The Progressive THINKERS: [SDCPJ] Can't Afford War No More! ACT NOW!

Monday, January 25, 2010

[SDCPJ] Can't Afford War No More! ACT NOW!

Since President Obama announced Dec. 1 that he will escalate the Afghanistan war by sending 30,000 additional troops, the disastrous failure of the Administration's war policy is becoming more apparent.

This week, U.S., UK, European, UN, and Afghan leaders will hold an international conference on Afghanistan. The purpose of the meeting is to turn the tide of European and international public opinion which is running strongly against a futile, unwinnable war, and to extract pledges of additional troops. The British antiwar movement will be out in force to blockade it, and we must also keep up the pressure in the U.S.

Tell your Congressional representative to vote against war funding. Call 202-224-3121.
Join or organize a Brown Bag Lunch Vigil at your Congressional office Feb. 17 and every month.

Afghanistan cannot be subdued by force. The Taliban showed last week that it can freely strike in the heart of Kabul, only yards from the Presidential palace. It has shadow governors in all but one of Afghanistan's provinces. And the killing of 5 CIA officers, including the agency's leading experts on Al Qaeda, by a double agent at a CIA base in Khost province Dec. 30, illustrates that the U.S. is facing sophisticated and disciplined adversaries.

The war is causing rising civilian casualties and Afghan resentment of foreign forces. 2009 was the worst year since 2001 for Afghan children. Just in the past month, NATO forces killed 10 civilians including 8 schoolboys in Kunar province, 4 civilians in Nangarhar province (arousing a 5,000-person protest), 10 protesters in Helmand province, and 4 people in Ghazni province whom the Americans said were Taliban, but who the local people said were civilians. The UN reported that 2,412 civilians were killed in Afghanistan in 2009, a 14% increase over 2008.

Pressure is increasing on the U.S. for a diplomatic settlement. An International Herald Tribune op-ed last week joined a growing number of experts calling for restoring Afghanistan's neutrality, including the departure of U.S. forces and bases. And opposition to Obama's war is stirring in Congress, too. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) plans to introduce a privileged resolution repealing Congressional authorization for the war. Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) will offer a bill to require an exit strategy. And Rep. Barbara Lee's (D-CA) HR.3699 withholds funds to pay for any increased troop levels.

On February 1, the White House will present its FY2001 budget, which is expected to include a record-shattering $709 billion for "defense" with $159 billion for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Congress will also vote this spring on President Obama's request for another $33 billion for the Afghanistan escalation on top of the $709 billion. At a time when millions of Americans are jobless and cities and towns across the country are slashing budgets for basic services, we urgently need to challenge the Administration's budgetary priorities.

Starve the war, not the nation! Across the country students, teachers, women, the disabled, hospital and healthcare workers, the homeless, domestic workers, the unemployed, seniors and many others are protesting deep budget cuts to essential programs.

It's time to join our efforts for a just economy with our call for peace and to tell Congress we can't afford war anymore. Find out who in your community is organizing in support of economic justice. Invite them to join peace activists in a monthly Brown Bag Lunch Vigil (BBLV) at your local congressional office. The next set of vigils, initiated by Progressive Democrats for America, will be on Thursday, February 17. Update us at ufpjafghanistan@gmail.com!