Genesee Valley Citizens for Peace
Founded 1972 "Human Race Not Arms Race"
PO Box 363
Geneseo, NY 14454
<www.gvcp.org> 585-624-3673

June 11, 2013

Dear GVCP Member:

NEXT REGULAR GVCP MEETING is SATURDAY, June 22nd, 1:00 PM (Lunch), 1:30 PM (Meeting). Omega Restaurant, 4182 Lakeville Rd (Route 20A) Geneseo.

This Month's Letters: Stop U.S. Targeted Killing! The U.S. government's practice of targeted killing is a great threat to people in other countries as well as to our democracy. These threats far outweigh any conceivable benefits that these killings might bring.

The U.S. government's policy of killing whom we please, when we please, is a perfect example of U.S. "exceptionalism." In other words, if the U.S. kills people, we are simply fighting the War on Terror. If other people kill U.S. citizens, they are terrorists and must be brought to justice. (Of course, sometimes U.S. drones kill our citizens. In a tragic example, 16-year-old Abdulrahman Al-Awlaki, a U.S. citizen, was killed by a drone attack in Yemen on October 14, 2011.)

Presidents Ford, Carter, and Reagan all banned the practice of targeted killing. In Executive Order 12333, Article 2.11, Reagan wrote: "No person employed by or acting on behalf of the United States Government shall engage in, or conspire to engage in, assassination." (We know that this executive order was frequently ignored, but at least we activists could point to the executive order when we criticized the killings.)

President Bush revoked Article 2.11 by in October 2001. President Obama has continued President Bush's policy. [Adapted from material provided by <change.org>.]

Please WRITE to President Obama asking him to reinstate Article 2.11. Tell him that targeted killing has no place in U.S. foreign policy. Not only is targeted killing morally wrong, but it will also lead to the radicalization of those who have been our allies in the past.

Write to: The White House, Washington, D.C. 20500. The White House Comment Line is 202-456-1111. E-mail link to the White House is:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments

Peace,

Arnie Matlin for GVCP

GVCP is proud to be affiliated with Peace Action New York State