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• About the Campaign
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A New Foreign Policy |
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Peace Action calls on our elected officials to:
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Talking Points
1. US troops die for the failures
of policy makers
2. Arms sales and military training
programs backfire
3. Arms sales threaten our nation
4. Our policies should reflect our
values, not offend them
5. Arms sales and military training
programs create regional instability
1. US troops die for the failures of policy makers.
War with Iraq will mark the seventh consecutive time that US troops
have been sent into battle against opposition armed with US weapons.
Prior to war and/or military intervention, the US provided arms
to Iraq, Afghanistan, Yugoslavia, Haiti, Somalia and Panama. In
each case, these countries were seen as potential allies or clients.
In each case they were human rights abusing governments or dictatorships
or both.
Back to top
2. Arms sales and military training programs backfire.
The pattern speaks for itself. It is an indisputable fact that we
armed and trained Osama bin Laden, Saddam Hussein and Manuel Noriega.
The past approach of "The enemy of my enemy is my friend"
has consistently failed our nation. We armed and trained bin Laden
on the theory that this was a necessary price to fighting the Soviet
invasion of Afghanistan. We armed and trained Hussein on the theory
that he was a bulwark against Islamic fundamentalism. We armed and
trained Noriega on the theory that he was a strong anti-communist.
Back to top
3. Arms sales threaten our nation.
The proliferation of high tech weapons through military assistance
programs poses a threat to the American people. Shoulder held, surface
to air missiles are available in Afghanistan for as little as $1,000.
Automatic weapons, explosives and missiles from the US are available
on the black market worldwide. These weapons can be used for attacks
on civilian targets such as airliners.
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4. Our policies should reflect our values, not offend them.
Democracy and human rights are ideals that the American people hold
dear. They are our core values. Sadly, however, our elected officials
have betrayed these values. The US currently leads the world in
arms sales to human rights abusing governments and dictators. When
we provide weapons to governments that are hated by their own people
the result is bitter anti-American sentiment. We should never provide
military aid to governments whose jailed political prisoners include
democracy activists.
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5. Arms sales and military training programs create regional instability.
Iraq used US weapons to invade Kuwait. The US lifted a high tech
weapons ban to Latin America, encouraging a regional increase in
military spending. Regional rivals Argentina and Chile are both
re-arming with US weapons. A growing arms race is underway in Southeast
Asia. In each case, our armaments create instability. They also
take vital funds away from needed development programs worldwide.
Back to top
Peace Action of New York State
475 Riverside Drive
New York, New York 10115
212.870.2304