Code Pink, United for Peace and Justice, SDS, World Can't Wait, and End US Wars have called for immediate protests in response to President Obama's troop escalation (also being called "surge" by the WH). Some already occurred Tuesday.
Hundreds rally at West Point to call for end of Afghan war (Youtube)
Find your city and protests:
CodePink
United for Peace and Justice
WorldCan'tWait
The biggest event so far, that I've found, is being organized under End US Wars:
Saturday, December 12
10-11am Assembly
11am-4pm Rally, Speakers, Music
3-4pm Organizing Tea with Peace Movement Leaders
4pm Conclusion & Clean-up
Scheduled Speakers
(More info TK)
Cynthia McKinney, Mike Gravel, Kathy Kelly, Chris Hedges, David Swanson, Rev. Graylan Hagler, Coy McKinney, Debra Sweet, Brian Becker, Mathis Chiroux, Lynne Williams, Betty Hall, Elaine Brower, Marian Douglas, Michael Knox, Ralph Lopez, Ron Fisher, Col. Ann Wright, Dr. Stephen Zunes, Granny D
Interesting to note the organizing group says they do not approve of civil disobedience. I think this was among the problems with the protests in the US against the Iraq War. They had large numbers, but were quite infrequent and nothing to note really happened. People showed up, marched around in approved areas for a few hours holding signs, then went back home. The media, predictably, glossed over these events during their weekend news broadcasts.
Anyway, I have looked for other calls for action, but haven't found any yet. If you know of more, please let me know and I'll add them here.
And just a reminder, there were many, quite large protests against the Afghanistan invasion from the beginning. Opposition to that war morphed with opposition to the Iraq War later on, which became the "anti-war" movement. Detailed time line here.
If protests aren't your thing, United Against Afghanistan Escalation (Peace Action) has this action blog post up with informative numbers - Urge Congress to Oppose Military Escalation in Afghanistan
Also, StandupCongress has an action page.
Statements from those opposed to the surge or overall war in Afghanistan:
Russ Feingold
"I do not support the President's decision to send additional troops to fight a war in Afghanistan that is no longer in our national security interest. It's an expensive gamble to undertake armed nation-building on behalf of a corrupt government of questionable legitimacy. Sending more troops could further destabilize Afghanistan and, more importantly, Pakistan, a nuclear-armed state where al Qaeda is headquartered. While I appreciate that the president made clear we won't be in Afghanistan forever, I am disappointed by his decision not to offer a timetable for ending our military presence there.
Michael Moore
Do you really want to be the new "war president"? If you go to West Point tomorrow night (Tuesday, 8pm) and announce that you are increasing, rather than withdrawing, the troops in Afghanistan, you are the new war president. Pure and simple. And with that you will do the worst possible thing you could do -- destroy the hopes and dreams so many millions have placed in you. With just one speech tomorrow night you will turn a multitude of young people who were the backbone of your campaign into disillusioned cynics. You will teach them what they've always heard is true -- that all politicians are alike. I simply can't believe you're about to do what they say you are going to do.
Tom Hayden
It's time to strip the Obama sticker off my car.
Obama's escalation in Afghanistan is the last in a string of disappointments. His flip-flopping acceptance of the military coup in Honduras has squandered the trust of Latin America. His Wall Street bailout leaves the poor, the unemployed, minorities, and college students on their own. And now comes the Afghanistan-Pakistan decision to escalate the stalemate, which risks his domestic agenda, his Democratic base, and possibly even his presidency.
The expediency of his decision was transparent. Satisfy the generals by sending 30,000 more troops. Satisfy the public and peace movement with a timeline for beginning withdrawals of those same troops, with no timeline for completing a withdrawal.
Obama's timeline for the proposed Afghan military surge mirrors exactly the 18-month Petraeus timeline for the surge in Iraq.
Statement Against Troop Escalation signed by academics and peace activists (from GetAfghanistanRight)
Jim Hightower - Escalate First, Think Later, Obama's War
Keith Olbermann - "We can not afford this war"
Cornel West:
No, no! Obama can’t get the Nobel Peace Prize and be a war President. He’s got to be able to promote peace in an international, multilateral way. We don’t need an American occupation; we don’t need more American troops there. If he does send more, then we’ve got to take to the streets.
Other viewpoints and related news:
MADRE: Six Alternatives to a Troop Surge in Afghanistan
Gleen Greenwald - The commendably missing element from Obama's speech
Glenn Greenwald - compares the similar rhetoric used by the Bush and Obama administrations to justify their wars.
Obama Had Rejected His Own Speech's Surge Rationale
Afghans unimpressed by Obama's troops surge
2 Afghans allege abuse at U.S. site (Bagram, Afghanistan) (much more details here)
Afghans Say Surge Is Wrong Strategy
White House: Personnel and Military trainers Will Remain In Afghanistan Long After 2011 Drawdown
Democrats Campaign Against Obama's Afghan Plan
Top recipient of Defense Industry campaign money in 2008? - Barack Obama
DKos diary from bigbearjohn about Representative Massa's disapproval
Dallasdoc (DKos) - Unanswered Questions
Obama: "We Did Not Ask for This Fight"
Bush: "We Did Not Seek This Conflict"
Obama: "New Attacks are Being Plotted as I Speak"
Bush: "At This Moment ... Terrorists are Planning New Attacks"
Obama: "Our Cause is Just, Our Resolve Unwavering"
Bush: "Our Cause is Just, Our Coalition [is] Determined"
Obama: "This Is No Idle Danger, No Hypothetical Threat"
Bush: "The Enemies of Freedom Are Not Idle"
Obama: "We Have No Interest in Occupying Your Country"
Bush: "I Wouldn't Be Happy if I Were Occupied Either"
Source
From RethinkAfghanistan.com:
Rachel Maddow last night explained how Obama's speech embraced the Bush Doctrine arguments and explains the covert "5th army" under the CIA operating in Pakistan. The Youtube isn't available, but here's an informative segment on Rachel Maddow with Bob Herbet:
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