Secretary Ash Carter has revealed that the U.S. will openly begin “direct action on the ground” and “strikes from the air” against ISIS forces in Iraq and Syria and now President Obama has announced he’s deploying Special Forces.
As our friends at Win Without War have said, this back-to-the-future approach is a well-worn road to disaster. More than one year after America started bombing Iraq and Syria and nearly 13 years since the US unleashed chaos in the region by invading Iraq, we find ourselves no closer to peace and stability in the Middle East. Secretary Carter’s announcement is merely another effort to bomb our way to peace.
Gather with us for this important demonstration:
Support Refugees & Civilians!
No US Escalation in Syria & Iraq!
Thursday Nov 5, 5:00 – 6:15 pm
Division/Ruby at intersection with North River Drive
* DON’T ESCALATE the war — US involvement is a provocation for ISIS recruitment and escalation.
* Instead, STABILIZE: Increase aid for refugees & civilians. Invest in multi-party diplomatic talks.
6 Ways to Deal with ISIS — from Phyllis Bennis & Code Pink
1) Freeze the bank accounts of ISIS funders.
2) Negotiate partnerships with villages where oil pipelines run to cut ISIS oil revenues.
3) Work with partners in Europe and Turkey to stem the flow of Western recruits.
4) In Syria, convene rebel groups, the regime, civil society activists, and regional players like Turkey, Iran, Russia, and the Gulf States to restart negotiations for a political solution to the war.
5) In Iraq, condition all further assistance on the development of a more inclusive political order that protects the country’s minorities.
6) Dramatically increase support for the United Nations’ badly underfunded humanitarian assistance programs for both Syrian and Iraqi refugees.
America must welcome Syrian refugees!
Four million people have fled Syria so far, yet the U.S. has shamefully only accepted 1,500 of those refugees.
Fortunately, Senators Leahy (D-VT) and Graham (R-SC) have introduced a bill that would provide an additional $1 billion in emergency funding to respond to the refugee crisis, including costs associated with the resettlement of refugees here. Their bill, officially titled S.2145, the Middle East Refugee Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, could potentially support the resettlement of 100,000 Syrian refugees in the next two years.
Please take two minutes to email your Senators and ask them to cosponsor this bipartisan bill.