Yemen War Resolution

Peace Action, the nation's largest grassroots peace and justice organization, released the following statement on the Yemen war resolution, introduced by Representatives Ro Khanna (D-CA), Thomas Massie (R-KY), Mark Pocan (D-WI), and Walter Jones (R-NC). The resolution invokes the War Powers Act with a bipartisan bill (H.Con.Res. 81) to end the Saudi war in Yemen.

"For two and a half years, the U.S. has been fueling Yemen's civil war with military support to Saudi Arabia for an intervention that was never debated or authorized by Congress. Most American taxpayers don't realize they've been footing the bill for mid-air refuelings of Saudi coalition warplanes that regularly bomb civilian targets in Yemen. With U.S. support, the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen has helped give rise to one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes ever, and this resolution offers a chance to end that support.

"Besides the U.S. supporting what exerts call war crimes by Saudi Arabia, Riyadh's actions are making Americans less safe by strengthening Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

"This privileged resolution will force members of Congress to go on record, many for the first time, on the question of whether or not we should be backing a coalition that's demonstrated an intractable disregard for human rights and the most basic laws of war. To vote for continuing U.S. support is to vote for more indiscriminate bombings of schools, marketplaces, and hospitals in one of the world's poorest nations, and at the expense of American taxpayers and U.S. national security interests. This is another push for Congress to take back its Constitutional authority to declare war, that for political expediency it has handed over to the President. Voters will be watching."

ADDENDUMS:
*Article 2, paragraph 4 of the UN Charter reads: "All members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state,  or in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations." When President Trump vowed to bring about the total destruction of North Korea in his UN speech, he was violating the UN Charter.

*Trump said on Alabama radio's "Rick and Bubba Show" that: "They [GOP senators] pander and grandstand."

*A CBS poll taken last month found that only 29% approve of Trump's handling of healthcare, while 62% disapprove.

*Trump tweet: "The booing at the NFL football game last night, when the entire Dallas team dropped to its knees, was the loudest I have ever heard. Great anger."

*Trump September 24 tweet: "Just heard Foreign Minister of North Korea speak at U.N.. If he echoes thoughts of Little Rocket Man, they won't be around much longer."

*President Trump has decided to allow the resettlement of no more than 45,000 refugees next year. There are more than 22 million refugees in the world.