Sen. Chris Murphy, Stop $650M Saudi Arms Sale
Call Murphy's DC office 24/7 and leave a message
There's an attempt to get the Senate to vote down the Biden plan to sell the Saudis another $650 million in weapons.
So far CT's Sen. Chris Murphy, a longtime Saudi critic, is not yet on board. He told The Intercept “My position generally has been to support truly defensive weapons sales to the Saudis, while opposing sales that could be used in offensive operations, particularly in Yemen."
Bunk. If the Saudis were not waging a war of aggression that might make some sense. But as the Saudis are bombing the hell out of Yemen, allowing MBS to "defend himself" means he doesn't have to fear attacks from Yemenis and can use his "offensive" weapons as much as he wishes. And there's other problems with this logic as an article in "In These Times" explains. Is it possible that Sen. Murphy's anti-Saudi outrage only operates when a Republican is in the White House?
Call Senator Murphy's DC office (202) 224-4041 and leave a message urging to join in the Paul/Sanders effort.
You can call anytime, even on the weekend. Just leave word on his machine
You could say..."I have a message for Senator Murphy about the attempt to force a Senate vote on the $650 million dollar arms sale to Saudi Arabia. Please join in the effort. No weapons to that kingdom as it wages a horrific war against Yemenis. Reject the nonsense that these weapons are just defensive."
More details at this petition effort by the group "Just Foreign Policy" Murphy & Warren can block Saudi weapons sale! Add your name urgently
Rep. Ilhan Omar Submits Bill to Sanction MBS
Contents of the Legislation
The Hill says about the proposed law, "The legislation, called the Mohammed bin Salman Must be Sanctioned, or MBS MBS, Act, includes asset freezes to block and prohibit all the crown prince's transactions related to the United States. It also blocks his entrance to the country. "
Click here for the text of the bill.
Tell Your Member of Congress to Support this Plan
Omar's bill doesn't yet have a bill number, but you can ask your members of Congress to co-sponsor Omar's bill to sanction Bin Salman (MBS). They'll know what you mean. #SanctionMBS
Watch this page for updates.
Sat., January 23 Webinar Protest "Stop the War on Yemen"
3 p.m. Eastern
Imam Ibrahim Alsuraymi,
Islamic Association of Central Connecticut
Mitch Linck, Iraq Marine Corp Veteran
Stanley Heller, Coalition to End the US-Saudi Alliance (saudius.org)
Sponsored by Socialist Resurgence CT
Over 200 Organizations Call for Action on January 25
After More than 5 Years of Merciless Saudi-US Attacks
Demand an end to the bombing and starvation. See the statement signed by over 200 groups. And it's not too late to sign.
Plan an act of Solidarity for Monday Jan. 25, 2021
Anti-war, Yemeni and humanitarian organizations from across the world are coming together to call an international day of action on January 25th.
This is a situation in which action can make a difference. The Saudis are making no headway in the war. Their war coalition cracked in 2019 when the UAE pulled out and they face serious economic problems at home. International opinion against the war is growing and leading politicians in the West, including President-elect Joe Biden, have been forced to speak out against it.
We call on people around the world to protest the war on January 25th 2021 just days after Biden’s inauguration and the day before Saudi Arabia’s ‘Davos in the Desert’ Future Investment Initiative.
Congress Can Stop Trump's Last Gift to the Saudi Prince
As millions were celebrating the holidays, the Trump administration announced it would sell Saudi Arabia nearly $800 MILLION in weapons — 10,500 of the same bombs that they and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have used to kill Yemeni civilians for the last five years.
2021 has to be the year we finally end U.S. support of the devastating Saudi- and Emirati-led war in Yemen, and here's how we do it: We challenge every single one of these sales at each possible step.
Unfortunately, pushing the weapons sales forward now means Trump could wrap it up by the time Biden takes office on January 20th. That means we’ve got to jump into action to urge Congress to block these sales NOW — and we need your help in to make sure they hear us.
Democratic Socialists of America Group to Act on Jan. 25
International Committee Urges Solidarity
The DSA is the largest socialist group in the USA with over 60,000 members.
From their email
On January 25th 2021, the DSA International Committee will be joining anti-war, Yemeni, and humanitarian organizations from across the world to demand an end to the Saudi-led, US-backed war in Yemen. While the war has continued for nearly six years, international opposition to the war is growing and leading politicians in the West, including President-elect Joe Biden, have been forced to speak out against it. Taking action now could make a real difference!
There are already events scheduled for the 25th that DSA chapters across the country will be participating in, and we would love to organize even more.
No Renewal of Assistance
In 2016 the University of New Haven (CT) signed a five year contract with the King Fahd Security College (KFSC) in Riyadh to assist it in curriculum development and other areas. KFSC trains all Saudi police and has a military role, too. So UNH assists a tyrannical regime with justice system that does not recognize human rights and whose military has killed tens of thousands in Yemen.
The college must be busy bargaining a new contract. We need to get the college to cancel any such negotiations and to let the public know it will no longer assist the Kingdom of Horrors.
UNH President Steven Kaplan SKaplan@newhaven.edu 203-932-7276
Provost Thomas Gaboury MGaboury@newhaven.edu
Another thing that can be done is to continue to publicly ask Henry C. Lee, who whose name adorns the UNH Forensic College, to quit the editorial board of the Saudi Forensic Society, one of whose Board members is believed to had taken part in the plot to kill and dismember Jamal Khashoggi. Lee's email is: HLee@newhaven.edu (203) 932-7460. For the background about all this click here.
Watch this space for more ideas:
Learn More
Our coalition has been working on this issue for several years. Click on the button to see the background.
State Department: Get U.S. Citizens out of Saudi Prisons
Trump's State Department talks about Americans in Iranian prisons, but is silent about two Americans in Saudi prisons. With the Pentagon selling billions in weapons to the Saudis one would think we have tremendous leverage over that monarchy, but that leverage is not being used.
The two people in Saudi prisons are Bader al-Ibrahim, an epidemiologist and writer and Salah al-Haidar a young journalist who focuses on human rights. More details in this Washington Post op-ed by Ali Al Ahmed.
There's a special impetus to get the two out of Saudi jails now since the virus has hit the KDA hard.
At minimum complain about this on Twitter and direct your ire @SecPompeo
BDS Against the Saudi Dictatorship (Kingdom)
Just as we boycott Israeli apartheid we should boycott the Saudi regime for its many outrages, it bombings and blockades in Yemen which have killed tens of thousands, its support for the Khalifa tyranny in Bahrain, it's imprisonment and torture of Saudi feminists, its murder of Khashoggi and on and on.
Recently a number of groups got together, enthusiastic about the campaigns of CODEPINK and hoping to expand their reach
We call for:
- Entertainers and artists to refuse to go to Saudi Arabia
- Colleges should refuse to take Saudi regime money
- Ad agencies should spurn fees to pretty up the ugly regime
- Foundations should not take Saudi princes donations
- Wall St. should not underwrite Aramco
- Companies should refuse investments from the Saudi sovereign fund
We are NOT calling for anyone to cancel plans to go to Saudi Arabia for religious reasons.
