Dear John,

Over the weekend the news broke that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed in a US raid in Syria. The US might be good at killing terrorists, but we are even better at creating them. The US invasion of Iraq led to the creation of ISIS. The ongoing presence of US troops in the Middle East, including the killing of civilians, creates a desire for revenge. So does US support for repressive regimes like Saudi Arabia.

Right now, we have a chance, in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to send a clear message to Donald Trump that we are serious about ending war. In crafting its version of the NDAA, the House passed amendments to stop the war in Yemen, prevent a war with Iran, block weapons sales to Saudi Arabia, and repeal the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) against Iraq. But Republicans in the Senate plan to pull out all of these provisions and instead pass a “skinny” NDAA with billions to the Pentagon and nothing to address our reckless and destructive foreign policy. Send a message now to Congress telling them they must ensure amendments #339, #270, #419, #473, and #35 are included in the final NDAA.

It should come as no surprise to you that when Donald Trump says he wants to “end the endless wars,” he is lying. Trump vetoes congressional bills to end US support for the war in Yemen because he wants to keep selling weapons to the Saudis. In May 2018, he pulled out of the landmark Iran nuclear deal, placing the US on the brink of another disastrous Middle East war. He continues to increase the enormous Pentagon budget. And he just announced that US troops will now stay in Syria — not to protect the Kurds but to protect the oil fields. He even announced his interest in making a deal with ExxonMobil to extract the oil.

It’s time for Congress to lay down the law. The House has voiced its opposition to passing a “skinny” NDAA and yesterday Senator Jack Reed, the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, tweeted his support for NDAA amendments to end the war in Yemen. But we are far from being in the clear — word is that the Democrats will likely capitulate. That would mean a whopping $750 billion to the Pentagon with no accountability for all the death and destruction the US continues to cause.

The House-passed version of the NDAA is a clear and unequivocal rejection of unconstitutional and endless wars. Because the NDAA is “must-pass” legislation, it is one of the few places that we can have success at changing US foreign policy. If Congress passes the “skinny” NDAA, it will let Trump continue his reckless and destructive foreign policies. Take action now to tell Congress to follow the will of the people and prevent this from happening.

Towards peace,
Ann, Ariel, Caroline, Carley, Clara, Cody, Emily, Jodie, Leonardo, Maya, Mark, Medea, Megan, Michelle, Nancy, Paki, Rose, Teri, Tighe, and Zena