May 25, 2016

To: Senator Rep. Senator Rep. Rep. Rep. Rep. Jim McGovern Rep. Stephen Lynch Rep. Rep. Bill Keating Rep. Joseph Kennedy III

Re: Syria Policy

The war in Syria began in 2011 when the Arab Spring sparked a local uprising against the rule of Bashar al-Assad. Outside forces, money, and arms poured into Syria, including those of the United States and its allies, and a full-fledged civil war erupted. As of February 27, 2016, of the pre-war Syrian population of 22 million, 470,000 have been killed, 1.9 million have been wounded, and 15.8 million have fled in search of safe havens inside and outside of the country. The war has become a contest for power among dozens of groups and has drawn the participation of not only the United States but also Russia, France, Britain, Iran, Israel, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, as well as Hezbollah, Kurdish groups, ISIS, al-Qaeda, and militants from Iraq and around the world. Secretary of State , along with a number of countries and the United Nations, successfully negotiated a partial ceasefire in February 2016, which we applaud. This, however, is merely a first step on what is likely to be a long road back to peace and stability for Syria and the region. We stand at a decisive moment. It is critical that the United States build upon the Iran nuclear deal and the Syria ceasefire, both of which demonstrate the power of diplomacy. It is also essential that the Iran nuclear deal—which opens a window for the United States to play a peaceful role in the Middle East—be defended and remain in place. At this critical time, we urge you to help formulate policies that advance peaceful solutions to the problems of the region. We believe the following measures are necessary and we ask you to not only support them but to actively propel them forward in . We ask that you support the maintenance of the ceasefire as well as future talks that will take place on the transition to peace in Syria. We call upon you to work in Congress to allocate funds for humanitarian relief for refugees and reconstruction of war-torn areas in Syria, Iraq, and Libya. The Syrian civil war has created an enormous refugee crisis. In February 2016 it was estimated that 15.8 million Syrians have been displaced. The resettlement of these refugees and the rebuilding of Syria will require enormous financial and human resources. Just as the US provided funds for the reconstruction of Europe in the aftermath of World War II, we must take the lead to help rebuild war torn nations of the Middle East. Congress must also provide generous funding for refugee resettlement programs so that an increased number of Syrian refugees can be admitted to the United States. We urge you to support legislation to impose a moratorium on US arms sales to states in the region until peace has been established. The US has become the largest arms merchant in the Middle East; US made weaponry is being used by all sides in the Syrian conflict. We cannot effectively work for peace while simultaneously fueling war. We must opt to a play a peaceful role, which demands that we not arm the forces of violence. We urge you to end the funding, training, and support of non-state groups in Syria and the region. We ask you to cosponsor H.R.4108, introduced by Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) and Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA), which calls upon the United States to end its efforts to topple the internationally recognized government of Bashar al- Assad in Syria. ISIS continues to be a threat to peace in the region. We urge you to work in Congress to reject indiscriminate bombing as a response to that threat as it leads to the death and displacement of large numbers of civilians. Bombing and U.S. military action reinforce the narrative that the West is the problem and creates animosity towards the United States, making the ISIS message more appealing. In its stead, we urge you to work in Congress for measures that will isolate ISIS financially and diplomatically. The Obama administration is operating in Syria and the Middle East on the basis of Congressional authorizations that were made in the aftermath of 9/11. These are now 15 years old and should be repealed. While we do not support U.S. military action in Syria or the Middle East, Congress should reclaim its war powers and ensure that any military action by the United States is governed by a well defined Authorization for Use of Military Force that emerges from broad Congressional and public debate and discussion. Such an authorization should also reflect the contemporary realities of the region.

Sincerely,

John F. MesserschmittFirst CongressionalMagnus District Bernhardsson

Psychologist and Clergyman Professor of Middle Eastern History United Church of Christ Williams College Pittsfield Williamstown

(Organizations for identification only) 2 Joseph O'Brien Second CongressionalMojgan District Haji

Former Mayor chair City of Worcester, MA National Iranian American Council Shrewsbury Scott Schaeffer-Duffy Luz Vega

Saints Francis & Thérèse Catholic Lead Organizer Worker Neighbor to Neighbor MA Worcester Worcester Claire Schaeffer-Duffy Rev. M. Lara Hoke

Catholic Worker and freelance Unitarian Universalist journalist Congregation in Andover Saints Francis & Thérèse Catholic Worcester Worker Worcester Amrita Basu Genevieve Fraser

