We are alarmed this week by President Trump’s threats to wage war on Iran amid a major U.S. military build-up in the region.
Today, President Trump confirmed he is weighing strikes. A U.S. official said there is a 90% chance the U.S. would carry out attacks on Iran, potentially as early as this weekend.
According to Axios’ reporting, a U.S. attack “would likely be a massive, weeks-long campaign that would look more like full-fledged war than last month’s pinpoint operation in Venezuela.”
This dangerous escalation comes as Iran’s government has violently repressed protests and renewed talks with the U.S. over its nuclear program.
War is not the answer, and diplomacy is still possible and necessary.
As the National Iranian American Council (NIAC) warned, “A war on Iran would not help Iranians demanding change in the face of government repression but instead kill innocent people, create instability inside Iran, and ignite a regionwide conflict.”
Meanwhile, expert Tess Bridgeman explained that a war against Iran would be “blatantly illegal” under both U.S. and International law, “hugely costly” both in human and financial terms, and would have “no clear end game.”
Congress must exert its constitutional authority to stop another disastrous forever war before it starts. Thankfully, Reps Ro Khanna (CA-17) and Thomas Massie (KY-04) have introduced a bipartisan War Powers Resolution to do just that, and congressional leaders such as House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Adam Smith (WA-09) are sounding the alarm.
Earlier this month, FCNL’s Bridget Moix signed a powerful joint call from U.S. and Iranian religious leaders to avoid war and instead choose diplomacy, human rights, and peace.
“If action to transform violent conflicts is not taken now, the horrors of war and devastation will spread … We can not allow that to happen,” the faith leaders said in a statement.
Elsewhere
Senate weighing bill attacking voting rights
After passing the House, 50 senators are now speaking out in support of the SAVE America Act, which would make it much harder to vote in America. It will face a filibuster, which requires 60 votes in favor, unless the Senate changes its rules.
This bill would block tens of millions of people from voting who do not have passports or birth certificates – raising particular problems for people who have changed their name in marriage or for other reasons. We are joining a broad coalition in speaking against this bill – the Senate must reject this attack on our democracy.
DHS shutdown continues
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been shut down for almost a week as Congress failed to agree on a funding package ahead of the February 13 deadline. Congress must pass a funding bill – one which doesn’t fund cruel and indiscriminate immigration enforcement that is tearing apart our communities. Funding should instead be directed to accountability and oversight mechanisms. Our cities and towns deserve safety.
Call your members of Congress to make your voice heard.
Cruel new refugee policy from Trump administration
The Trump administration published a memo which says that refugees could be subject to arrest after a year in the U.S. under certain circumstances. As Beth Oppenheim, CEO of HIAS, a refugee resettlement agency, said, “[Refugees] were promised safety and the chance to rebuild their lives. Instead, DHS is now threatening them with arrest and indefinite detention.”
This cruel policy would be a violation of our legal and moral obligation to care for refugees. Our country is stronger when we welcome the stranger.
U.S. continues to murder with boat strikes
This week we learned about three new boat strikes in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, which killed 11 people. The U.S. claims these strikes are to combat drug trafficking. If that is true, this would be killing people who have not been even convicted of a crime.
Congress has the responsibility and the authority to end this unauthorized use of force and defend human life and the rule of law. Call on them to act now!
