End war crimes in Yemen

To the editor:

U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel’s position and actions on the war in Yemen was the subject of two letters published by The Riverdale Press.

The first, by Isaac Evans-Frantz of Action Corps (re: “Engel is strong on Yemen,” Aug. 8), opens and closes by praising Congressman Engel for co-sponsoring legislation aimed at ending U.S. complicity in the war crimes in Yemen. Evans-Frantz goes on to mention the support that activists in Congressman Engel’s district office have contacted him about taking steps to end this bloodbath.

The second letter came from Jennifer Scarlott (re: “This is where the money goes,” Aug. 15) who criticized the congressman for doing the right thing in Yemen “only after so many of his constituents have had to exert extensive time, resources and energy to persuade him to do so.”

It leaves the impression that Congressman Engel had to be dragged kicking and screaming to co-sponsor that legislation. That is simply not true.

I think I’m one of the activists who Isaac Evans-Frantz referred to. At any rate, I organized a meeting with Congressman Engel on behalf of Concerned Citizens for Change. The focus of the meeting was proposed amendments to the bill authorizing the U.S. Defense Department budget. One would end our support for the Saudis in Yemen, and the other would require Trump to get congressional approval before he launched a war with Iran.

Constituents from Riverdale, Westchester and Co-op City attended, and we were joined by Mr. Evans-Frantz, whom I invited because of his expertise on Yemen.

With regard to Yemen, before he became a co-sponsor of the amendment on Yemen, he supported other efforts to end U.S. facilitation of slaughter there. I left the meeting I described above with the feeling that he would support both the effort on Yemen, and the attempt to prevent war with Iran. He did, and I believe his position as chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee was a plus in the passage of these amendments by the House.

People may be opposed to members of Congress accepting campaign contributions from certain sources, but nobody can say contributions from the defense industry kept Congressman Engel away from doing the right thing on Yemen.

The amendments are an effort to do an end-run around Trump’s veto powers. Similar legislation was passed by both houses of Congress, but there were not enough votes to override a Trump veto. These are amendments to the Defense Department budget, and if the budget reaches his desk with the amendments still in place, he will be faced with the choice of either vetoing the whole budget, or accepting it with provisions which curtail his power.

He does not have the ability to veto just the amendments.

Unfortunately, the version of the budget passed by the Senate does not contain similar provisions. When Congress comes back in September, there will be a conference to reconcile the two bills.

If Nancy Pelosi digs in her heels and remains strong, we may end our support of war crimes in Yemen, and forestall an unconstitutional, disastrous war with Iran.

Readers who want to help can call Speaker Pelosi via the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121, and tell her that these two amendments must be included in the final bill authorizing the Defense Department budget.

Congressman Engel is on the right side, both when it comes to ending the war in Yemen, and avoiding a war with Iran. Let’s hope Nancy Pelosi is there with him.

Gene Binder

Have an opinion? Share your thoughts as a letter to the editor. Make your submission to letters@riverdalepress.com. Please include your full name, phone number (for verification purposes only), and home address (which will not be published).