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Historic negotiations with Iran

09/08/2015 Nativegrl77

This is historic. Iran, and western governments, including the United States, have negotiated a framework that would end the immediate threat of a nuclear Iran.

As Major General (Ret.) Paul Eaton, Brigadier General (Ret.) Steven Anderson, and Colin Powell’s former Chief of Staff, Colonel (Ret.) Lawrence Wilkerson said:

“[This agreement] sends a very strong signal to all of us in the US, and especially those in Congress — the United States will stand up firmly to Iran, when Iran’s demands conflict with our best interests. There can be no doubt that our negotiating team, while fair, is tough.

At the same time, our team remains committed to negotiating a good deal, that will move the region away from another war in the Middle East, peacefully. That is in the best traditions of America, and its leadership role in the world. It is an ideal to which we all must remain committed – for America, for our military, and for our security.”

Join retired Generals Eaton, Anderson, Wilkerson and VoteVets and add your name in support of these historic negotiations with Iran.

This framework would set the stage for an incredibly strong deal, which would drastically cut back Iran’s nuclear capability, limit it to peaceful purposes, force it to submit to constant, intrusive inspections, and not see any relief in sanctions until it proves to nuclear inspectors that it is meeting benchmarks.

In short, it would defuse a major powder keg in the region, that would have led to a protracted war in the Middle East.

But this is not done. Hardliners in Congress still may try to derail a final agreement. We need to stand up to them. You can help do that, by signing on to the statement from retired Generals Eaton, Anderson, Wilkerson and VoteVets:

http://action.votevets.org/iran-negotiations

Thanks for your support, and we will keep you up to date.

Jon Soltz
Iraq War Veteran
Chairman, VoteVets.org

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Canadian Supreme Court Rules Against Chevron and in Favor of Ecuadorians!

09/08/2015 Nativegrl77

Português | Español | Deutsch | [+]

The ruling is a victory for human rights and environmental justice

The law has finally caught up with Chevron. Today’s unanimous decision from the Supreme Court of Canada opens the door for Ecuadorian indigenous and farmer communities to enforce their $9.5 billion USD verdict against Chevron and is a major victory for human rights and corporate accountability.

Chevron’s deliberate dumping of 18 billion gallons of toxic waste water and 17 million gallons of crude into the Ecuadorian Amazon created a massive health crisis and remains one of the worst oil-related environmental crimes in history. After being found guilty of its drill and dump tactics in Ecuador, Chevron has been on the run, spending billions on retaliatory legal attacks seeking to delay justice rather than fulfilling its legal obligations to carry out a full-scale environmental clean-up and provide potable water and health care to the communities it poisoned.

This article from this morning’s Globe and Mail provides more background and details.

READ THE REST HERE »

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Jon Soltz, VoteVets.org … [Iran] We’re bringing veterans to D.C.

09/08/2015 Nativegrl77

Since we started our campaign to elevate the voices of veterans who support a diplomacy-first approach with Iran, over 20,000 men and women who have worn our country’s uniform have added their names in support.

Today, I want to share a few of their stories with you, and to let you know that in the next few weeks, we’re going to be flying almost two dozen veterans and military family members out the nation’s capital to make their voices heard loud and clear.

Contribute $3 to help VoteVets bring these veterans to Washington, D.C. to lobby the Democratic representatives we need to hold the line ahead of the vote on the Iran deal later this month.

Dennis, an Operation Enduring Freedom Veteran (Afghanistan) wrote in that “The alternative is an eventual war, again, in the Middle East.”

Matt, an Iraq War Veteran from Colorado added, “Based on my experience in Iraq, I feel that diplomacy is a better path than military action in southwest Asia … Voting [against] the nuclear treaty with Iran would perpetuate our involvement in the region and likely lead to the next generation of our military being worn out in the region.”

Kevin, also an Iraq War Veteran says, “Diplomacy should always be the 1st option. It’s the best option. War is a last resort. With Iraq it was the 1st choice. 4500 Americans and countless Iraqis died for WMD’s that didn’t exist.”

