MoveOn.org Joins Groups In #AmericaMustKnow National Day of Action

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

CONTACT:

Brian Stewart  |  [email protected]

Stephen Miles |  [email protected]

TODAY: MoveOn.org Joins Groups In #AmericaMustKnow National Day of Action, Calling on Congress to Answer Key Questions on Proposed ISIS Military Strategy

In full-page ad in POLITICO and with day of action, progressives are demanding answers to critical questions and urging a full, open debate by Congress and the American people before making a decision to go to war.

*** See the POLITICO ad here: http://s3.moveon.org/images/moveon-politico-ad.jpg ***

Today, activists across the country from progressive organizations including MoveOn.org Civic Action, Win Without War, CREDO, Democracy For America, and Daily Kos are urging their members of Congress—through phone calls, social media asks, and petition signatures—to answer key questions before even considering committing the United States to another war in the Middle East.

Using the hashtag #AmericaMustKnow, activists will send a range of powerful messages and push their representatives in Congress to answer crucial questions about military engagement in the Middle East. Also on Tuesday, MoveOn.org and Win Without War released a full-page ad in POLITICO highlighting key questions from members across the country.

“Before the United States commits to another open-ended war in the Middle East, we need answers to tough questions,” said Anna Galland, executive director of MoveOn.org Civic Action. “If the past decade of war in the Middle East has taught us anything, it’s that we must demand answers to hard questions before launching into war. That’s why, today, groups representing millions of Americans are calling on Congress to debate and be held accountable for America’s next steps in Syria and Iraq—so we don’t make the same mistakes we’ve made in the past.”

MoveOn members submitted and ranked more than 10,000 questions following President Obama’s speech on military engagement last week, identifying key questions such as:

  • “We were in Iraq eight years and Afghanistan thirteen years and peace and stability have not returned to either country–indeed, Iraq is far more unstable than before the invasion. What makes us think that military action against ISIS will somehow restore the stability that we weren’t able to achieve before?” –Haven M., Wisconsin

  • “What would success actually look like? What makes us think that we can prevent the deep conflicts afflicting that part of the world from resurfacing?” –Susan H., California

  • “What is the defined scope and extent of our mission from a military, economic, political involvement [perspective]? What is our criteria for determining the success of our mission involvement? Do we have a clearly defined strategy for assisting the Kurds and the Iraqi government in effectively extinguishing the ISIS insurgency? What is our clearly defined exit strategy?” –Robert S., Connecticut

  • “How will the United States fund this new military offensive? How much will it cost?” –Linda J., Vermont

  • “How do we prevent unintended consequences such what happened to bring about ISIS in the first place?” –Melissa D., Texas

Members of these groups will be contacting Congress today: American Friends Service Committee, Center for International Policy, Conference of Major Superiors of Men, CREDO, Daily Kos, Democracy for America, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Grassroots Global Justice, Historians Against the War, Institute for Policy Studies, Iraq Veterans Against the War, MoveOn.org Civic Action, National Priorities Project, Peace Action, Peace Action West, Peace and Justice Resource Center, Progressive Democrats of America, Project on Government Oversight, USAction, U.S. Labor Against the War, United for Peace and Justice, United Methodist General Board of Church and Society, Veterans For Peace, Women’s Action for New Directions, and Win Without War.

For more information, or for interviews with a MoveOn.org representative, please contact Brian Stewart at 319-936-3901 or by email at [email protected].

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MoveOn.org Civic Action, a Win Without War coalition member, is a community of more than 8 million Americans from all walks of life who are using innovative technology to lead, participate in, and win campaigns for progressive change.