Medea Benjamin

Medea Benjamin (medea@globalexchange.org) is cofounder of CODEPINK: Women for Peace and Global Exchange.

Israel Lobby AIPAC Down, But Not Out – Yet

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is still one of the most powerful lobby organizations in the country, but fortunately, it is starting to lose its iron-clad grip on our policymakers. AIPAC lost the fight to stop Chuck Hagel from being confirmed as Secretary of Defense; it lost the push for the US military … Continue reading “Israel Lobby AIPAC Down, But Not Out – Yet”

The Dangerous Seduction of Drones

Senior Obama administration officials say our government is sharply scaling back its drone strikes in Pakistan. That’s a step in the right direction. It would be even better if the entire U.S. program of targeted killings in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia were scrapped. By embracing drones as a primary foreign policy tool, President Barack Obama … Continue reading “The Dangerous Seduction of Drones”

Drone Strikes in Pakistan: Reapers of Their Own Destruction

“We will put pressure on America, and our protest will continue if drone attacks are not stopped,” said an angry Imran Khan, leader of Pakistan’s third largest political party, the PTI (the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf). He was speaking on Saturday, November 23, to a crowd of over 10,000 protesters who blocked the highway used by NATO … Continue reading “Drone Strikes in Pakistan: Reapers of Their Own Destruction”

John Kerry Sells a War That Americans Aren’t Buying

It was September 19, 2002, and US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld was scheduled to address the Senate Armed Services Committee about why it was necessary to invade a country that never attacked us: Iraq. I was so concerned about the pending war that I flew to Washington DC from my home in San Francisco. … Continue reading “John Kerry Sells a War That Americans Aren’t Buying”

Why I Spoke Out at Obama’s Foreign Policy Speech

Having worked for years on the issues of drones and Guantanamo, I was delighted to get a pass (the source will remain anonymous) to attend President Obama’s speech at the National Defense University. I had read many press reports anticipating what the President might say. There was much talk about major policy shifts that would … Continue reading “Why I Spoke Out at Obama’s Foreign Policy Speech”

Finally, the Backlash Against Drones Takes Flight

Rand Paul’s marathon 13-hour filibuster was not the end of the conversation on drones. Suddenly, drones are everywhere, and so is the backlash. Efforts to counter drones at home and abroad are growing in the courts, at places of worship, outside air force bases, inside the UN, at state legislatures, inside Congress–and having an effect … Continue reading “Finally, the Backlash Against Drones Takes Flight”

Rand Paul’s Message to Obama: Don’t Drone Me Bro

The most positive outcome of Rand Paul’s 13-hour filibuster – which ended when Paul was forced to take a bathroom break – was giving the American public a sense of the treacherous path that President Obama’s drone program could take, i.e. the targeted killing of Americans here at home. It was a marathon civics lesson … Continue reading “Rand Paul’s Message to Obama: Don’t Drone Me Bro”

John Brennan vs. a Sixteen-Year-Old

In October 2011, 16-year-old Tariq Aziz attended a gathering in Islamabad where he was taught how to use a video camera so he could document the drones that were constantly circling over his Pakistani village, terrorizing and killing his family and neighbors. Two days later, when Aziz was driving with his 12-year-old cousin to a … Continue reading “John Brennan vs. a Sixteen-Year-Old”

Pushing Obama’s Arc Toward Peace

Foreign policy played a minor role in a presidential election that focused on jobs, jobs, jobs. But like it or not, the United States is part of a global community in turmoil, and U.S. policies often help fuel that turmoil. The peace movement, decimated during the first Obama term because so many people were unwilling … Continue reading “Pushing Obama’s Arc Toward Peace”