon the peace movement to come together in national mobilization demanding HANDS OFF SYRIA!
We must come together, in a united voice, HANDS OFF SYRIA!
We ask that you respond urgently.
Yours in peace,
Alfred L. Marder
President
Member of the World Peace Council
Joe Jamison, a member of the US Peace Council, reports on their July delegation of US antiwar organizations to Syria.Â
At the request of the U.S. Peace Council, the Syrian government approved a 7-member delegation composed of representatives of U.S. anti-war organizations for a 6-day intensive fact-finding visit to Syria. It included organizational leaders, labor activists, lawyers, educators, and independent journalists. The visit was completed on July 30, 2016.
The delegation met with civil society organizations, non-violent opposition political parties and parliamentarians, Muslim and Christian religious leaders, students, business leaders, victims of war and violence, aide workers, members of the Syrian Bar Association, women’s rights activists, and high-level government officials. The delegation was also granted a nearly two-hour meeting with President Bashar Al-Assad.
The goal of the trip was to see first-hand the actual conditions on the ground in Syria; hear directly from the Syrian people about their situation and their views about the solution to the war and violence; and discuss with Syrian government officials the possible ways in which a speedy end to the war and destruction can be brought about.
“What we saw and heard goes against everything we read in the mainstream media in the United States.†Joe Jameson expressed fear that matters will get worse soon: “Whether Clinton or Trump wins the White House, there is every likelihood of a more warlike policy in Syria.â€
A short video of the UN press conference is atÂ
http://webtv.un.org/watch/bash
Loyola University Department of Sociology, Chicago ALBA Solidarity, Anti-War Committee- Chicago, Vets for Peace- Chicago
Stan Smith at 773-322-3168
To invite or interview another member of the delegation, contact Judy Bello of United Anti-War Coalition
(585) 733-4058.Â
judith@papillonweb.net