Paino Professor of Political Chair, Village Lyceum, Petersham Science and Sexuality, MA Women's and Gender Studies Chair, Parish Committee Amherst College First Congregational Parish Unitarian, Petersham Orange Leah Schmalzbauer Dr. Michael True

Associate Professor of American Center for Nonviolent Solutions Studies and Sociology Worcester Amherst College Vamsi Vakulabharanam Chris Horton

Associate Professor of Economics Volunteer University of Massachusetts Worcester Amherst Amherst Sarah Tobia

Northampton (Organizations for identification only) 3 Jamie Eldridge Third CongressionalSusan District McLaughlin

Massachusetts State Senator Treasurer Acton Criminal Justice Policy Coalition Past president of EPOCA Stow Laura Wagner LICSW Hugh A. Stoddart

Executive Director Chief Scientist Unitarian Universalist MA Action Senscio Systems, Inc. Network Harvard Greenbush Jane Moosbruker, Ph.D.

Bolton

Steven A. Camara Fourth CongressionalHarry District Cahoone

City Councilmember President City of Fall River College of the Holy Cross Peace Delegate to 2016 Democratic Action National Convention Wrentham Judith Conrad Peter H Smith

Chairperson Chair Greater Fall River Committeefor Coalition for a Strong United Peace and Justice Nations Newton Jennifer Horsburgh Rodney Petersen

President Executive Director Newton North High School Peace Cooperative Metropolitan Action Ministries Newton Dover Nancy Wrenn Suzette Abbot

Massachusetts Peace Action Brookline Auburndale (Organizations for identification only) 4 Elise Huang Mark Brodin

Bioprocess Engineer Professor Merrimack Pharmaceuticals College Law School Auburndale Newton Charles Derber

Professor of Sociology Distinguished Professor of Political Science Northeastern University Brookline Frank Garcia Penelope Ismay

Professor of Law Professor of History Boston College Boston College Newton Chestnut Hill Marilynn Johnson Kevin Kenny

Boston College Professor of History Brookline Newton Curt Lamb Deborah Levenson

Faculty Professor of History Boston Architectural College Boston College Newton Center Roslindale Joan Liem Ramsay Liem

Special Assistant to the Provost Professor Emeritus of Psychology Professor of Psychology Boston College University of Massachusetts, Brookline Boston Brookline Prasannan Parthasarathi Juliet Schor

Professor of South Asian History Professor of Sociology Boston College Boston College Newton Newton Eve Spangler Nancy C Arthur

Associate Professor of Sociology Fall River Boston College Newton (Organizations for identification only) 5 Susan Davidoff Joan Ecklein

Board of Directors Women’s International League for Progressive Massachusetts Peace & Freedom Newton Newton Elizabeth B Gerlach Maryellen Kurkulos

WILPF and Mass Peace Action Board member Newton Massachusetts Peace Action Budget for All South Coast organizer Fall River Bernard Lown Dick Monks

Founder City Life/ Vida Urbana International Physicians for the Retired member of IUOE Local Prevention of Nuclear War 877 Nobel Peace Prize Recipient Boston Chestnut Hill Guntram Mueller Franziska Seraphim

Chair, Board of Directors Professor of History Massachusetts Peace Action Boston College Professor of Mathematics – Newton Retired University of Massachusetts, Lowell Newton Mark Solomon Patricia Tholl

Professor of History, Emeritus Needham Simmons College National Co-Chair, Emeritus, US Peace Council West Newton

(Organizations for identification only) 6 Dennis Carlone Fifth CongressionalLee District Halprin

City Councillor Cambridge City of Cambridge Architect/Urban Designer Tony Palomba Eleanor Duckworth

Town Councilor, Watertown, MA Co-coordinator Steering Committee Member Cambridge United for Justice with Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice Peace and the Environment Cambridge Watertown Shelagh Foreman Stephen Lewis

Program Director Vice President, Retired Massachusetts Peace Action SEIU Local 509 Cambridge Malden John MacDougall John Maher

Co-convener, Peace & Climate former Executive Director working group, Massachusetts Neighbor to Neighbor Peace Action Cambridge Professor emeritus of sociology, University of Massachusetts at Lowell Cambridge Ellen Mass John W Roberts

President Executive Director (1970-2003) Friends of Alewife Reservation Civil Liberties Union of Sponsor of Youth Ecology Camps Massachusetts Cambridge, Belmont, Arlington Cambridge Abby Rockefeller Vicky Steinitz

