Saudi Arabia
In light of the recent carnage in Yemen, some members of Congress are stepping up to stop a horrifying $1.15 billion sale of US weapons to Saudi Arabia that is about to happen. Representatives Conyers, Lieu, Mulvaney and Yoho are sending a letter to the Obama Administration on Thursday asking to “delay this proposed arms deal so that the people's representatives in Congress can give these issues the full deliberation that they deserve.”
Please urge your Representative to sign onto this important congressional letter!
Sign our petition to Secretary Kerry asking that he pressure the Saudis to end their ruthless bombing campaign in Yemen!
The U.S. has spent over $8 trillion on military forces in the Persian Gulf in the last four decades, supposedly protecting the Gulf from the then-Soviet Union and Iran. The effect has been to give backing to an absolute monarchy that opposes religious freedom, female equality and humane treatment of migrant workers–– the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The hereditary despots of Saudi Arabia are infamous for beheading and/or and floggings political dissidents. In January 2016 alone, the Saudi government beheaded 47 people, some of whom were guilty of such “crimes” as political activism. Between March 2015-2016, Saudi Arabia massacred over 6,000 people in a war of aggression against Yemen, and at least half of them were civilians. It’s time for the US to reevaluate the toxic relationship with Saudi Arabia!
Here are resources and ways you can get involved.... Email [email protected] if you have questions, comments, or ideas!
2016 Summit on Saudi Arabia: Understanding the Kingdom and its Global Role:
- Program Description
- The Real News Coverage of Summit Presentations (7 Videos)
- Read all about the Summit in Ben Norton's article in Salon: Inside the first-ever summit calling for an end to the “suicidal death pact between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia"
- End the U.S.- Saudi Alliance
- Chris Hedges' talk at the Saudi Summit
Take Action!
- Sign the petitions:
- Join the Campaign to Declassify the 28 pages redacted from the "Joint Inquiry into Intelligence Community Activities before and after the Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001," published in 2002. These 28 pages reportedly say that leading Saudi government officials gave the 9/11 conspirators both financial and logistical aid. Please ask your congressional representatives to co-sponsor HR-14 and S-1471 to declassify these pages. Ask them also to urge Obama to keep his promise to members of the 9/11 victims’ families to release these pages. View Senator Bob Graham calling for declassification of the 28 pages on this video.
- Thirty participants in the “28 pages breakout session” at the 2016 Summit on Saudi Arabia called upon the Summit to organize actions to declassify Saudi government involvement in the 9/11 terror attacks, including petitioning, lobbying and demonstrations. Read details and sign letters to Congress at: 28pages.org and HR14.org.
More info:
- Who’s the Real Troublemaker in the Middle East?
- 10 Reasons to Oppose the Saudi Monarchy, by Medea Benjamin of CODEPINK
- Is Saudi Women's Vote a Step Forward? by Medea Benjamin of CODEPINK
- Events of 2015 in Saudi Arabia by Human Rights Watch
- The Burden of Being a Female in Saudi Arabia by Bayan Perazzo
- www.saudius.org
- Audio: Peace Movement Briefing on U.S.-Saudi Alliance by Medea Benjamin of CODEPINK
- Video: CODEPINK protests at the Saudi Embassy
- Video: Letter From Mothers of Sentenced Saudi Youth
Proliferation of weapons sales to Saudi Arabia
More than $21 billion in defense sales to Saudi Arabia include battleships, Blackhawk helicopters, machine guns and more than 1 million rounds of advanced ammunition.
Yemen
In March 2015, Saudi Arabia led an international coalition (backed by the United States) to launch air strikes against the Houthi rebel group in Yemen, sparking a full-blown armed conflict.
The increase in violence exacerbated the existing issues that have plighted Yemen for years: poor governance, lack of rule of law, widespread poverty, and insufficient access to basic healthcare and water, among others.
Four out of five Yemenis today rely on humanitarian assistance for their survival. There is no access to essential services such as clean water and electricity, and food prices have soared creating a desperate situation for millions. Yet Saudi Arabia continues its brutal campaign against the poorest country in the Middle East.
CODEPINK calls for an end to the Saudi-led airstrike against Yemen!
- Sign the petition: Stop the violence in Yemen
Aug 23
.jpg?1471644383)
