[Peace] Tue 10/6, 7pm, Gregory 111: film "Rethink Afghanistan" from Campus Anti-War Network

[Stuart Levy]

The Campus Anti-war Network (CAN) is showing Robert Greenwald's new film,
"Rethink Afghanistan", at their meeting *tomorrow evening*:

    7:00pm Tuesday, Oct 6th
    room 111 Gregory Hall
    810 S. Wright St.
    (just north of Armory & Wright on UofI campus)

More on the film at:
    http://www.rethinkafghanistan.com/

AWARE showed a draft of this film a couple weeks ago -- the final version is now out.
There's certainly more to the Afghanistan story (for example, it does a good job
of refuting the stated reasons for the US being there, but doesn't look into what
the actual reasons might be).  Still it is well worth watching.

Oct 6th is one day before the 8th anniversary of our invasion of Afghanistan.


Also, on Oct 7th, at Illinois State University in Bloomington,
another student group will be showing the same film.  I don't know details though.


Some notes on what's in Rethink Afghanistan:

  [1] What will military escalation achieve in Afghanistan?
    with interviews with Andrew Bacevich, Stephen Kinzer,
    Tariq Ali, several Afghanis, Robert Pape of UofChicago,
    Anand Gopal of Christian Science Monitor / Wall St. Journal,
    and others, mostly US professors.

  [2] How will the war destabilize a nuclear-armed Pakistan?
    Pakistanis are suspicious of the US' intentions toward Pakistan...
    Prospects of putting nuclear weapons in Afghan hands...
    "The sooner the US gets out of Pakistan, the better the chance
    of its being stabilized" (Tariq Ali)

  [3] The costs (in money) of the war.
    A lot.  To soldiers, contractors, future care for injured military people...
    And, unlike other wars, we have not raised taxes for the Iraq and
    Afghanistan wars.


  [4] Recent civilian casualties from US/NATO air strikes in Afghanistan.
    ("viewer discretion is advised" -- I'm sure some of it is grim watching)
    The trailer has interviews with civilian survivors,
    a US mil. spokesman talking about "precision munitions",
    a poor Afghan man saying that he could sell his young daughter,
    but who would want her?

   [5] Will our war in Afghanistan help the lives of women there?
    "A few brave women from RAWA and the Afghan Women’s Mission
    pointed out in a recent article
      http://www.alternet.org/reproductivejustice/141165/why_is_a_leading_feminist_organization_lending_its_name_to_support_escalation_in_afghanistan/
    that the military establishment claims that it must win the
    military victory first and then the U.S. will take care of
    humanitarian needs. But they have it backward.
    Improve living conditions and security will improve.
    Focus on security at the expense of humanitarian goals,
    and coalition forces will accomplish neither.  The first step
    toward improving people’s lives is a negotiated
    settlement to end the war."

   [6] Has the war in Afghanistan made the US more secure?
    "The war in Afghanistan is increasing the likelihood
    that American civilians will be killed in a future
    terrorist attack.  Part six of Rethink Afghanistan brings
    you three former high-ranking CIA agents on the record
    to explain why.  There is no “victory” to be won in Afghanistan."