Afghan War Rally - Response to Pres Obama's Plan for Afghan War
Ira Harritt
Please forward and encourage others to attend!
Dear Peacemakers,
I want to encourage you to join us at an
Afghan War Vigil, tomorrow, Thursday, June 23 at 5:30pm as we participate in a nationwide call to respond to President Obama’s decision about the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
We will gather from 5:30 to 6:30pm at the J.C. Nichols Fountain, 47th and Main, KCMO to either:
· Celebrate the significant withdrawal of U.S. Troops or to
· Protest Obama’s Continuation of the War
President Obama is scheduled to announce his plans for the Afghanistan war in a speech tonight, Wednesday June 22. According to press reports he is still evaluating three options, but favors a withdrawal of only 30,000 over 12 months. That option would still leave 70,000 US troops, tens of thousands of NATO troops, and tens of thousands of foreign military contractors, in Afghanistan. It is a plan for continued war. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/21/world/asia/21policy.html
Leaders from General Petraeus to Senator John Kerry recognize that a political solution, not the military, is the answer to stability in Afghanistan.
Speak Out: It’s time to end this self-defeating disastrous war!
It is time to quickly and responsibly withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan!
● After ten years of war it is clear that U.S. military presence is not improving the lives of Afghans and is impeding reconciliation;
● U.S. military operations have killed and maimed thousands of Afghans increasing anti-U.S. hostilities;
● The cost in U.S. and coalition troop deaths is unacceptable (1,614 U.S. troops have lost their lives);
● The war is a wasteful financial drain ($122 billion allocated for 2011) on our nation at a time when resources are needed to meet community needs, create new jobs and rebuild our economy;
● U.S. public wants a substantial withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan! (A June 2-5 ABC News/Washington Post poll --73% believed the U.S. should withdraw a substantial number of U.S. forces)
For more info: American Friends Service Committee, 816 931-5256; afs...@afsc.org, http://afsc.org/KansasCity
Download a flyer at: http://afsc.org/event/afghan-war-vigil
Thank you for your commitment to peace!
Ira Harritt
KC Program Coordinator
American Friends Service Committee
http://afsc.org/office/kansas-city-mo