The following is a statement from the ANSWER Coalition (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism), which since 2001 has organized many mass demonstrations against the wars on Afghanistan and Iraq.
The U.S. cannot “win” the war in Afghanistan. It was losing the war
when Barack Obama took office. In March 2009, President Obama ordered
another 30,000 troops. Rather than reverse the outcome, the U.S. and
NATO effort lost even more ground. Now President Obama has ordered
another 30,000 troops to Afghanistan.
Attempting to deflect
growing opposition to the announcement of his dramatic escalation of
the war in Afghanistan, President Obama is simultaneously claiming that
U.S. troops will start to be withdrawn in July 2011.
The
Generals and Admirals, and now the White House, are unwilling to accept
responsibility for a military setback. The President knows they cannot
win and yet is unwilling to leave. Since no leader is willing to take
responsibility, they are instead sending thousands more to their
deaths.
Bush and Cheney ordered the invasion thinking it would
be easy going. They thought Iraq would be easy, too. They were going to
wipe out the governments in Iran, Syria and North Korea. This
colonial-type fantasy, nourished by “great nation” arrogance and the
acquiescence of a caste of corrupt politicians in Congress, set the
stage for the current catastrophe of a war without end.
After
eight years of war, more than 140 armed insurgent groups of Afghans now
exist as a response to the invasion and they control large parts of the
country. The people in Afghanistan perceive the occupation as a
colonial-type takeover of their country. September 11 was a pretext,
but there were no Afghans or Iraqis who hijacked the planes. The people
of Afghanistan, like the people in Vietnam, will never accept foreign
military occupation in their country.
In the 1968 election
Nixon ran on a platform of a “secret peace plan” for Vietnam. In
reality, Nixon’s “peace plan” meant more bombing of Vietnam, expansion
of the war into Cambodia, and “Vietnamization” – the building up of the
South Vietnamese puppet army under the direction of U.S. “advisors.”
The puppet army was supposed to do the fighting and dying in the place
of U.S. troops in an increasingly unpopular war.
The new plan
for Afghanistan calls for more bombing and drone attacks, and
“Afghanization” – the building up of a puppet Afghan army trained and
led by U.S. commanders. This follows President Obama’s escalation of
massive bombing of the people of Pakistan.
Bush Policy – Obama Policy
On
Jan. 20, the day that Barack Obama took the oath of office, a
government helicopter carrying George W. Bush lifted off and made the
ceremonial flight away from the nation’s capital, signaling the end of
one era and the start of a new administration.
It was a
remarkable event to witness. As the Bush helicopter passed over the
inaugural throng, millions of people on the ground started cheering
spontaneously. The official pomp of the transfer of power was
overwhelmed by the euphoria of those who hated Bush and his policies.
But was there a transfer of power? The personalities change, but the institutions of militarism, war and empire remain intact.
Since Obama took over as president, the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan has nearly doubled, and that’s before the new deployment of 30,000 more soldiers.
Today,
less than a year since Bush departed, there are actually more combined
U.S. military forces occupying Iraq and Afghanistan than at any time
during Bush’s tenure. Between official military forces, private
mercenaries and other contractors, by the middle of 2010 there will be
nearly a half-million U.S. personnel in the two countries.
At
a time of deep economic crisis, with tens of millions out of work and
losing their homes, the cost of the wars and occupations in Afghanistan
and Iraq is already running at over $225 billion per year or $1.2 billion every two days. Escalating the war will escalate that cost.
The
war is not about “the security of the people of the United States being
at stake.” If it was, there could be no talk about exit strategies and
announced plans for withdrawal.
Starting today, there will be
a growing escalation of anti-war protests in the United States. Tonight
and tomorrow there are demonstrations across the country.
On
Saturday, March 20, 2010, tens of thousands will march in Washington,
D.C., with coinciding mass actions in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Real
change comes from below. It comes from the millions who are suffering
from unemployment, foreclosure, evictions and poverty. It comes from
the young people who are being driven from college because of soaring
tuition. The children of working-class families are the ones who do the
bleeding and the killing, and they are told they do it for “national
security.”
This is not our war. This is a war for empire, one
that has gone very badly for the occupying force. How many more will
die for the U.S. to avoid the appearance of defeat?
The ANSWER
Coalition, in partnership with scores of organizations and echoing the
sentiment of millions of people who want the wars to end, will be in
the streets today, tomorrow and in the months to come. That is now
clearly the only prescription to end the violence and occupation of the
American Empire.
Click here to become an endorser of the March 20th National March on Washington, D.C.
