From Peace Action (http://www.peace-action.org/):
Legislation has been introduced to block the administration’s proposed $1.15 billion weapon sale to Saudi Arabia. Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT), Rand Paul (R-KY), Al Franken (D-MN) and Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced the bill just last week, and if it becomes law, the legislation would prevent the sale from moving forward.
Please take a quick moment to email your senators and ask them to support this crucial legislation at http://org.salsalabs.com/o/161/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=20349. Alternatively, you can contact them directly at:
- Senator Robert Casey: http://casey.senate.gov
- Senator Pat Toomey: http://toomey.senate.gov
Since March 2015, a Saudi-led coalition has waged a brutal bombing campaign in Yemen. In the past 17 months, nearly 10,000 Yemeni civilians have been killed or injured. The United Nations reports that the Saudi coalition is responsible for two-thirds of the civilian casualties. Sadly just as this legislation was being released, there was yet another incident of the Saudi-led coalition bombing a residential area in Yemen, this time killing 9 civilians, including 4 children.
Selling Saudi Arabia $1.15 billion in tanks, machine guns and grenade launchers while it’s conducting this war sends the wrong message. It effectively rewards them for engaging in egregious bombing campaigns, and demonstrates that nothing the kingdom does will affect our willingness to sell it weapons. This undermines the diplomatic process and prolongs the war by removing what would otherwise be a strong incentive for Saudi Arabia to negotiate in good faith.
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