Cambridge Co-coordinator Cambridge United for Justice with Peace (Organizations for identificationCambridge only) 7 Sofia Wolman Christina S. Abbey

Clerk Convener, Pax Christi Boston Peace & Economic Security Program Pax Christi Boston American Friends Service Committee, Revere Cambridge, MA Natick Herbert Taylor Marybeth Toomey

Pastor Belmont Harvard-Epworth United Methodist Church Cambridge Gretchen Alther Yousof Azizi

American Friends Service Committee Research Assistant, Iran Project Cambridge Belfer Center for Science & Int’l Affairs of Government Cambridge Nilgun Gokgur Daniel Klubock

Cambridge Retired Judge Cambridge

Christopher Nauman, MD Shannon Rice

. Medical Doctor Senior Product Manager Arlington Watertown Vikas Saini Skip Schiel

President Photographer Lown Institute Cambridge Cambridge Dr. Dirk Schweitzer Robert Zevin

Scientist Chairman Belmont Zevin Asset Management Cambridge

(Organizations for identification only) 8 Aron Bernstein Julian Bourg

Professor of Physics Associate Professor of History Massachusetts Institute of Technolgy Boston College Cambridge Chestnut Hill Mary Baine Campbell Noam Chomsky

Professor of English Institute Professor Brandeis University Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge Robin Fleming Gary R. Goldstein

Professor of History Professor of Physics Boston College Tufts University Cambridge Cambridge Paula Gutlove Elaine Hagopian

Deputy Director Professor Emeritus of Sociology Institute for Resource and Security Simmons College Studies Arlington Cambridge Ray Jackendoff Andrew Jorgenson

Seth Merrin Professor of Philosophy Professor of Sociology and Co-Director, Center for Cognitive Environmental Studies Studies Boston College Tufts University Wayland Medford Paul Joseph Cynthia Lynn Lyerly

Professor of Sociology Assoc Prof of History Tufts University Boston College Malden Steven Marrone Susan Massad

Professor of History Professor, Food and Nutrition Tufts University Framingham State University Arlington Director, Didactic Program in Dietetics Framingham

(Organizations for identification only) 9 Timothy Patrick McCarthy Julie A. Nelson

Core Faculty and Program Director Professor of Economics Carr Center for Human Rights Policy University of Massachusetts Boston Harvard Kennedy School of Arlington Government Cambridge Penelope Adams Barbara Boltz

Cambridge Arlington David Bonner Courtney Cazden

Lexington Lexington Martha Cleveland Devon L. Davidson

Somerville Cambridge Bette Davis Ghanda Di Figlia

Cambridge Friends Meeting at Cambridge Arlington

Joseph Gerson (PhD) Donald Hindley

Director of Programs & Director of Wayland Peace & Economic Security Program, American Friends Service Committee, Northeast Region American Friends Service Committee Watertown Naila Jirmanus Kian Kianfar

Medford Jewish Voice for Peace Framingham Faith M. Madzar Jennifer Page

Pax Christi, USA Democratic Ward Committee Massachusetts Peace Action Belmont Natick

(Organizations for identification only) 10 Juliana Pakes Thea Paneth

Retired Clerk Cambridge Arlington United for Justice with Peace Arlington Sara Sue Pennell Shaheen Pirzada

Lexington Cambridge Erin Robinson Sarah Soroui

Belmont Waltham Patricia Simon Lucy Stroock

Massachusetts coordinator Executive Committee Campaign for a US Department of Peace Educators Allied for Children Peace Everywhere Waltham Cambridge Munir Jirmanus

Medford

Russ Davis Sixth CongressionalMaria District Elena Letona

Executive Director Executive Director Massachusetts Jobs With Justice Neighbor to Neighbor Massachusetts Boston Sunny Robinson Susan Jhirad

Coordinator Head of Worship Committee North Shore Coalition for Peace and Unitarian-Universalist Church of Justice Medford Gloucester retired Chair of English Department, North Shore Community College Medford Ken Flanders Susan Nicholson

Reading North Shore Coalition for Peace and Justice Gloucester

(Organizations for identification only) 11 Aviva Chomsky Judith Oleson

Professor of History Associate Professor, Sociology/Social Salem State University Work Department Salem Gordon College Gloucester Sylvia Sellers-Garcia Linda Weltner

Associate Professor of History Healthlink Boston College Maarblehead Chestnut Hill Susan McCombs Nancy Ramsden

