Skip to main content

ATTENTION: This site is no longer active but remains as an archive.

Iraq Veterans Against the War has become About Face: Veterans Against the War. About Face can be found at aboutfaceveterans.org

Iraq Veterans Against the War

Join IVAW

Donate to IVAW

  • About
    • Founding of IVAW
    • Mission, Values, and Vision
    • War in Afghanistan
    • Why We Are against the Wars
    • Resolutions
    • IVAW Timeline
    • Board of Directors
    • Advisory Committee
    • Staff
  • Events
  • Campaigns
    • Operation Recovery
    • Winter Soldier
      • Breakdown of the Military
      • Civilian Testimony
      • Corporate Pillaging
      • Cost of War at Home
      • Crisis in Veterans Healthcare
      • Future of GI Resistance
      • Gender and Sexuality
      • Legacy of GI Resistance
      • Racism and War
      • Response to DoD
      • Rules of Engagement
      • Press Coverage
      • Press Releases
    • Right to Heal
  • Members
  • Resources
    • AWOL
    • Active Duty
    • Conscientious Objector
    • Depleted Uranium
    • History of Resistance
    • IRR Reactivation
    • Lariam
    • PTSD
    • Profiles of Resisters
    • Resources for Veterans
    • Stop Loss
    • Women's Resources
    • Mesothelioma
  • Press
  • Contact
    • Press
    • Speaker Request

Afghanistan: The Other War of Aggression That Needs to End

published by Jovanni Reyes on 11/25/14 10:23am

First published on Common Dreams

As violence in Iraq continues, and Israel escalates its brutal assault on Gaza, the human tragedy of boundless war and militarism could not be more clear. Yet, despiteoverwhelming U.S. public opinion that the so-called War on Terror (which amounts to a war on a military tactic and/or a political strategy)  is a failure, the U.S. continues to wage and back open-ended military aggression, including in the forgotten war: Afghanistan.

While the ongoing occupation of Afghanistan has largely disappeared from the U.S. public discourse, its human toll continues: in Afghan lives lost and traumatized, the service members who never come home or come home wounded, and the ever expanding web of political power and post 9/11 laws upholding endless wars and the erosion of civil liberties.

As varying conflicts--fueled by the U.S.--compete for public attention, now is not the time to forget Afghanistan, but rather, a critical exact moment to take toll of the harm done and envision a new path forward, rooted in healing and reparations.

Refocus on Afghanistan

While often ignored in political and media discourse, the U.S. continues to occupy the country of Afghanistan with more than 30,000 military service members, accompanied by roughly 17,000 troops from various allied countries , and an army of about 108,000 private contractors , which includes paid mercenaries who take part in firefights and combat.    

President Obama announced in late May that troops will start to gradually withdraw from Afghanistan starting at the end of 2014, reducing to nearly 10,000 troops at the beginning of 2015, and reaching an embassy-sized military staff by 2016. He did not mention, however,  what will become of the private contractors, or the dozens of people still held in Bagram prison, which is notorious for torture and abuse.

To secure a U.S. foothold in Afghanistan for the long-term, the U.S. is pushing to ratify the Bilateral Security Agreement, promising full immunity from prosecution under Afghan law to all US forces.  Afghan President Hamid Karzai has so far refused to sign on. However, the two presidential candidates in a still-undecided election--that has become mired in accusations of corruption and fraud--have both vowed to green-light the deal.

Meanwhile, violence continues to spiral, with no end in sight. According to a report by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, the first six months of 2014 saw a nearly 25 percent increase in deadly violence in Afghanistan, leaving at least 1,564 civilians dead and 3,289 civilians injured. Furthermore, after nearly 13 years of war, this past June the Taliban in Pakistan launched an attack on the busy Karachi Airport , as a testimony of their strength,  and an estimated tens of thousands of Taliban fighters remain in the southern and eastern parts of Afghanistan. It is unclear what the U.S. is doing in Afghanistan other than sewing more death and destruction.

Continue reading: http://www.commondreams.org/views/2014/07/19/afghanistan-other-war-aggre...

Matt Howard's picture

Hiring for Development Director Position

Iraq Veterans Against the War is hiring. Director of Development | Job Posting Full-time: 40 hours/week The Director of Development is responsible for all aspects of revenue generation for Iraq Veterans Against the War (...
Amadee Braxton's picture

I bid you farewell

To the Membership of IVAW: Some of you may have heard that I am leaving IVAW after almost nine years. This month, I am starting work as an organizational development consultant with Dragonfly Partners, as well as working...
Matt Howard's picture

Hiring for an Administrative Assistant in NY

Iraq Veterans Against the War is hiring. Administrative Assistant (P/T) | Job Posting Part-time: 20-25 hours/week   JOB DESCRIPTION The Administrative Assistant is responsible for the timely processing of donations,...
IVAW Admin's picture

IVAW Not Endorsing 'Open Carry March on Washington'

May 8, 2013 Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) neither endorses nor is affiliated with Adam Kokesh's 'Open Carry March on Washington' planned for July 4th. This event is in direct conflict with our Resolution That IVAW...
Brett Brooks_6's picture

If we only voted on what really matters!!!

There's a lot of things going on that Ii would love to vote on! The war! Bailouts! The reform of outdated laws!! But instead we only get to vote on a representative: Everyone craves for that leader to look up...
Matt Howard's picture

Demanding the Right to Heal

Three days ago I saw the aftermath of explosives that tore through a crowd of unsuspecting bystanders, shrapnel leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. I read how children lost their lives, others lost limbs and a...

Pages

  • « First
  • ‹ Prev
  • …
  • 10
  • 11
  • 12
  • 13
  • 14
  • 15
  • 16
  • 17
  • 18
  • …
  • Next ›
  • Last »

Supporter Newsletter!

Donations

Make a single donation or become an IVAW sustainer by making your donation a recurring one. Please consider making your generous gift right now.
Donate Online Today!

Speaker Request

Please be advised that we get many speaker requests, but regret that we are sometimes unable to fill them.
Speaker Request

Joining IVAW

Iraq Veterans Against the War is open to Active Duty, National Guard and Reservists who have served since 09/11/2001.
Join IVAW

Navigation

  • About
  • Events
  • Campaigns
  • Committees
  • Chapters
  • Members
  • Resources
  • Contact