[act-ma] Alert: upcoming 1000th death of a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan

[UJP: United for Justice with Peace]

Alert: upcoming 1000th death of a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan*Not One More
Death, Not One More Dollar for War!*

998 U.S. service men and women have died so far in the U.S. war in
Afghanistan.   When the 1000th death occurs, Boston area peace advocates,
military family members, and veterans will gather to remember the Americans,
Afghans and others who have lost their lives in this futile conflict, and to
call for an immediate end to the war. The timing of the event will be
announced after the 1000th death occurs, but it will probably be *Monday or
Tuesday, February 22 or 23, 5pm at Park Street Station*.

In the ninth year of war, increased foreign troop levels and increasing
national resistance to their presence has escalated the violence in
Afghanistan, making life less safe both for the occupied and occupier.
Almost one-third of the 998 U.S. deaths, 317, took place last year, and
deaths this year are on a pace to record even more.

Afghan civilians are increasingly caught in the crossfire. Surveys from the
United Nations show that last year marked the highest number of civilian
deaths, 2,412, and the highest number of children being killed.

Before year’s end, the U.S. plans to complete the second phase of troop
level increases announced in 2009. The additional troops would double the
number of U.S. forces to 100,000.  Each U.S. soldier in Afghanistan costs $1
million per year – making our investment there $100 billion per year.
 Meanwhile, our people lack health care, jobs, and housing, teachers are
being laid off, and nothing is being done about the climate crisis.

We will gather to urge the U.S. to announce an immediate cease-fire, stop
sending additional troops, withdraw all U.S. troops and end U.S. control of
bases.   We will read the names of the dead and hear from speakers
representing military families, veterans, and peace organizations. We will
set up a display of 1,000 postcards in which the names of the dead have been
written on a dog-tag image. The cards are addressed to Speaker Nancy Pelosi,
asking her to stop funding the war.

Please bring signs with messages such as: "Stop The Afghanistan War!", "Not
One More Death, Not One More Dollar", "Troops Home Now!", "War on Terror -
One Big Lie", "Congress: Vote NO on War Funding!"

Please write ujpcoalition at gmail.com if your group wants to endorse or help
organize this event. We will send another notice the day before the event
occurs.

Sponsors include:

• United for Justice with Peace
• Military Families Speak Out
• Veterans for Peace/Smedley Butler Brigade
• Women's International League for Peace and Freedom
• American Friends Service Committee
• Greater Boston Stop the Wars Coalition
• Massachusetts Peace Action
• Progressive Democrats of America
-- 
United for Justice with Peace
www.justicewithpeace.org
617-491-4UJP
P.O. Box 390449, Central Square, Cambridge, 02139

United for Justice with Peace is a coalition of peace and justice
organizations and community peace groups in the Greater Boston region. The
UJP Coalition, formed after September 11th, seeks global peace through
social and economic justice.
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