By Nick Bernabe at theantimedia.org
A group of former U.S. service members called the Veterans For Peace issued a letter to the American public and President Obama today. In it, they outline reasons for the Unites States to immediately end the war in Afghanistan and elsewhere and call on the public to step in to ensure it happens. The entire letter is included below:
“President Obama’s decision to prolong the U.S. led war in Afghanistan only ensures U.S. responsibility for more death and destruction. Veterans For Peace condemns the decision and calls on the U.S. public to say no to more war.
In his remarks, the president referred to the Taliban and the people of Afghanistan as if they are two different groups. The truth is that the Taliban represent a portion of the Afghan people. The Taliban are Pashtun tribesmen. Pashtuns are also the majority in Afghanistan. This makes it very difficult to combat the Taliban as they have many sympathizers and supporters who may not actively fight the U.S. backed government, but will not support it.
It is clear that U.S. led efforts in Afghanistan have given more people reason to join the Taliban. A Carnegie Endowment for International Peace 2009 question and answer piece explained, people… ‘join because the Afghan government is unjust, corrupt, or simply not there. They also join because the Americans have bombed their houses or shown disrespect for their values. For young people, joining the Taliban is a way to earn social status.’
That was written six years past, and little has changed. Just two weeks ago on October 3, 2015 the U.S. bombed a Doctors Without Borders Hospital in Kunduz Afghanistan killing twelve medical staff, ten patients and wounding thirty-two others. This type of incident is not uncommon. Amnesty International’s 2014/15 Annual Afghanistan Report says, ‘ISAF and NATO forces continued to launch night raids and aerial and ground attacks, claiming dozens of civilian lives, despite completing the handover of responsibility for security to the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) in June 2013.’
The report goes on to say.[sic] ‘There were significant failures of accountability for civilian deaths, including a lack of transparent investigations and a lack of justice for the victims and their families.’ An October 14th New York Times article reports that, ‘Mr. Ghani is not popular among Afghans. And the problems in his government — like corruption and incompetence — run so deep that fixing them will take years, possibly decades.’ Trust of the Afghan government has not increased among the people it claims to represent.
It is true that anti-government forces are responsible for the vast majority of civilian deaths. However, continuing the war does not increase the possibility for reduction of violence to save lives. This makes coalition forces and the opposition complicit in every death. There is little chance of defeating the Taliban because they will not stop fighting until the foreign invaders are gone and there are not enough Afghans willing to possibly die in support of the U.S. backed national government.
There is not a perfect solution to the tragedy of Afghanistan. War has been the norm for the people of Afghanistan for nearly 37 years. The answer to ending the violence there is political, not military. The U.S. must withdraw and give the nation of Afghanistan back to the people of Afghanistan. The people of Afghanistan must form their own union. One we may not like, but is theirs. The international community must pressure the Afghan government, Taliban dominated or not, to follow international law and respect human rights. A real diplomatic effort must be brought to bear to end the violence so that the people of Afghanistan can rebuild civil society and create space for human rights activists to struggle for a just society.
Finally, there are U.S. service members and families upon whose shoulders this failed and derived policy of endless war will continue to fall. U.S. military personnel have sacrificed enough in blood on the battlefield; wounded and killed. They are burdened with executing a no win strategy. When they come home they face unemployment, homelessness, recovery from physical and mental wounds and high rates of death by suicide. The Department of Veterans Affairs is already overwhelmed, unable to meet the needs of our brother and sister veterans. This policy ensures more of the same on the home front as well. Mr. President, it is clearly time to end this and all U.S. wars. Bring Them Home and Take Care of Them When They Get Here.”
Veterans for Peace is a non-profit anti-war group whose members include U.S. military veterans. You can find their website here.
This article (Prominent Veterans Group Just Called On US Public to Say No to War) is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to Nick Bernabeand theAntiMedia.org.
First I take great issue with this horses ass stating a personal opinion, while in uniform, that he did not sign up for this and doing it anonymously. Obviously you did not either read your enlistment contract, or you did not understand it. You took an oath to defend this country against all enemies both foreign and domestic and to obey the commander in chief period. Secondly if you are still on active duty and you are doing this you should be tossed out with a dishonorable discharge. You are a disgrace to the uniform. If you are not in an active or reserve status than you are not allowed to where this uniform.And again you are a disgrace to the uniform. Or worse you have never served and you are impersonating a service person. I ave no issue with you stating your personal opinion, but do not do it in uniform. Lastly this picture has been cut and pasted around the internet for quite some time and its provenance is rather questionable. The real issue is someone made a campaign to pull troops out. A promise that was made for political reasons rather than strategic reasons. Now we are sending more troops back in. We are now sending more young men and women to be sacrificed on the alter of corporate greed and personal political agendas. The military have historically have been pawns of corporate greed. It is about time we send a message to Washington and vote neither 0n 11/08/16. Enough is enough.
First of all, who are you anyway? U never put the uniform on, never been in the service, don’t know what it’s like, but yet and still u wanna TOSS STONES at somebody for telling the truth about them fighting for THE SAME MUTHAFUKKAZ who knocked the twin towers down, which is Al-Queda? Are you fukking serious dude? All the dudes trying to say is if “we’re going to fight the enemy, lets not be friends with them…!”. Then the only base you have is that he should “obey” his master as if he is no longer a human but now a cyborg or robot? Or the one where you say “don’t do it in uniform? Dude………FUCK SOME CLOTHES HOMIE, WHAT ABOUT THE MANS LIFE!!!!
Totally agree with Ken. This Dave guy is someone who’s never used his brain and follow the orders without even thinking! Dave! All Nazi’s had the same fucked up opinion as you have! Just follow the fucking orders and send the jews to gas chambers. use your fucking brain before writing something stupid like this! Pure obedience is what’s brought this world to this point where in your own country millions are homeless and les than 5% own everything. Don’t take me wrong! I’m not taling only about the US as it’s all over the world the same shit. Poor men fighting rich mens war!
PS; I’m not Muslim if you read my name and think..ohh he’s one of those stupid muslims bla bla. No…. I’m atheist and have a doctorate degree.
Ken actually wore the uniform proudly, wore it for several years, received not one but two honorable discharges. Served once enlisted and one as an officer. Have no problem what so ever with someone expressing their person opinion don’t do it in uniform or ware the uniform when you are no longer in the military. The military has always been pawns of the political and corporate agenda. If you don’t like it, dot enlist. If you are in the service and want to express your opinion then resign and get out before you express your opinion. Based on your statement Ken would lead me to believe you have never served and there fore do not understand how the military works. Sad you came to certain conclusions based on no facts what so ever.
“and vote neither,” uh what LMAO. How about voting for the candidate who at least does the best job acting as if or actually believes he can beat the military industrial complex while willing to make the same sacrifice Kennedy did. I’d say mistake had the guilty party been able to hide in the spotlight forever.. but no, there are intelligent people out there and who are out there but have not done their reading. Fortunately there are sites like this one, writers like this one, brave, BRAVE servicemen and women who are parts of groups like VFP & Anonymous. I thank both and whomever else deserving credit for this fantastic piece of journalism (opinion or not).
Hayden, I am all for getting a President who is not part of the the military industrial complex. But that is not possible until the American voter has a choice that is not a Republican or a Democrat. We need to send a message that the two party system is not sufficient. The two party system no longer represents the majority of this country.
It’s honorable to be a soldier. It’s a dishonored soldier to fight wars for economic and political interests that have nothing to do with homeland defense.