There are many reasons I continue to want us out of Afghanistan and Iraq.
Some will respond to this diary with "War is hell."
A NYTimes story this week about the alleged coverup of the killing of Afghan women by our Special Forces reinforces that.
Our policy there has produced failure and worse, continuing with President Obama's changes.
Progressives should be taking weekly action to help end our occupations there and elsewhere.
I still cannot forget what happened in our name in Iraq at Abu Ghraib prison. The torture, rape, sodomy by our soldiers and contractors --its so bizarre, so horrible.
But this week a New York Times story contains info that must rank right up there with some of the most horrid actions ever reported on, if true:
New York Times: U.S. Admits Role in Killing of Afghan Women
KABUL, Afghanistan — After initially denying involvement or any cover-up in the deaths of three Afghan women during a badly bungled American Special Operations assault in February, the American-led military command in Kabul admitted late on Sunday that its forces had, in fact, killed the women during the nighttime raid.
The admission immediately raised questions about what really happened during the Feb. 12 operation — and what falsehoods followed — including a new report that Special Operations forces dug bullets out of the bodies of the women to hide the nature of their deaths.
Dug out the fucking bullets.
Sorry, Mr. President, this war is wrong. And not just because of this isolated atrocity, but the huge continuing waste and contractor welfare, tripling of soldier and civilian deaths, and poor results:
The U.S.'s Expanding Military Empire Tom Engelhardt: U..S. War-Fighting Numbers to Knock Your Socks Off
SNIP
When it comes to that slo-mo drawdown, all the numbers turn out to be staggering. They are also a reminder of just how the Pentagon has been fighting its wars in these last years -- like a compulsive shopper without a 12-step recovery program in sight. Whether it’s 3.1 million items of equipment, or 3 million, 2.8 million, or 1.5 million, whether 341 "facilities" (not including perhaps ten mega-bases which will still be operating in 2011 with tens of thousands of American soldiers, civilians, and private contractors working and living on them), or more than 350 forward operating facilities, or 290 bases are to be shut down, the numbers from Iraq are simply out of this world.
Those sorts of figures define the U.S. military in the Bush era -- and now Obama's -- as the most materiel-profligate war-making machine ever. Where armies once had baggage trains and camp followers, our camp followers now help plant our military in foreign soil, build its housing and defenses, and then supply it with vast quantities of food, water, fuel, and god knows what else. In this way, our troops carry not just packs on their backs, but a total, transplantable society right down to the PXs, massage parlors, food courts, and miniature golf courses. At Kandahar Air Base in Afghanistan, there was until recently a "boardwalk" that typically included a "Burger King, a Subway sandwich shop, three cafes, several general stores, a Cold Mountain Creamery, [and an] Oakley sunglasses outlet." Atypically enough, however, a TGI Friday’s, which had just joined the line-up, was recently ordered shut down along with some of the other stores by Afghan war commander General Stanley McChrystal as inimical to the war effort. SNIP
Action Option:
Progressive Democrats of America expands the Healthcare NOT Warfare campaign to include Brown Bag Lunch Vigils. Snip
By being outside of our representatives’ offices on a monthly basis, BBLVs become a reminder to the community—and our representatives—that these wars and our taxes’ going to these wars continue without an end in sight. snip
The inside part of the strategy starts with sending a directed version of the monthly letters to a BBLV’s representative and senators, stating the purpose of the vigils and what each BBLV hopes to accomplish with and through them. This monthly contact consistently sends a reaffirmed message to the representative and senators that lays down the gauntlet as our challenge to them to sign on to legislation to stop funding wars and set firm dates for complete withdrawal.
Link provides steps.
What steps will you or are you taking to bring our troops and contractors home?
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UPDATE: I have been asked to clarify the "Obama Fail" shortcut in title. I agree with Alan Grayson:
Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) decried the Afghanistan strategy being currently pursued by the Obama administration as "fundamentally wrong" during a press conference Tuesday.
"[The strategy is] based on the premise that our country knows what’s best for other people, it’s based upon the premise that we have to send troops to the other side of the world because that’s the only way to protect ourselves. Those propositions are simply wrong," said Grayson.
Grayson made his statement moments after taking the House floor to urge his fellow Congressmen to oppose troop escalations.
Grayson cast the notion of sending 100,000 servicemen and women 8,000 miles away to protect the U.S. as absurd.
"Why don’t we protect our borders? Why don’t we work with other countries to try to crack down on the terrorists that the bedevil us all. Why is it that we have to occupy another country? This is an 18th century strategy being employed against a 14th century enemy," said Grayson.
Grayson added that the war is costing too much, in both money and in lives.
SNIP
UPDATE 2: Urgent action today being called for:
Call Congress Today, Vote NO on 33 BILLION more dollars being wasted in Afghanistan; Our States are Bankrupt, fund them instead (call Mon. through Fri.)
Over 500,000 US Soldiers seek VA Treatment; WikiLeaks Video "U.S. Military slaying two News Staff and other innocents; "It’s the OIL, Stupid (or the pipeline routes); Obama is WRONG, Vote NO on the added 33 BILLION he wants for added fighting in Afghanistan (and Pakistan); Alert your Members of Congress, call them, numbers here.
By 25outof25centralasia