[Peace-discuss] Fw: House Stands Firm on Afghanistan Withdrawal Timetable

[unionyes]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <moderator at PORTSIDE.ORG>
To: <PORTSIDE at LISTS.PORTSIDE.ORG>
Sent: Friday, July 02, 2010 9:10 PM
Subject: House Stands Firm on Afghanistan Withdrawal Timetable


> House Stands Firm on Afghanistan Withdrawal Timetable
>
> Tom Hayden |
> July 2, 2010
> Published on The Nation
> http://www.thenation.com/article/36993/house-stands-firm-afghanistan-withdrawal-timetable
>
> One hundred sixty-two House members, including a large
> majority of Democrats, sent a significant antiwar
> message to President Obama last night, forcing the
> White House to depend for Afghanistan war support on
> the Republicans who want to unseat the Democrats and
> Obama himself in upcoming elections.
>
> Despite claims by punditry that the antiwar movement
> has disappeared, stalwart Representative Barbara Lee
> gained 100 votes for her amendment rejecting $33
> billion for 30,000 new troops already being sent to
> Afghanistan. Seven of her votes were Republicans. The
> measure would have redirected the $33 billion to
> expenses incurred in redeploying the troops out of
> Afghanistan.
>
> More significant numerically, there were 162 votes cast
> for Representative Jim McGovernâ?Ts amendment, co-
> authored by representatives David Obey and Walter
> Jones, which articulated a game plan for ending the
> war. Only a year ago, the same measure was introduced
> as a general and non-binding resolution. This time the
> proposal required, as a condition of funding, an exit
> proposal including a withdrawal timetable, by next
> spring, before the presidentâ?Ts announced plan to
> "begin" withdrawals in July. Further, in response to
> rising pressure to delay withdrawals, the McGovern
> proposal would require another Congressional vote if
> the administration succumbed to pressure from
> Republicans and the military to delay the beginning
> departure date.
>
> Among Democrats, the vote for McGovern was 153-98, with
> nine Republican supporters. Significantly, Speaker
> Nancy Pelosi, who this week predicted a strong
> Democratic push for a "substantial drawdown" by next
> year, voted with McGovern.
>
> Beltway-based peace groups were surprised by the
> outcome. "All in all, we did better than I expected,"
> blogged Paul Kawika-Martin of Peace Action as the
> televised vote rolled across the CSPAN screen.
>
> Though the war will escalate as a result of the final
> vote, the opponents sent a powerful message to the
> president and newly confirmed Gen. David Petraeus that
> antiwar pressure will only increase in the period
> ahead, adding important pressure for the July 2011
> deadline to be maintained and clarified by a timeline
> for completion, as originally proposed by Senator Russ
> Feingold.
>
> The message is sure to reinforce the belief in the
> Karzai administration, the Pakistan government and
> among NATO allies that time is running out, thus giving
> an impetus for accelerating talks with the Taliban.
>
> The escalating offensive in southern Afghanistan will
> continue apace, with uncertain results.
>
> The Taliban may misread the message from Congress,
> however, and overplay their hand. Their strength lies
> in southern Pashtun communities in southern Afghanistan
> and Pakistan, suggesting that their future lies in a
> negotiated power-sharing arrangment with the northern
> tribes and warlords they fought in the civil war nearly
> a decade ago. The McGovern proposal foreshadows a
> scenario of peace diplomacy that stabilizes a deeply
> divided country.
>
> _____________________________________________
>
> Portside aims to provide material of interest
> to people on the left that will help them to
> interpret the world and to change it.
>
> Submit via email: moderator at portside.org
> Submit via the Web: portside.org/submit
> Frequently asked questions: portside.org/faq
> Subscribe: portside.org/subscribe
> Unsubscribe: portside.org/unsubscribe
> Account assistance: portside.org/contact
> Search the archives: portside.org/archive