We’re going to bring veterans who have served overseas – people like Dennis, Matt, and Kevin – to tell their legislators how their experiences in war inform their desire for America to reach for a peaceful way to disabuse Iran of their nuclear ambitions.

Contribute $3 today to help us bring them to Washington, D.C. to share their stories.

We received thousands of letters like theirs. Letters from veterans who served in Afghanistan, Iraq, Korea, Vietnam, and more — generations of combat veterans who wrote in support of the deal.

Congress needs to understand their perspective. Thanks for helping us make their voices heard.

Jon Soltz
Iraq War Veteran and Chairman
VoteVets

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Understanding The Iran Deal

09/08/2015 Nativegrl77

By CAP Action War Room

The United States Reaches A Deal To Cut Off Every Pathway For Iran To Obtain A Nuclear Weapon

After more than two and a half years of intense negotiations, the United States, along with its partners and allies comprising the world’s greatest nations, has reached an agreement that will put Iran’s nuclear program under unprecedented international scrutiny. In exchange for easing economic sanctions, the deal will prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

This agreement is the result of years of tough-minded American diplomacy and a comprehensive strategy. When President Obama took office, Iran was hiding a covert nuclear facility and was well on its way to producing a bomb. But after instituting tough sanctions on Iran that helped the United States and the world’s other leading powers negotiate from a position of strength, we have reached an accord that proves that American diplomacy — and not war — can bring meaningful change to make our homeland and the world safer and more secure.

Despite the rhetoric from many who would rather try to score political points instead of do the hard work of actually governing, this agreement is in fact a good deal. In April, the Center for American Progress laid out five criteria to be met in order to ensure US interests are protected and its security concerns are met. The deal reached yesterday meets every single one:

The agreement cuts off all pathways to an Iranian nuclear weapon.

The agreement is verifiable through rigorous international inspections of Iran’s nuclear supply chain and facilities.

Sanctions relief is conditional on Iran fulfilling its commitments and sanctions can “snap back” if those commitments are broken — without being blocked unilaterally by Russia or China.

The United States retains the ability to counter Iranian human rights abuses and support of terrorism.

All options remain on the table to stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

The many months of negotiations and the decades of economic sanctions have paid off with a meaningful agreement. But now that a deal has been reached, the hard work of monitoring and verification begins. The ultimate success of this deal rests on its robust implementation in the future.

Congress played an important role leading up to the deal by approving sanctions, but now the ball is back in their court. After the hard work of our diplomats, President Obama has made clear that he will veto any attempt to undo the agreement. Congress has 60 days to approve the deal, and has the opportunity to play a constructive role in making the deal even stronger. Instead of the political grandstanding many elected officials employed earlier this spring, Congress should approve the deal and take concrete steps to strengthen it.

BOTTOM LINE: This agreement with Iran is a crucial first step that will allow the United States and its allies to more strongly oppose Iran’s destabilizing behavior in the Middle East. This is just the beginning, not the end, of the hard work. Congress must work to approve and strengthen the deal so attention can turn to robust implementation of the agreement.

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Weekly Address: Meeting the Global Threat of Climate Change

09/08/2015 Nativegrl77

In this week’s address, the President spoke about his upcoming trip to Alaska, during which he will view the effects of climate change firsthand. Alaskans are already living with the impact of climate change, with glaciers melting faster, and temperatures projected to rise between 6 and 12 degrees by the end of the century.

In his address, the President spoke to ways in which we can address these challenges, including the transition away from fossil fuels to more renewable energy sources like wind and solar, an effort in which America is already leading. And he stressed that while our economy still has to rely on oil and gas during that transition, we should rely more on domestic production than importing from foreign countries who do not have the same environmental or safety standards as the United States.

The President looked forward to his upcoming trip, and promised that while he is in office, America will lead the world to meet the threat of climate change before it’s too late.

Watch the President’s Weekly Address here.