“This man is no diplomat!” - Retired US Army Colonel and Diplomat Arrested at Pompeo Confirmation Hearing

April12, 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

“This man is no diplomat!” - Retired US Army Colonel and Diplomat Arrested at Pompeo Confirmation Hearing

Contact: Ariel Gold | CODEPINK national co-director | ariel@codepink.org | 510 599 5330

Medea Benjamin | CODEPINK co-founder | medea.benjamin@gmail.com | 415 235 6517

Washington, D.C., Thursday April 12, 2018 - Retired US Army Colonel and US diplomat Ann Wright was arrested this morning at the confirmation hearing of Mike Pompeo. Wright stood up as the hearing began and proclaimed of Pompeo, “this man is no diplomat; warmonger.”

Prior to Wright’s removal from the hearing, the seven CODEPINK activists attending the hearing had stood chanting, “Stop Pompeo, no more wars.” They were dressed as “pink police” with stop signs reading, “Stop Pompeo.”

Wright served in the US army for 29 years and as a US diplomat for 16 years. She resigned in 2003 on the eve of the Iraq war in protest. Wright described her opposition to Pompeo’s confirmation: “Pompeo was a pro-war congressman. As director of the CIA he was pro-war and pro-torture. The position of Secretary of State must be filled by someone who wants talks and diplomatic solutions, not increased military interventions. Pompeo, along with John Bolton, is part of the creation of a new war cabinet. His confirmation would bring us into great risk of war with Iran and North Korea.  

CODEPINK strongly opposes Pompeo’s confirmation to the top diplomatic position in the United States. Pompeo advocates for military intervention and regime change in North Korea. He supports ongoing unauthorized conflicts, like the Saudi-led war on Yemen. When the Iran nuclear deal was signed, Pompeo blasted it as being “not foreign policy, it’s surrender.” He has since compared the Tehran government to ISIS and has promised to do all he can to destroy the nuclear deal.

Pompeo has a history of cozying up to Islamaphobic hate groups, including accepting an award from the hate group, Act for America. Pompeo is a climate change denier and opponent of LGBTQ rights and women’s reproductive rights. He has openly expressed support for torture and keeping Guantanamo prison open. He is unfit for the position of Secretary of State.