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CODEPINK
Co-Founder Gael Murphy holds up a sign before a Senate
Armed Services Committee hearing about the war in Afghanistan
December 8, 2009 in Washington, DC.
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Tell Obama
We Want an Exit Strategy not an Escalation!
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LATEST NEWS ARTICLES
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Eight Years in Afghanistan—How
Many More?
Let's tell Obama: We Need an Exit
Strategy, Not an Escalation!
In the wake of Obama's announcement to escalate military
operations in Afghanistan with 30k more troops in 2010, we
have found these articles and analyses very helpful when trying
to get a handle on the Administration's reasoning for a surge
of violence:
Find
ESCALATION RESPONSE report backs here and find
a local CODEPINK group to connect with here
Download our Hopeless Escalation flier
for your office, window or car: B
W
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Send “Hopeless Escalation”
as an e-card
to your friends and family. Or try making a banner
to hang from a freeway overpass!
Sending troops to Afghanistan will:
- Prop a corrupt Karzai government which is largely viewed
as totally unrepresentative of the people of Afghanistan
— thereby widening the distance between the government and
its people and making the goal of democracy further unattainable
- Provide the Taliban greater recruiting power and legitimacy
since locals view US/ NATO troops as "occupiers"
of their land
- Not help the US find Al Qaeda targets, who are now rumored
to have left Afghanistan
- Not improve the security situation, the poor economy
and erosion in women's rights
According to an
August CNN poll, 57 percent of Americans oppose the Afghan
war, while Afghanistan's
fraudulent presidential election has further eroded both
international and domestic credibility of the corrupt Karzai
regime.
The roughly 68,000
U.S. troops currently in Afghanistan cost us $60.2
billion on an annual basis, and while approximately 800
+ US soldiers have died in this conflict, the latest
U.N. report finds more than 1,000 civilians were killed
in Afghanistan in the first six months of this year, an increase
of 24 percent over the same period in 2008, mostly due to
air strikes in civilian areas. So while the US is trying to
avoid greater troop casualties, it has relied heavily on air
power and drone strikes, which have inevitably resulted in
innocent civilian deaths.
Obama must take bold and compassionate action to address
the Afghan's real need for health care, jobs, education and
security by providing humanitarian assistance through non-governmental
organizations, instead of continuing to cripple the country
with more years of war. Ending U.S. military intervention
in the region is the only way to bring real and sustainable
change. It’s also the most important way we can begin to mend
our relationship with Muslims in the region, and in doing
so, help us protect our own security in the long term.
Click here for more talking points & news articles
Use our Tools
to engage with your community, local media and more!
Find
out how you can host an Afghanistan Movie Night House Party
-- CODEPINK, Peace Action & Brave New Films have all the
tools you need!
Hold
Our Leaders Accountable--Push them for Peace in Afghanistan!
Check out our Congressional
Action page to get quick tips for calling your Member
of Congress. It's easy and effective!
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