An Afghanistan policy that relies heavily on military force and long-term presence of foreign troops will fail. It will only bring less security for Afghans and serve as a disincentive to the national government to work actively toward national and regional reconciliation.
After so many years of violence, there are better ways to help Afghans create a positive future for themselves.
In the coming weeks the U.S. Congress will be asked to approve an additional $33 billion to pay for the troop escalation in Afghanistan. Approval of these funds will mean that by year’s end, 100,000 U.S. troops will be in Afghanistan.
More troops will not bring more peace.
It will also be a drain on the U.S. national treasure. The Vietnam War destroyed President Johnson’s dream of a Great Society and the Afghanistan (and Iraq) War threatens President Obama’s dream of rebuilding America.
Please write a letter to the editor to raise visibility for our collective call for peace. You can use our sample letter to the editor or send one of your own.
For more information about U.S. presence in Afghanistan, here are two new resources:
Afghanistan 101 is a new blog that gathers and reviews film, video, and other online resources to support advocacy and action to end the war in Afghanistan.
The Wage Peace Facebook page is a place to strategize and share information with other organizers and activists across the country.
Thank you all for your efforts for peace.
Peace,
Peter Lems and Mary Zerkel
For AFSC’s Wage Peace Campaign
PS: Save the date! Call in to a conference call briefing with Jo Comerford, Executive Director of the National Priorities Project, on Thursday, April 15. She’ll be talking about your tax dollars and military spending.
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