May 20, In These Times

Here’s Exactly Who’s Profiting from the War on Yemen

Priyanka Motaparthy, a researcher for human rights watch, arrived at a market in the Yemeni village of Mastaba on March 28, 2016, to find large craters, destroyed buildings, debris, shredded bits of clothing and small pieces of human bodies. Two weeks earlier, a warplane had bombed the market with two guided missiles. A Human Rights Watch (HRW) report says the missiles hit around noon on March 15, killing 97 civilians, including 25 children.

May 16, 2019, The Nation

How Lobbying Firms Helped Destroy Yemen

A springtime wedding in Northern Yemen’s Al-Raqah village took place in April 2018, a moment of reprieve from the turmoil and devastation of that war-torn country, a moment to celebrate life, love, and the birth of a new family. From the tents constructed for the event, music flooded into the village and, as at any good wedding, exuberant dancing was a central part of the festivities. Unbeknownst to the guests, the music masked the buzzing of a warplane overhead. Suddenly, in a horrific turn of events, Saudi-led forces launched a deadly air strike and 20-year-old groom Yahya Ja’afar’s wedding was transformed into a scene of carnage. Deafened by the explosion, guests fearfully searched for loved ones in a sea of confusion and body parts. In a telling photo, the flowery wreaths worn by celebrants lie atop a landscape of rubble. At least 20 wedding-goers lost their lives to the Saudi-led coalition’s now four-year-old brutal campaign in that country.

May 7, 2019, The Nation

America’s Defense Budget is Bigger Than You Think

In its latest budget request, the Trump administration is asking for a near-record $750 billion for the Pentagon and related defense activities—an astonishing figure by any measure. If passed by Congress, it will be one of the largest military budgets in American history, topping peak levels reached during the Korean and Vietnam wars. And keep one thing in mind: That $750 billion represents only part of the actual annual cost of our national-security state.

May 7, 2019, Common Dreams

Boondoggle, Inc: Making Sense of the $1.25 Trillion National Security State Budget

In its latest budget request, the Trump administration is asking for a near-record $750 billion for the Pentagon and related defense activities, an astonishing figure by any measure. If passed by Congress, it will, in fact, be one of the largest military budgets in American history, topping peak levels reached during the Korean and Vietnam Wars. And keep one thing in mind: that $750 billion represents only part of the actual annual cost of our national security state.

May 5, 2019, GlasgowLive

Protest to be held outside Glasgow’s council chambers against pension fund investment in arms firms

Protesters are expected to gather outside Glasgow City Council next week to campaign against an £18.9 million investment into four major arms companies. A recent report indicates that the Strathclyde Pension Fund, administered by the local authority, has invested £18,886,971 in four defence firms. Airbus, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin and Northrup Grumman are believed to have supplied weapons linked to the conflict in Yemen which has led to death of thousands.

April 27, 2019, NBC29.com

Charlottesville Advocates Rally for City to Divest in Fossil Fuels

Members of several community advocacy organizations rallied together on Charlottesville's Downtown Mall on Saturday. The groups wanted Charlottesville’s City Council to stop investing public money in companies producing fossil fuels and weapons.

April 21, 2019, IMEMC News

AXA IM Divests from Elbit Systems – Involved in Israeli War Crimes

AXA is quietly addressing its problematic investments following a year of civil society campaigning, demanding the French multinational stop its investments in the arms manufacturer Elbit Systems and five Israeli banks. The five banks are Bank Hapoalim, Bank Leumi, Bank Mizrahi-Tefahot, First International Bank of Israel, Israel Discount Bank, and they’re involved in the state of Israel’s war crimes.

April 19, 2019, Common Dreams

Pentagon Spending Set to Hit Near-Record Levels, But 'Establishment Says We Can't Afford' Progressive Policies

Pentagon spending is on track to grow significantly for the fifth consecutive year, but "very few in Congress are questioning" how the U.S. can afford it. That's according to the Washington Post's Jeff Stein and Aaron Gregg, who reported Thursday that "the United States is expected to spend more on its military in 2020 than at any point since World War II, except for a handful of years at the height of the Iraq War."

April, 2019, Security Assistance Monitor factsheet

U.S. Arms Sales Trends: Rhetoric Versus Reality

Arms Makers Cash In: A handful of corporations were the main beneficiaries of U.S. arms exports. The top five arms exporters, based on deals of $500 million or more, were Lockheed Martin, which was involved in deals worth $25 billion; Boeing, $7.1 billion in deals; Raytheon, $5.5 billion in deals; Northrop Grumman, had one deal worth $2.5 billion; and BAE systems, which had a $1.3 billion deal.