The Iraq Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) is the nation's first and largest veteran's group focused on the men and women who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. They are a committed group of soldiers who want to ensure that our troops get the support they deserve: not just the lip-service they typically get.
They've been fighting for veteran's rights tirelessly, and now they are asking for our help in bringing focus back on a somewhat forgotten aspect of the "war on Terror"-- Afghanistan.
On Wednesday, April 30th, suppoters of the IAVA will be gathering at homes across the country to have a special conference call with IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff, Iraq & Afghanistan veteran and best-selling author Nathaniel Fick, and former Congressman Charlie Wilson. They will be discussing Afghanistan in particular, the how's and the why's and the what can we do about it now's that we all want and need to hear.
As of April 18th, 2008, 423 US soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan. While that appears miniscule compared to the stats on Iraq, its still 423 men and women, brothers, daughters, mothers, husbands and neighbors that have died in combat in a war that is not yet finished.
The Taliban, long-forgotten thanks to a forgetful news media, has been resurging in the area. In recent years, the Taliban has made a striking resurgence, taking control of some majority-Pashtun areas, launching attacks against American and allied forces, and working to overthrow the central government. According to the Council on Foreign Relations,
"The fall of Afghanistan's Taliban government in 2001 inspired militant tribesmen in northern Pakistan's North and South Waziristan regions to take up the name. The Urdu press has reported on the growing influence of the Pakistani Taliban in North and South Waziristan as well as in the Northwest Frontier Province."
It is extremely important that we all remember that there is another front to George W. Bush's "War on Terror." We need to remember the sacrfices that our troops are giving daily, the dangers they are facing daily, and what we can do daily to make sure that we not only succeed in stabilizing Afghanistan but putting an end to the bloodshed.
I urge everyone to visit http://www.iava.org and find a Charlie Wilson's War viewing party in their area. Or go out and rent the movie and see how our relationship with Afghanistan has progressed (or regressed) over the years. And take action as well: write your Congressional representatives and urge them to support the troops by getting them the supplies they need while in service, and the benefits they are owed when they come back home!
Thanks!