As the Obama Administration, military planners and Congress debate the future conduct of the war in Afghanistan, the Dallas Peace Center will mark the beginning of the ninth year of the war with vigils at Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison’s North Texas office every Saturday in the month of October. The vigils will call on Obama to reconsider policies that have cost more than 1000 Afghan civilian and more than 200 U.S lives in 2009 alone. Since October 2001, when the US invaded, the war has cost American taxpayers $228 billion and has brought death and destruction to an innocent Afghan population reeling from decades of war with two super powers and internal strife between ruthless warlords.
According to Lon Burnam, director of the Dallas Peace Center, “President Obama has stated there aren’t any military solutions in Afghanistan, but for every dollar spent on war efforts only seven cents goes for reconstruction. That ratio must be reversed. The real enemy in Afghanistan is extreme poverty, which serves as an endless source of recruits for extremists.” In his inaugural speech, the President said, “Leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict: know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy.”
A recent poll reported that less then half of Americans believe the war is worth fighting. More importantly, Afghani people opposed the increase in troops the beginning of this year, and most do not support western forces being there. In a poll taken the beginning of this year, only 18 percent of Afghans wanted to see an increase in U.S. and NATO forces.
Bill Mc Elvaney former DPC Board Member and Professor Emeritus, Perkins School of Theology at SMU, said, “To sacrifice the lives of our men and women to support the corrupt Karzai government is morally reprehensible. To think America’s security depends on killing people in the mountains of Afghanistan is incomprehensible and to increase America’s military footprint is counterproductive and ineffectual. More importantly, the question is how much of Afghanistan are we willing to destroy in order to save it?”
The U.S. should not expand its military presence; it should pursue a non-military solution to the conflict.
What: Vigil to mark 8 years of war in Afghanistan.
Where: Sen. Hutchison’s Office 10440 N. Central Expwy (I-75 and Meadow Road )
When: Vigils will be held every Saturday in October 10 am – Noon