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Syria Solidarity Movement launches no-war campaign

Crescent International

While the warmongers are beating their drums louder to get the US involved in another destructive war, this time in Syria, peace activists have intensified their efforts. The Syria Solidarity Movement has launched a week long telephone blitz to target members of Congress urging them not to support war. Instead, they are calling for unconditional negotiations to give peace a chance.

Washington DC, Crescent-online
Friday March 14, 2014, 08:47 DST

The Syria Solidarity Movement (SSM), an umbrella group of peace and anti-war organizations across the United State, Canada and many parts of Europe has launched a weeklong campaign starting today to urge members of the United States Congress to not support war against Syria. Instead, the group is urging congressmen to support peace through negotiations that should be held without pre-conditions.

Aware that on the third anniversary (March 15) of the war on Syria, the pro-war lobby has gone into overdrive with lobbyists and marketing consultants pushing for greater US intervention and escalation of the conflict, the Syria Solidarity Movement wants to counter this. The pro-war lobby is amply funded but it represents a tiny minority.

“We believe it is important to speak out and make clear that the people calling for more war and aggression are a MINORITY. They do not speak for the majority of Syrian and Arab Americans who want the conflict and bloodshed to end, not escalate. They certainly do not speak for the majority of Americans who are sick of US wars and intervention,” said the Syria Solidarity Movement in its press release today.

The campaign is based on telephone calls to the offices of influential House and Senate members over the coming week, starting today and will continue through to Friday March 21.

The group urges members to politely but firmly ask the following questions:

* Why is the US continuing to spend our tax dollars to arm, train and pay Syrian rebels, effectively turning them into paid mercenaries?

* Why are we allied with al-Qaeda and trying to force regime change on a secular government that has done no harm to the United States?

* Why don't we support UNCONDITIONAL negotiations, rather than demanding unacceptable conditions before the negotiations begin?

Pointing to the mayhem in Libya that was brought about as a result of the UN Security Council “no fly zone” resolution (#1973) of 2011 and “humanitarian support” that has led to unending violence and an attack on the US diplomatic mission, the group wants to avoid another disaster in the making in Syria.

“Peace in Syria depends on stopping foreign aggression and attacks. We can stop unnecessary, foolish, expensive and wasteful US intervention!” says the SSM press release.

The SSM has listed key congressional and Senate representatives (list below) but urges its supporters to call their own members of congress also to push for peace not war.

KEY CONGRESSIONAL AND SENATE REPRESENTATIVES

Name / Party/Camber/ Committee/ Phone/ Legislative Aide to Talk with

Frank Wolf (Va) / R / House/Religious Minorities / 202-225-5136 / Jill Shatzen
Ann Eshoo (Ca) / D / House/ Religious Minorities / 202-225-8104 / Hannah Murphy
Robert Menendez (NJ) / D / Senate / Chair For Relations / 202-224-4744 / Patricia Enright
Carl Levin (Mi) / D / Senate / Chair Armed Services / 202-224-6221 / Jack Danielson
Tim Kaine (Va) / D / Senate / For Relations / 202-224-4024 / Mary Naylor
Louis Gohmert (Tx) / R / House / Christian / 202-225-3035 / Kimberly Willingham
Elliot Engel (NY) / D / House / Ranking For Affairs / 202-225-2464 / Mira Resnick
Bob Corker (Tenn) / R / Senate / Vice Chair For Rels / 202-224-3344 / Laura Herzog
Ed Royce (Ca) / R / House / Chair For Affairs / 202-225-4111 / Chelsea Wilson
Howard “Buck” McKeon (Ca) / R / House / Ranking Armed Services / 202-225-1956 / Ashley Schapitl
www.syriasolidaritymovement.org

END


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