20Apr
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Naveed Shah, Political Director for Common Defense and U.S. Army Veteran of the Iraq War issued the following statement in response to this evening’s ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran:
“Yesterday’s ceasefire agreement is merely a pause, not a victory lap. While we are relieved for service members spared from immediate escalation, this agreement does not excuse the reality that Congress has been completely sidelined by this administration. Over the past 54 days, the American people have watched an unauthorized and immoral conflict unfold – sparked by a 2 AM social media post – while experienced military leaders are inexplicably fired and the Secretary of Defense feeds false claims to both the public and the President.
A temporary ceasefire fixes none of these systemic failures. Common Defense is in Washington this week, demanding our elected representatives fulfill their Constitutional duty to intervene immediately. Congress must act before any further strikes are authorized, any deals are finalized, and before a single additional service member is deployed into an unauthorized war. Our troops deserve it, and the American people are owed it. Our thoughts remain with every service member in the region who remains living under threat.”
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Common Defense Civic Engagement (501c4) (CDCE) is a grassroots, veteran-led organization that was founded in 2016. We empower veterans to stand up for our communities against the rising tide of racism, hate, and violence, to organize against the entrenched powers that have rigged our economy, and to champion an equitable and representative democracy, where “liberty and justice” truly is for all. For too long, politicians from both political parties have attempted to use veterans as unwilling political props, and Common Defense serves as a home for veterans to organize and speak for themselves and support the candidates who truly share our values.