Right now, Syrian insurgents that the U.S. is arming and their allies are pressing President Obama to approve the transfer of “manpads” to Syrian insurgents. These shoulder-fired anti-aircraft weapons that can be used to shoot down civilian aircraft. Their transfer would increase the risk of terrorism in the Middle East and beyond and violate international agreements to control these weapons that the U.S. helped put in place. These are key reasons that the Administration has not agreed to transfer manpads to Syria, and why the Obama Administration should resist pressure to change its position.
Rep. Peter Welch [D-VT] and Rep. John Conyers [D-MI] are leading efforts in Congress to push back against the dangerous demand to send manpads to Syria.
Rep. Welch is sending a letter to President Obama today urging him to resist pressure to send manpads to Syria. Rep. Conyers is introducing an amendment during the upcoming consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act [NDAA] to explicitly bar the transfer of shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles–“manpads”–to Syrian rebels.
Your Representative has been identified as crucial to the success of these efforts.Urge Rep. Rosa DeLauro to support Rep. Welch and Rep. Conyers in working to block the transfer of manpads to Syria.
Call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-225-3121 and ask to be transferred to your Representative’s office. When you reach the office, say:
I urge you to support Congressional efforts led by Rep. Peter Welch and Rep. John Conyers to block the transfer of manpads to Syrian rebels. If transferred to Syria, these weapons are likely to fall into the hands of terrorists who will use them against civilian aircraft. I urge you to support Rep. Welch’s letter to the President opposing the transfer of these weapons and I urge you to support Rep. Conyers’ amendment on the NDAA to explicitly prohibit the transfer of these weapons.
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