The Authorization to Use Military Force (AUMF) was passed shortly after the 9/11 attacks in 2001. Many in Congress thought it would be used against Al Qaeda, the terrorist organization alleged to have been behind the attacks.
One member of Congress, Barbara Lee, voted against it, predicting the AUMF would be justified for endless war and lawless Presidential power.
She was right.
Now, she has a bill that would repeal the AUMF outright.
DownsizeDC.org has created a campaign to support her bill.
The hard-wired message says…
Governments operate on consent. With this letter, I actively withdraw my consent for the AUMF — the Authorization to Use Military Force, passed in 2001. Please SPONSOR Rep. Barbara Lee's bill to repeal the AUMF, HR 2859, and exert effort to get it to the floor for a vote.
I sent additional comments to my Representative and Senators telling them to sponsor it, and I encourage you to do the same.
You may borrow from or copy this…
Al Qaeda was alleged to be behind the 9/11 attacks. Its leader, Osama bin Laden, is dead. Its organization is destroyed. The Taliban government that harbored Al Qaeda was toppled over ten years ago.
As retaliation for 9/11, the AUMF has outlived its purpose. The “enemies” the U.S. is now pursuing are NOT the people responsible for 9/11.
And yet this poorly-written law lives on, long after it served its limited purpose.
Both the Bush and the Obama Administrations have dishonestly cited the AUMF to do things like…
* occupy Afghanistan a decade after the Al Qaeda network there was destroyed and the Taliban government was overthrown
* engage in undeclared acts of war against Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, and other countries
* murder U.S. citizens
* justify torture
* allow the military to kidnap any U.S. citizen, even on U.S. soil, whom the President alleges is a “terrorist.”In short, the AUMF has been the excuse to form a military dictatorship in the United States.
And I do NOT consent!
In addition to ending these State crimes, repealing the AUMF would also…
* Save taxpayers billions
* Make us safer by creating fewer enemies
* Place the focus on terrorism, instead of justifying big defense contracts using false threatsEnd the illegal war. Stop the immoral mistreatment of Americans and alleged “terrorists.”
Repeal the AUMF!
END LETTER
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Jim Babka
President
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.