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Greetings and Belated Happy New Year,
The turn of the calendar left little time or space for us to wonder whether 2020 would hasten the peace (or relaxation) for which so many of us had hoped during our respective holiday celebrations.
President Trump’s decision on January 2 to further escalate tensions in the region by assassinating Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad left no doubt that the United States would continue its march of folly in the Middle East. American actions raised ever higher the spectre of another protracted, deadly, and avoidable war in the region this year.
The prospects for escalation are rightfully terrifying. And they must be a call to action.
These events underscore both why and how Quincy Institute must rise to the challenge of this moment by plotting a new path forward in which war is the exception-- not the default-- for U.S. engagement in the world. We must break this vicious cycle by raising a voice that is pragmatic and principled and impassioned-- one that demands that the promise to “end endless war” evolve beyond partisan rhetoric to take on the force of a movement that represents the beliefs of the majority of Americans and that holds our leaders to account.
As humbled as we are by the work that lies ahead of us, we are also proud to report to you that QI’s work to fundamentally change the shape of the public debate of foreign policy in this country ramped up in earnest this week. Confronted with the prospects of the first major military escalation in the month since we officially opened our doors, QI hit the ground running in the media.
Our experts were everywhere, fanning out across television:
* The Rachel Maddow Show (clip forthcoming) on MSNBC as the news of the assassination broke
* AM Joy ([link removed]) on MSNBC
* The Lead with Jake Tapper ([link removed]) (and here ([link removed]) ) on CNN
* The Situation Room ([link removed]) on CNN
* The Newsroom ([link removed]) on CNN
* Democracy Now! ([link removed]) on PBS
And the radio-waves:
* All things Considered ([link removed]) on NPR
* KGO-AM ([link removed]) (San Francisco)
And their views unfolded on the opinion pages of the New York Times ([link removed]) and the Los Angeles Times ([link removed]) , and in the news sections of Washington beltway must-reads like Politico ([link removed]) , Vox ([link removed]) , Vice ([link removed]) and the Hill ([link removed]) , and in newspapers read across the country--from the Boston Globe ([link removed]) to the Los Angeles Times
([link removed]) , and McClatchy ([link removed]) and USA Today ([link removed]) everywhere in between.
On the internet, Trita Parsi’s hot-take made an expert line-up on CNN.com ([link removed]) and our friends at MoveOn ([link removed]) circulated a video of Trita making the case for why Soleimani’s assassination makes the U.S. less safe. AJ+ ([link removed]) also shared a video of Trita explaining who Soleimani was and the implications of his death.
Our press office is still fielding interview requests this weekend and we have more television interviews scheduled this week. We plan to be at the top of the news as events continue to unfold and we’ll keep you posted.
QI’s work is more important now than ever, and we’ve only just begun. Please stand with us and show your support by forwarding this email to friends and family, sharing your favorite news clips on Facebook ([link removed]) ,Twitter ([link removed]) , Youtube ([link removed]) , and by donating ([link removed]) to Quincy Institute today.
We thank you and look forward to working with you this year.
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