| Can you call Rep. Meeks? Tell him: "Dragging America back into war in Iraq with military intervention would be a tremendous mistake. Please vote Thursday for Rep. Barbara Lee's two amendments to prevent more war in Iraq." Representative Gregory Meeks |
Senior officials in the Obama administration announced that President Obama has taken airstrikes in Iraq off the table for now.1 But the stakes are incredibly high, and the situation is changing rapidly—it's important to make sure the progress toward stopping endless war in Iraq isn't taken for granted.
President Obama was right to end the Iraq war in 2011. But he's under pressure from lawmakers like Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham, and discredited Bush advisers and pundits like Paul Wolfowitz and Bill Kristol—and former vice president Dick Cheney—who are eager to drag America back into the disastrous conflict.2,3,4,5
On Thursday, the House will vote on two amendments, sponsored by anti-war Rep. Barbara Lee, that would prevent U.S. involvement in another war in Iraq. Before the vote, every member of Congress needs to hear from their constituents.
Will you call Rep. Meeks right now?
Tell him: "Ending the Iraq war was the right decision, and restarting it with U.S. military intervention now would be a tremendous mistake. Please vote Thursday for Rep. Barbara Lee's two amendments to prevent more war in Iraq."
Here's where to call:
Representative Gregory Meeks
Phone: (202) 225-3461
Then, please report your call by clicking here:
The House of Representatives will vote tomorrow, Thursday, June 19, on a bill to provide funding for the Department of Defense. We have an opportunity to send a clear message that America won't be dragged back into war in Iraq, and military action won't solve the sectarian crisis there. Rep. Lee's two Iraq amendments would ban combat funding in Iraq and ban funding for any operations under the 2002 authorization for military force in Iraq, effectively repealing that blank check authority to wage war.
We have an opportunity to stop more misguided U.S. war in Iraq—and Congress has an opportunity on Thursday to speak up. If the U.S. takes military action in response to the crisis in Iraq, it would be pouring more fuel on a raging fire and doubling down on the Bush Administration's colossal failures. Here are some of the prominent voices speaking out against military intervention:6
"After a decade of war, I believe the American people have had enough. Families have had enough. I do not support putting our men and women in the midst of an Iraqi civil war."7
–Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), on the Senate floor this morning"It makes no sense for us to consider going back there and getting involved in what truly is a religious civil war. What real difference would [air strikes] make on the ground?"
–Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), Iraq War veteran"I don't think there's any appetite from the American people to go back and do our work twice."
–Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), Iraq War veteran"Ultimately, this is for the Iraqi security forces and the Iraqi government to deal with."
–Rear Adm. John F. Kirby, Pentagon spokesman"Unless the US has bombs that can install wisdom and leadership into [Prime Minister] Maliki, airstrikes in Iraq would be pointless."
–Micah Zenko, Douglas Dillon Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations"If 10 years, millions of hours of work and hundreds of billions of dollars could not build a regime that can survive, it is difficult to imagine any fix that can. . .We broke Iraq. We paid a huge price in lives, treasure and legitimacy. It is time to stop paying."
–Joe Cirincione, president of the Ploughshares Fund8
Enough is enough! America cannot go down this road again. And with your help creating a massive outpouring of opposition to war in Iraq, we won't have to.
Will you call Rep. Meeks right now?
Tell him: "Ending the Iraq war was the right decision, and restarting it with U.S. military intervention now would be a tremendous mistake. Please vote Thursday for Rep. Barbara Lee's two amendments to prevent more war in Iraq."
Here's where to call:
Representative Gregory Meeks
Phone: (202) 225-3461
Then, please report your call by clicking here:
Thanks for all you do.
–Anna, Bobby, Joan, Stephen, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. "U.S. airstrikes in Iraq unlikely, for now," CBS News, June 18, 2014
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/obama-iraq-airstrikes/
2. "On Iraq, let's ignore those who got it all wrong," The Washington Post, June 13, 2014
ttp://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2014/06/13/on-iraq-lets-ignore-those-who-got-it-all-wrong/
3. "Fareed Zakaria: Who lost Iraq? The Iraqis did, with an assist from George W. Bush," The Washington Post, June 12, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=299275&id=97361-10220574-k1xXD0x&t=5
4. "Fool Me Once," Slate, June 16, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=299302&id=97361-10220574-k1xXD0x&t=6
5. "The Collapsing Obama Doctrine," The Wall Street Journal, June 17, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=299497&id=97361-10220574-k1xXD0x&t=7
6. "Quotes Against Military Intervention in Iraq," Win Without War, accessed June 16, 2014
ttp://winwithoutwar.org/quotes-iraq/
7. "Reid Remarks On Violence In Iraq," June 18, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=299498&id=97361-10220574-k1xXD0x&t=8
8. "Don't Be Sucked Into War With Iraq, Again," Defense One, June 12, 2014
http://www.moveon.org/r/?r=299277&id=97361-10220574-k1xXD0x&t=9
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