[Peace-discuss] urging the President not to send more troops to Afghanistan

[Robert Naiman]

I don't know if you meant to do this, but I wouldn't set "immediate
withdrawal" as a litmus test for purity.

The Taliban have called for an 18th month timetable for the withdrawal
of foreign troops.

When we asked Champaign-Urbana voters to support withdrawal from Iraq,
I think the formulation was "orderly and rapid."


On Wed, Oct 7, 2009 at 12:38 PM, Ricky Baldwin <baldwinricky at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> The point is, we can write in favor of complete and immediate withdrawal.  And we can organize a rally around that.
> Are we still doing those "Public Square" comments?
> Ricky
>
> "Speak your mind even if your voice shakes." - Maggie Kuhn
>
> --- On Wed, 10/7/09, C. G. Estabrook <galliher at illinois.edu> wrote:
>
> From: C. G. Estabrook <galliher at illinois.edu>
> Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] urging the President not to send more troops to Afghanistan
> To: "Ricky Baldwin" <baldwinricky at yahoo.com>, "Peace-discuss" <peace-discuss at anti-war.net>
> Date: Wednesday, October 7, 2009, 10:54 AM
>
>     The Suffocatingly Narrow Afghanistan 'Debate'
>     by Glenn Greenwald
>
> Washington Post, September 21, 2009:
>
>    "McChrystal's assessment, in the view of two senior administration officials, is just 'one input' in the White House's decision-making process. The president, another senior administration official said, 'has embarked on a very, very serious review of all options.'"
>
>
> Associated Press, October 5, 2009:
>
>    "The White House said Monday that President Barack Obama is not considering a strategy for Afghanistan that would withdraw U.S. troops from the eroding war there."
>
> Apparently, "all options" does not mean "all options."  As usual for American wars, examining "all options" means everything other than "ending the war"...
>
>     Complete article at
>     http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/10/07-8
>     Published on Wednesday, October 7, 2009 by Salon.com
>
>
> Ricky Baldwin wrote:
> > I modified my letter slightly from the form letter provided- OK, well, a lot.  You can write what you like ...  See below for the link.
> >
> >  From Just Foreign Policy...
> >
> > It was not too long ago that serious public debate over U.S. policy in Afghanistan was non-existent. Now, President Obama is publicly deliberating whether to send more U.S. troops to Afghanistan, or to finally rethink policy. Some of the President's advisers - including Vice-President Biden - have called for reducing U.S. troops; some have proposed redirecting U.S. efforts toward persuading the Taliban to stop fighting.
> >
> > But the Pentagon is publicly pressuring President Obama to approve more U.S. troops, trying to "push Obama into a corner" with public statements that the situation in Afghanistan needs more forces.
> >
> > This moment could prove to be a real turning point in U.S. policy in Afghanistan; but as the Pentagon and the hawks try to push the President in their direction, we must pull him in ours. Urge President Obama not to approve more U.S. troops for Afghanistan by writing to him here:
> >
> > http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/nomoretroops
>
>
>
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>



--
Robert Naiman
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org
naiman at justforeignpolicy.org

Senator Feingold Calls for Timetable for U.S. Troop Withdrawal from Afghanistan
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/exit-afghanistan