The Obama administration has approved an $11.25 billion deal to sell four advanced, Lockheed Martin-made warships to Saudi Arabia. The move comes as Amnesty International has called on the United States to halt arms transfers to Saudi Arabia or risk being complicit in war crimes in Yemen, where Saudi Arabia is waging a US-backed campaign against Houthi rebels. We speak to Rep. Ted Lieu about his critique of US policy in Yemen and Syria.
TRANSCRIPT:
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And before we end, I’d like to ask – switch topics and ask Congressman Lieu about another subject, about the Saudi-led war in Yemen. The Obama administration has just approved an $11.25 billion deal to sell four advanced, Lockheed Martin-made warships to Saudi Arabia. The move comes as Amnesty International has called on the United States to halt arms transfers to Saudi Arabia or risk being complicit in war crimes in Yemen, where the Saudis are waging a US-backed campaign against Houthi rebels. Congressman Lieu, you recently co-wrote a letter to President Obama about Yemen.
REP. TED LIEU: I wrote a letter, and then I co-signed a second letter, because the Saudi Arabia-led coalition are conducting airstrikes that are killing civilians. There has been repeated instances of bombs dropping on civilian targets nowhere near military targets. Thousands of civilians have died, and I want to know why that is happening and why is the US assisting this coalition and not stopping these attacks from happening on civilians.
AMY GOODMAN: And what you feel should happen in Syria, Congressmember Lieu?
REP. TED LIEU: I think we need a strategy. I would like to know what the end state is that the administration wants to achieve. Until they present that to Congress and the America people, I do not believe the US should be bombing in Syria. I believe we need to take our limited resources and really help the refugees that are fleeing Syria and help deal with that tremendous humanitarian crisis.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, I want to thank you both for being with us, Congressmember Ted Lieu, Democratic congressman from Los Angeles, and Bill McKibben, co-founder of 350.org. Bill, we’ll link to your piece in The Nation, and we’ll also link to these two series, these stunning exposés in both the Los Angeles Times as well as InsideClimate News.
This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org, and that’s where we’ll link to these articles. When we come back, The Prize. What happened to the $100 million that Mark Zuckerberg gave to Newark, New Jersey, schools? Did the kids profit? Where did the money go? Stay with us.
Help us Prepare for Trump’s Day One
Trump is busy getting ready for Day One of his presidency – but so is Truthout.
Trump has made it no secret that he is planning a demolition-style attack on both specific communities and democracy as a whole, beginning on his first day in office. With over 25 executive orders and directives queued up for January 20, he’s promised to “launch the largest deportation program in American history,” roll back anti-discrimination protections for transgender students, and implement a “drill, drill, drill” approach to ramp up oil and gas extraction.
Organizations like Truthout are also being threatened by legislation like HR 9495, the “nonprofit killer bill” that would allow the Treasury Secretary to declare any nonprofit a “terrorist-supporting organization” and strip its tax-exempt status without due process. Progressive media like Truthout that has courageously focused on reporting on Israel’s genocide in Gaza are in the bill’s crosshairs.
As journalists, we have a responsibility to look at hard realities and communicate them to you. We hope that you, like us, can use this information to prepare for what’s to come.
And if you feel uncertain about what to do in the face of a second Trump administration, we invite you to be an indispensable part of Truthout’s preparations.
In addition to covering the widespread onslaught of draconian policy, we’re shoring up our resources for what might come next for progressive media: bad-faith lawsuits from far-right ghouls, legislation that seeks to strip us of our ability to receive tax-deductible donations, and further throttling of our reach on social media platforms owned by Trump’s sycophants.
We’re preparing right now for Trump’s Day One: building a brave coalition of movement media; reaching out to the activists, academics, and thinkers we trust to shine a light on the inner workings of authoritarianism; and planning to use journalism as a tool to equip movements to protect the people, lands, and principles most vulnerable to Trump’s destruction.
We urgently need your help to prepare. As you know, our December fundraiser is our most important of the year and will determine the scale of work we’ll be able to do in 2025. We’ve set two goals: to raise $110,000 in one-time donations and to add 1350 new monthly donors by midnight on December 31.
Today, we’re asking all of our readers to start a monthly donation or make a one-time donation – as a commitment to stand with us on day one of Trump’s presidency, and every day after that, as we produce journalism that combats authoritarianism, censorship, injustice, and misinformation. You’re an essential part of our future – please join the movement by making a tax-deductible donation today.
If you have the means to make a substantial gift, please dig deep during this critical time!
With gratitude and resolve,
Maya, Negin, Saima, and Ziggy