We urge you to contact Congress to make your voice heard LINKS HERE, and to join us in demonstrating opposition to this totally ginned-up war fever. Below is a copy of the letter Peaceworks Director Mark Haim sent to Sen. Hawley and other members of our Congressional delegation.
Dear Sen. Hawley,
I am writing
to implore you, as an influential member of the Republican Party, to
use whatever leverage you have to urge the President to reject war
with Venezuela. Such a war would be:
1) A criminal act. If it
was a war, it would be a war of aggression, which is the highest form
of war crime based upon the Nuremberg Principles, enunciated in the
aftermath of WWII and codified into international law.
2)
Costly in terms of life and limb, U.S. as well as Venezuelan.
3)
Financially costly with enormous opportunity costs; there is so much
that's actually useful and needed that we could, and should, be
spending on.
4) Not part of a war on drugs. There is no proof
that most of the boats being attacked were carrying illegal drugs.
Even if they were smuggling drugs, this would be a criminal matter.
and the accused should be apprehended, along with evidence of their
alleged crimes, and brought to justice, not murdered.
Further,
the President has no credibility on this matter. He claims to be
fighting drugs, while he's been pardoning actual drug kingpins,
including former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, who has
been found guilty of smuggling hundreds of tons of contraband.
5)
Would not be beneficial to national security. Hypocrisy and
war-mongering does not win our country friends. The U.S. just comes
across as a bully out to control others and expropriate the resources
they possess.
At least 87 people have been killed in the
attacks on boats. Let's not compound the tragedy by launching an
actual war.
Sincerely,
Mark Haim