Clinton Salem Clare Ritchie

Chairperson Salem Peace Committee

Pat Jehlen Seventh CongressionalJay Livingstone District

Massaachusetts State Senator Massachusetts State Representative Somerville Boston

Denise Provost Donna Blythe-McColgan

Massachusetts State Representative International Staff Representative, Somerville Retired United Steel Workers Jeff Klein Alison Gottlieb

President (retired) Co-Facilitator SEIU-NAGE Local R1-168 Dorchester People for Peace Dorchester Boston

(Organizations for identification only) 12 John Ratliff Lydia Marik

Secretary, Massachusetts Senior Cambridge support for Syrian Action Council Refugees Member, Cambridge Peace Commission Corresponding Secretary, Mass Alliance of Retired Americans Cambridge David Slaney Paula Sharaga

President (retired) Co-Coodinator United Steelworkers Union Local Boston Downwinders 2431 Cambridge Cambridge Joel Wool Rosalie Anders

Ward 15 Democratic Committee Chair, Social Justice Council Dorchester First Parish Church in Cambridge

Rob Moir, Ph.D. Rosemary Kean

Executive Director Massachusetts Peace Action Ocean River Institute Dorchester People for Peace Cambridge Dorchester Ruth Faris Dr. Nancy Goldner

Somerville Democratic Socialists of America Jamaica Plain

Susan McLucas Negin Taleb

Committee for Peace and Human Students for Rights Justice in Palestine Proprietor, Bicycle Riding School Boston Somerville Jane Hodshon Taylor Amy Agigian

Dorchester People for Peace Associate Professor Society of Friends (Quakers) Suffolk University Dorchester Somerville

(Organizations for identification only) 13 Randy Albelda Sarah Babb

Professor of Economics Professor of Sociology University of Massachusetts Boston Boston College Roslindale Jonathan King Priya Lal

Professor of Biology Assistant Professor of History Massachusetts Institute of Boston College Technology Cambridge Cambridge Nan Levinson Valentine Moghadam

Lecturer War Is Not a Game Professor of Sociology and Tufts University International Affairs author of Director, International Affairs Somerville Program Northeastern University Somerville Kelley Ready Virginia Reinburg

Dorchester People for Peace Associate Professor of History Dorchester Boston College Somerville Sarah Ross Dana Sajdi

Associate Professor Associate Professor of History Boston College Boston College Brighton Cambridge Stephen E. Slaner Becky Thompson

Professor Professor Northern Essex Community College Simmons College Boston Poet, Activist Boston Leslie Cohen Liz King

Cambridge Registered Nurse Brighton

(Organizations for identification only) 14 Cole Harrison Eighth CongressionalHorace District Small

Executive Director Executive Director Massachusetts Peace Action Union of Minority Neighborhoods Roslindale Jamaica Plain Chris Messinger John McColgan

Executive Director Archivist Boston Mobilization City of Boston Boston Dorchester Victoria Attar Dr. Elizabeth Case

Pharmacist Dorchester People for Peace Boston Boston

Carol Cullen Subrata Ghoshroy

Milton Research Affiliate Program in Science, Technology, and Society Massachusetts Institute of Technology Boston Patricia-Maria Weinmann M. Brinton Lykes

Administrator/Teacher Professor Massachusetts Institute of Associate Director, Center for Human Technology Rights & International Justice Boston Boston College Jamaica Plain Martin Summers Shamiran Mako

Associate Professor of History Adjunct Professor Boston College Northeastern University Jamaica Plain Milton

(Organizations for identification only) 15 Eleanor Roffman Marguerite Rosenthal

Jamaica Plain Professor Emeritus Jamaica Plain

Carolyn Poinelli

Boston

Richard M. Drolet Ninth CongressionalRev. District James Hornsby

2nd Vice President Rector Emeritus Southeast MA Merged Branch 18 St. Luke’s Episcopal Church National Association of Letter Fall River Carriers, AFL/CIO/CLC New Bedford Colleen M. Avedikian Eileen Wheeler Sheehan

Westport Westport Edwin Furshpan Patty Kean, Ed.D

Professor Emeritus Professor Harvard Medical School Curry College Falmouth Plymouth Joseph Carvalho Dave Dionne

Environment & Peace Clean Air South Coast Activist/Organizer Veteran Envirome+ntal Vietnam Veterans Against the Activist/Organizer War Westport Green-Rainbow Party of Massachusetts Fall River Jack Reynolds

Westport

(Organizations for identification only) 16