Download Sample letter re AUMF

Dear _____:
I am writing to urge you to vote against an AUMF that authorizes the use of force
in the Middle East. The Iraq War and subsequent events have taught us that
military action is not the solution to the problem of terrorism. If ten years and
150,000 troops left the problem no better, and perhaps worse, than when we
started, how can we believe that bombing strikes and a few thousand trainers will
make a significant improvement? In the battles against ISIS, Iraqi troops have
outnumbered the terrorists, often by as many as 10-1, but their commanders fled
the battlefield and many troops followed. Many American weapons given to the
Iraqi military are now in the hands of ISIS. Bombing strikes kill not only ISIS
fighters, but also inflict civilian casualties. Because this helps jihadist recruitment,
new recruits quickly replace those we have killed.
In Syria, we aren't even sure who are enemies are. There are three significant
forces, none favorable to the United States. President Obama once called for the
resignation of Bashar al-Assad, going so far as to request bombing of his forces
before agreeing to negotiations to destroy his chemical weapons supplies. The
major rebel forces are ISIS and the al-Nusra Front, an al-Qaeda affiliated group.
We are now bombing ISIS, thereby helping al-Assad. The supposed moderate
opposition is non-existent. According to the Pentagon, it will take a year to get the
first 5,000 or so moderate opposition fighters into action, too little and too late to
make a significant difference even if these estimates are not overly optimistic.
In 2011, President Obama praised the bombing in Libya as a great success, stating,
“Libya is a lesson in what the international community can achieve when we stand
together as one." The result of this so-called achievement was the murder of the
American ambassador and a chaotic Libya that is far more dangerous to the United
States that it was prior to the ouster of Muammar Gaddafi.
Events of recent years should surely have taught us that military action has a great
cost in American lives and dollars. Once the United States has committed armed
forces, it becomes extremely difficult to extricate ourselves. There are better ways
to fight against ISIS and other jihadist groups. We need to pressure countries,
including such US allies as Saudi Arabia, that have provided financial and military
aid to these terrorists. Governments in the region need to be more inclusive and
show respect for human rights to gain the support necessary to defeat terrorist
groups. The United States should take a leading role in mobilizing the broadest
possible international coalition to fight terror by means other than bombing and
ground troops.