Medea Benjamin

President Trump’s Muslim ban is not only mean-spirited and, hopefully, unconstitutional, but it is irrational because it doesn’t even include the country most responsible for spreading terrorism around the world: Saudi Arabia. The travel restrictions on seven Muslim-majority countries was rationalized as a way to thwart potential terrorists from entering the United States, with Trump … Continue reading “In Trump’s World Where Money Talks, Saudi Arabia Gets a Free Pass”

While the world has been transfixed on the epic tragedy in Syria, another tragedy – a hidden one – has been consuming the children of Yemen. Battered by the twin evils of war and hunger, every 10 minutes a child in Yemen dies from malnutrition, diarrhea, or respiratory-tract infections, UNICEF reports. And without immediate medical … Continue reading “No More Holiday Gifts for Repressive Regimes”

While the world is transfixed on the epic tragedy unfolding in Syria, another tragedy – a hidden one – has been consuming the children of Yemen. Battered by the twin evils of war and hunger, every ten minutes a child in Yemen is now dying from malnutrition, diarrhea and respiratory-tract infections. A new UNICEF report … Continue reading “Starving Yemeni Children, Bloated US Weapons Makers”

How much is the life of a Yemeni worth? Not much, according to the Saudi regime that has been bombing and starving the people of Yemen for since March 2015, or to the Saudi’s western backers, particularly the US and UK, which have been supplying the Saudi regime with weapons, military training, logistical support and … Continue reading “Do Western Nations Care About Yemeni Lives or Saudi Blood Money?”

If I told you that Democratic Party lobbyist Tony Podesta, whose brother John Podesta chairs Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, is a registered foreign agent on the Saudi government’s payroll, you’d probably think I was a Trump-thumping, conspiratorial nutcase. But it’s true. The lobby firm created by both Tony and John Podesta in 1988 receives $140,000 … Continue reading “Hillary Clinton, the Podesta Group and the Saudi Regime: A Fatal Ménage à Trois”

When Pope Francis visited the US Congress in September 2015, he boldly posed a moral challenge to his American hosts, asking: “Why are deadly weapons being sold to those who plan to inflict untold suffering on individuals and society?” “Sadly, the answer, as we all know, is simply for money,” he solemnly concluded. “Money that … Continue reading “US Weapons Sales Are Drenched in Yemeni Blood”

Last week, the Pentagon announced the approval of the sale of an additional $1.15 billion worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia. The callousness of this announcement – just days after Saudi Arabia rebooted its devastating bombing campaign in Yemen – is breathtaking. The Saudi-led coalition has used American-made fighter jets, bombs and other munitions in … Continue reading “Congress Must Take Action To Block Weapon Sales To Saudi Arabia”

On May 27, Foreign Policy reported that the Obama administration has decided to block the sale of additional cluster bombs to Saudi Arabia. This is great news, but it’s long past overdue and still not enough. U.S. companies, including Textron Industries – the makers of cluster munitions sold to Saudi Arabia – have profited far … Continue reading “As the UN Capitulates, the US Has a Duty To End Weapon Sales to Saudi Arabia”

On the surface, it would seem that Saudi Arabia and Israel would be the worst of enemies and indeed, they have never had diplomatic relations. After all, the Saudis have championed the cause of the Palestinians, who are oppressed by the Israelis. Israelis say they are besieged by Muslim extremists, and many of these extremists … Continue reading “Ten Ways Israel Is Just Like Saudi Arabia”

In March 2003, just before the US invasion of Iraq, about one hundred CODEPINK women dressed in pink slips weaved in and out of congressional offices demanding to meet with representatives. Those representatives who pledged to oppose going to war with Iraq were given hugs and pink badges of courage; those hell-bent on taking the … Continue reading “Pink-Slipping Hillary: On Remembering the Victims of the Iraq War”