[haw-info] petition for ending the war in Afghanistan

[Jim O'Brien]

*The following statement, initiated by Tom Hayden, is being circulated for
additional signatures at http://gopetition.com/online/30533/sign.html.  A
list of the approximately fifty initial signers can be found on that web
page.*

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*Afghanistan - A Petition to Take Action Against the War*



We, the undersigned peace and justice leaders, believe that the American
military interventions in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq are deepening
quagmires that threaten a Long War without end.



At the current rate of American deaths in Afghanistan, over 1,000 additional
American soldiers will be killed in the next two years of "hard fighting"
predicted by the Pentagon as the next phase of a ten year occupation.
Another $130 billion for Afghanistan and Iraq now is being rushed through a
sleeping Congress. An escalation of even more troops is pending.



Now is the time for an exit strategy to end these wars. The government of
warlords, drug lords, and landlords we prop up in Kabul is losing more
legitimacy by the day. A majority of Americans - including 70 percent from
the majority party - now consider Afghanistan a mistake. Leading national
security experts even deny that it's a necessary war.



If we do not decide to disengage at once, our dreams of domestic reform will
be squandered by years of war budgets. Our dreams of clean energy will be
buried in wars over oil and pipelines. The global good will extended to our
new President will be jeopardized.



We understand how difficult it is to reverse a mistaken course. But that is
the leadership we need, not one that continually escalates in order not to
lose. We have been there.



- Our government should adopt an exit strategy from Afghanistan based on
all-party talks, regional diplomacy, unconditional humanitarian aid, and
timelines for the near-term withdrawal of American and NATO combat troops.



- The aerial bombardments of Afghan and Pakistan villages, like burning down
haystacks to find terrorist needles, should end.



- Military spending should be reversed in Afghanistan to focus on food,
medicine, shelter, the socio-economic needs of the poor, and the dignity of
women and children.



- President Obama should keep his pledge to withdraw all troops from Iraq by
2011, and prevent American interference in the forthcoming Iraqi elections.



- The President should oppose any Israeli attack on Iran, which will only
inflame the regional and global conflict.



Much as we were inspired by Barack Obama's election, we will not be taken
for granted by the President and the Congressional majority. The historic
victories in 2006 and 2008 were fueled by popular enthusiasm and
unprecedented voter turnouts that cannot be reignited by e-mail
solicitations. A growing disenchantment with a costly quagmire will threaten
all the hopes of 2008. Everything is related now: we cannot afford national
health care, housing, and clean energy while spending billions on quagmires
across several continents.



We are prepared to create a storm of protest in Congressional districts and
close Senate races. We will form alliances with all those whose hope for
health, energy and economic reform are diminished by these wars. We will
defend dissent in the armed forces and protect our children from the snares
of military recruiters. We will reach out to strengthen a global peace
movement, especially in NATO countries.



History shows that terrorist threats can come from German cities, African
villages, and even homegrown American cells, not simply the caves of
Pakistan.



Our security needs cannot be served by provoking the growing hatred of
America caused by repeated invasions of foreign lands. We are human beings
who refuse to be defined in the world as mindless military drones and
Predators.
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