(Photo: Felton Davis)

Washington, D.C. — September 6, 2018 — In response to an announcement by several members of the House of Representatives that they will use the War Powers Resolution in an attempt to force a vote on the Saudi/UAE-led war on Yemen, Paul Kawika Martin, Peace Action’s Senior Director for Policy and Political Affairs, released the following statement:

“The U.S. government and Congress must stop its complicity in what the U.N. last week confirmed are war crimes in Yemen. In another effort by Congress to take back its constitutional mandate to declare war, I applaud the announcement today by Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) and others to use the War Powers Resolution to stop the U.S. from providing logistical and military support to the Saudi/UAE-led coalition.

“Peace Action helped pass the War Powers Resolution in 1973 over the veto of President Nixon so that Congress could stop illegal wars like the one in Yemen.

“Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates continue to show their disregard for the nearly 18 million Yemeni civilians struggling to survive by conducting military attacks on ports, water supplies and critical infrastructure. It boggles the mind that over eight million people suffer from near starvation because of this three-year war. The U.S. must stop aiding those that deliberately conduct illegal attacks on weddings, hospitals and children in school buses.

“I cannot see how Secretary of State Pompeo can make all the certifications required by the recently enacted National Defense Authorization Act including that the Saudi/UAE-led coalition is taking actions to alleviate the Yemen humanitarian catastrophe.

“History shows that only a political solution will bring an end to the Yemen war. The U.S. should urge that negotiations happen in good faith during the U.N. process in Geneva tomorrow.”

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Founded in 1957, Peace Action (formerly SANE/Freeze), the United States’ largest peace and disarmament organization, with over 100,000 paid members and nearly 100 chapters in 36 states, works to abolish nuclear weapons, promote government spending priorities that support human needs, encourage real security through international cooperation and human rights and support nonmilitary solutions to international conflicts. The public may learn more and take action at www.PeaceAction.org.

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