[act-ma] 6/23 Protest Obama's Plan to continue the War in Afghanistan (Thurs)

[Matthew Andrews]

Protest Obama's Plan to continue the War in Afghanistan

Thursday, June 23th

5:00pm

Park Street Station, Boston


In the wake of the US murder of Osama bin Ladin, calls for a withdrawal
from Afghanistan have grown louder in Washington DC.  A wing of the
warmakers in DC have begun talking about a "political solution."  This
evening Obama is expected to make a speech to justify the continued
presence of US troops, mercenaries, and drones in Afghanistan.   We can
also expect just enough spin about eventually leaving to quell critics
from within the establishment.   Blaming our Afghan victims for our
occupation is a popular theme in Washington DC these days.  The eventual
goal of the Obama Administration, like his predecessor, is to install a
viable surrogate that can oppress and murder their own population in our
place.  The war in Afghanistan has little to do with fighting terrorism.
The real motivation of the US led occupation has been to control natural
resources and manipulate global markets to favor US corporations.   The
pretense of building a democracy has disappeared as negotiations with
the Taliban are now publicly recognized.  U.S. military operations have
killed and maimed thousands of people including the latest killing of
twelve children in late May.  It should not surprise us that Afghanis
would prefer to fight foreign occupiers than each other.

We demand that Obama bring all the troops and mercenaries home NOW!   We
also call for the cessation of drone attacks and an end to the weapons
proliferation and further militarization of Afghanistan.  The US
anti-war movement wants to see all Americans return home safely and our
tax dollars diverted from war to our vital human needs at home, but we
also respect the sovereignty of the Afghani people to the same.  We
recognize that the US led imperialist intervention in Afghanistan cannot
be simply measured in dollars or troop levels.  We call for a
transformation of US diplomatic objectives away from empire and toward
respect for peace, national sovereignty, and human rights.  Afghanis
themselves, without interference from the west, must find their own
authentic political solutions.

This action is co-sponsored by the Greater Boston Stop the Wars
Coalition, United for Justice with Peace, Boston UNAC, Massachusetts
Peace Action, and Veterans for Peace / Smedley Butler Brigade.
Additional co-sponsors are welcome.