PDA National Board member, Tom Hayden writes:
The Kerry letter is an important step toward recognizing the importance of PDA and peace voters in general. I can’t think of a comparable letter from a leading Senator to such a peace group. PDA can and should open up a process of back-and-forth with the Kerry office and other Democratic officials. Kerry should be requested to broaden the invitations to testify to peace advocates who are experts on Afghanistan.... It would be impossible to turn around Afghanistan policy without John Kerry, the chair of the Foreign Relations Committee and former Vietnam veteran peace activist. The Fulbright hearings were the same opening during the midpoint of the Vietnam war. Read more and comment on PDA's blog.
Tom Hayden continues:
I think we all agree on hastening the process of de-escalation. There will be disagreements over whether the US is entitled to leave a “small footprint”, but that is down the road since there are 140,000 US/NATO/ISAF troops on the ground right now. I believe we should reach out to the Canadians and peace groups in NATO in an effort to pressure their governments to pressure the US and UK to accelerate the withdrawal. The key moment will be next May in Chicago where Obama has called a NATO conference on Afghanistan.
With withdrawals proceeding, House and Senate Democrats will have another key vote on Afghanistan next June, right after NATO.
There can and should be meaningful peace platforms adopted at both Democratic and Republican conventions next summer.
Then the presidential campaign will be the final period of pressuring Obama to further accelerate the withdrawal numbers. Read more and comment on PDA's blog.