Soon Pres. Elect Biden will be announcing his choice for Secretary of Defense and Michelle Flournoy seems to be at the top of his list. As military families, we are very concerned about her appointment, since she opposes withdrawal of our troops from the Middle East. Flounoy and several others from the think tank she founded, the Center for New American Security, are invested in the escalation of war and pre-emptive strikes. We urge you to call you Senator now, mention that you are a military family and speak out against her appointment for Secretary of Defense. Below is more information about Flounoy and the policies she has supported. Please call your Senator today and get the word out to all your contacts.
Action Alert
WHAT: Oppose Nomination of Michele Flournoy as Sec. of Defense
HOW: Contact your U.S. Senators (202) 224-3121
WHY: Oppose hawkish Flournoy’s nomination because she wants to increase arms sales to Saudi Arabia to police the Middle East while the US pivots to Asia to escalate troop deployments for more “war games” in the South China Sea. Flournoy advocates:
· Preparation for multiple simultaneous large theater wars.
· Pre-emptive unilateral military strikes.
· Sale of more weapons to Saudi Arabia’s brutal regime in contrast to President-elect Joe Biden’s position to end US support for Saudi genocide in Yemen.
· Escalation of provocative roving war games in the South China Sea, ramping up the risk of a hot war with China or North Korea, both nuclear powers.
· Increased use of drone warfare.
· Symbolizes the revolving door between Pentagon, consultants and military contractors.
· Investment in new weapons systems when resources are urgently needed to address the climate crisis and COVID-19, etc.
WHEN: Call and email NOW as Biden will reportedly announce his cabinet choices as early as Thanksgiving. Biden’s nominees, to pass muster, must be approved by a majority of the Senate.
Please share the links below with Senators, on social media & with like-minded organizers:
Will Michele Flournoy be the Angel of Death for the American Empire? Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J.S. Davies. Common Dreams. 9/22/2020
https://www.commondreams.org/
Progressives Slam Biden’s Foreign Policy Team
https://www.thenation.com/
Tim Shorrock. The Nation. 9/21/20
Democrats are walking a fine line on the election’s main foreign policy issue: China. Akbar Shahid Ahmed. Huffington Post. 8/22/20
https://www.huffpost.com/
How to Prevent a War in Asia by Flournoy (Foreign Affairs, June 18, 2020)
https://www.foreignaffairs.
“…if the U.S. military had the capability to credibly threaten to sink all of China’s military vessels, submarines, and merchant ships in the South China Sea within 72 hours, Chinese leaders might think twice before, say, launching a blockade or invasion of Taiwan; they would have to wonder whether it was worth putting their entire fleet at risk.” Flournoy
“Washington needs to clarify—and consistently demonstrate—its commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, making clear who and what it is willing to defend. It must deploy more senior officials and additional military forces to the region, to underscore its enduring presence, strengthen its relationships, and counterbalance China’s influence. It should conduct more regular military exercises with allies and partners in the region, both to demonstrate capabilities it has already and to accelerate the development of new ones.”
Background on Flournoy (Wikipedia)
Michèle Angelique Flournoy (born December 14, 1960) is the former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy under President Clinton and the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy under President Obama, serving as a principal advisor to U.S. Secretaries of Defense Robert Gates and Leon Panetta from February 2009 to February 2012.[1] During her tenure in the Clinton administration, Flournoy was the principal author of the May 1997 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), which advocated the unilateral use of military power in defense of US interests.[2] While serving in the Obama administration, Flournoy crafted the administration’s policy of counter-insurgency in Afghanistan[3] and helped persuade President Obama to intervene militarily in Libya.[4]
After leaving the Obama White House, Flournoy joined the Boston Consulting Group as a senior advisor, overseeing the development of $32 million in military contracts.[7][8] In 2018, she joined the board of Booz Allen Hamilton, a publicly traded consulting firm with military contracts and cyber security expertise.[9] She is currently the co-founder and managing partner of WestExec Advisors
For more on Biden’s cabinet choices, read “Meet the Contenders for Biden’s Cabinet” (Politico, 11/7/20).
https://www.politico.com/news/
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