An apparent suicide bombing in Manbij, northern Syria, has taken the life of four US servicemembers and several civilians. ISIS has taken credit for the attack. Neocons cite the attack as proof that we should stay. The rest of us cite the attack as more proof that we should leave. Where will Trump come down? On today’s Ron Paul Liberty Report:
Reprinted from The Ron Paul Institute for Peace & Prosperity.
Originally appeared on The American Conservative.
The Guardian reports on the efforts in the House and Senate to cut off U.S. support for the war on Yemen:
Congress is expected to make an unprecedented challenge to Donald Trump’s authority to take the US into a war in the coming weeks, with a bipartisan measure calling for the end of US military involvement in the Yemen conflict.
The Senate passed the measure, invoking the 1973 War Powers Resolution, last month but a parallel effort in the House of Representatives was sunk by the Republican leadership. Now the House is under Democratic control, there is a plan to put forward identical measures in both chambers, which would put a permanent end to US refuelling, logistical support, intelligence and special forces operations with the Saudi-led coalition.
There are enough Republican supporters of S.J.Res. 54 from last year that are still in the Senate to pass a similar measure in the new Congress, and the Democratic majority all but guarantees passage of Rep. Khanna’s resolution in the House. Passage of a resolution by both houses directing the president to end all military support for the Saudi coalition will be a significant blow to executive overreach in matters of war. Congress has abdicated its responsibilities for decades. Reasserting Congress’ constitutional role to end our participation in a truly horrific war is long overdue. Passing these resolutions will tell the Saudis and Emiratis that there is broad opposition in the US to their war, and it will put additional pressure on them to bring that war to an end.
Continue reading “Congress Can End US Involvement in the War on Yemen”
Another “blockbuster” report on Trump’s “ties” to Russia has fizzled into nothingness, as the New York Times’ piece over the weekend on an FBI counterintelligence investigation opened against the president was riddled with holes and absurdities. What came through loud and clear, however, was that Obama appointees and loyalists in the FBI and elsewhere in the deep state were determined to do everything in their power to overthrow a legally elected US president. Our take in today’s Ron Paul Liberty Report.
Reprinted from The Ron Paul Institute for Peace & Prosperity.
While touring the Middle East, including election-free Saudi Arabia, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has called for the Venezuelan opposition and armed forces to overthrow the current government under its president Nicolas Maduro. According to Pompeo, a coup is necessary to “restore democracy” after elections failed to produce the desired US outcome. On today’s Ron Paul Liberty Report:
Reprinted from The Ron Paul Institute for Peace & Prosperity.
Originally appeared on The American Conservative.
The Wall Street Journal reports on Bolton’s eagerness to attack Iran last year:
President Trump’s National Security Council asked the Pentagon to provide the White House with military options to strike Iran last year, generating concern at the Pentagon and State Department, current and former U.S. officials said.
The request, which hasn’t been previously reported, came after militants fired three mortars into Baghdad’s sprawling diplomatic quarter, home to the US Embassy, on a warm night in early September. The shells – launched by a group aligned with Iran – landed in an open lot and harmed no one.
But they triggered unusual alarm in Washington, where Mr. Trump’s national security team led by John Bolton conducted a series of meetings to discuss a forceful American response, including what many saw as the unusual request for options to strike Iran.
“It definitely rattled people,” a former senior US administration official said of the request. “People were shocked. It was mind-boggling how cavalier they were about hitting Iran.”
Bolton and like-minded Iran hawks have had a cavalier attitude about attacking Iran for years, so it should come as no surprise that Bolton has brought that same aggressive recklessness into government now that he is National Security Advisor. This episode shows how determined Bolton and his allies have been to turn any incident into a pretext for a larger conflict with Iran. It also shows how willing Bolton is to endorse military action regardless of the situation. The New York Times reported on the same story, and described Bolton’s habit of shutting out dissenting voices from the policy debate:
As the president’s national security adviser, he has largely eliminated the internal policy debates that could air high-level disagreements.
With the killing of opposition journalist Khashoggi safely out of the headlines and with the House refusing to hold a vote on US involvement in the Yemen war, the Trump Administration is back to its Plan A: Sell more weapons to the Saudis as the Saudis annihilate Yemen. The latest is a $200 million missile “defense” deal. Will the Democrat-controlled House reverse former Speaker Ryan and hold a vote on US participation in the Yemen war? On today’s Ron Paul Liberty Report:
Reprinted from The Ron Paul Institute for Peace & Prosperity.
