Why We Say Out of Afghanistan Now!

by the Twin Cities Peace Campaign

1. The invasion and 8-year occupation of the sovereign state of Afghanistan are immoral and contrary to international law. The policy of pre-emptive war is a very dangerous policy as it allows nations to declare war at will and leads to chaos and endless war.

2. The U.S. does not have the power (nor the right) to determine the fate of the nations of the Middle East.

3. An overwhelming number of Afghans support an Afghan political solution without outside interference.

4. There is no military solution to terrorism, and Afghans will never accept an occupation, which aims at increasing U.S. military and political domination in the region.

5. The escalation of U.S. troops will cause increasing numbers of civilian casualties, exacerbate the plight of the Afghan people, undercut diplomacy and development, and cause more hostility toward the U.S.

6. The presence of foreign troops in Afghanistan is one of the primary motivations for the insurgencies; the most meaningful way to halt the insurgency’s momentum is to withdraw U.S. troops.

7. The war is spreading to Pakistan, which is leading to a dangerous destabilization in the region and increased hostility toward the U.S.

8. Regional diplomacy, economic restitution, and development, not military force, should be the cornerstones of U.S. policy.

9. The Afghan war alone is costing Americans taxpayers $2 billion a month. Endless wars deprive the U.S. of funds to provide for domestic needs — investment in the infrastructure, jobs, health care, education, housing, and environmental protection.

10. Women and children are always the first victims of war. The women of Afghanistan are worse off now than they were before war and many women’s groups are calling for the U.S. to leave their country.

11. The current government of Afghanistan is one of the four most corrupt governments in the world. The U.S. is again supporting warlords who do not have the support of the Afghan people and, who, in the past, have been responsible for the deaths of thousands of Afghan civilians.