For Immediate Release
Contacts:
Paul Kawika Martin, Peace Action, 951-217-7285 cell, pmartin@peace-action.org
Peace Action: Senate Republicans Fuel Mideast Arms Race
Washington, D.C. — December 9, 2020 — In response to today’s Senate votes against motions to discharge two joint resolutions of disapproval on arms sales to the United Arab Emirates, Paul Kawika Martin, Senior Director for Policy and Political Affairs at Peace Action, released the following statement:
“Republicans should be ashamed for voting to sell deadly drones and F-35A jets to the United Arab Emirates—a country known for war crimes, human rights abuses, and causing Yemen famine.
“These votes send a strong message from Senate Democrats to the Biden and Harris administration to rethink arms sales especially to countries who may not always hold American interests nor uphold human rights like the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
“Senators Menendez (D-NJ), Murphy (D-CT), and Paul (R-KY) deserve praise for longtime efforts to put people over profit when considering arms sales abroad.”
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Founded in 1957, Peace Action (formerly SANE/Freeze), the United States’ largest grassroots 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
Notes to editors:
1. Twenty-nine NGOs signed a letter opposing the sales which you can read here.
2. A report from Human Rights Watch is here.
3. The Joint Resolutions of Disapproval (S.J.Res.77, 78, 79, and 80) were sponsored by Sens. Menendez, Murphy, and Paul. 77 and 78 were voted on covering Reaper drones and 50 F-35A jets respectively.
4. The UAE drives significant violence in Yemen.
5. One Saudi arms sales vote from last year.
