AFGHANISTAN: NO MORE EXCUSES-END THIS WAR from Sojourners 11MAI11

I agree with this article from Sojourners and have signed on supporting the call to end the war in Afghanistan. Click the link to e mail your Representative and tell them to support and pass the H.R 1735, the "Afghanistan Exit and Accountability Act". A vote is expected before Memorial Day.

There is no more room or time for excuses. The war in Afghanistan, now the longest war in American history, needs to end. On moral, financial, and strategic grounds, the continuing of the war in Afghanistan cannot be justified.

President Obama has promised to start troop withdrawal in July, but he’s being pressured to reduce the effort to a “symbolic withdrawal” and to continue on a path to many more years of war.We cannot wait any longer to end this war; its costs aresimply too great. 

• Financial: The U.S. is spending more than $100 billion per year in Afghanistan
• Human: 1,570 Americans killed, more than 10,000 wounded  
• More than 10,000 civilian Afghan deaths, 3,000 in 2010 alone 

Congress has a big role to play in what happens next. Representatives Jim McGovern and Walter Jones have introduced important legislation that, if passed, would require the Obama administration to present an exit strategy for U.S. forces from Afghanistan(1).

This bill will show President Obama how much support he has in the Congress for a real withdrawal plan beginning this summer -- but only if it has robust support by legislators. We can help build support for this bill by asking our senators and representatives to sign on. Email your members of Congress and tell them to support the“Afghanistan Exit and Accountability Act.”

Thank you for your partnership. We know that our scriptures and history teach us that war is not the way to achieve the peace and security we are striving to build in this world. Sometimes things seem bleak -- but together, as part of a community seeking a new future, we can make a difference.

Blessings,

Elizabeth, Duane, Tim, and the team

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Footnotes:
HR 1735, the Afghanistan Exit and Accountability Act:
Specifically, the bill (The “Afghanistan Exit and Accountability Act”) would:

1. Require the president to transmit to Congress a plan with timeframe and completion date for the transition of U.S. military and security operations in Afghanistan to the government of Afghanistan;
2. Require the president to report quarterly (i.e., every 90 days) on the status of that transition, and the human and financial costs of remaining in Afghanistan, including increased deficit and public debt; and
3. Require that in those quarterly reports the president disclose to Congress the savings in five-year, 10-year, and 20-year time periods were the U.S. to accelerate redeployment and conclude the transition of all U.S. military and security operations to Afghanistan within 180 days (i.e., six months).

Afghanistan: No More Excuses
After 10 long years, the national conversation on the war in Afghanistan has changed significantly. And now, the hunt for Osama bin Laden, used for years to justify the war, is over. The official reasons for continuing the war are disappearing each day. The threat of al Qaeda in Afghanistan has significantly weakened. Many people are shocked when they learn that there are only 100 al Qaeda operatives left in Afghanistan, but more than 100,000 American troops remain. As the debate on the deficit heats up, we need to say again and again that the more than $100 billion a year that is spent on the war is no longer sustainable. Every American should know these numbers: 100 terrorists; 100,000 troops; $100 billion -- it just isn't adding up anymore. There are no more excuses for delaying a withdrawal of U.S. troops.
A USA TODAY/Gallup Poll released this week shows that 59 percent of Americans agree that the "United States has accomplished its mission in Afghanistan and should bring its troops home." Congressional pressure is also growing. News reports indicate that those who favor "a swift reduction of U.S. forces" have been gaining momentum.
A significant part of this pressure to end the war is the introduction of the "Afghanistan Exit and Accountability Act" by Representatives Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Walter Jones (R-NC). H.R. 1735 was submitted with 14 additional sponsors, eight Democrats, and six Republicans. Ending the war is now a bipartisan effort. The legislation would require the president to submit a plan with a timeline and completion date for the transition of military operations to the Afghan government, and require quarterly progress reports along with projections of how much would be saved if the transition were completed in six months.
In his statement, Rep. McGovern said: "We're told that we can't afford vital domestic funding, but we should continue to borrow billions and billions of dollars for nation-building in Afghanistan. That's nuts. … On Monday [May 2], the Pentagon reported that 1,550 American troops have died in Afghanistan. Last week, another one of my constituents was killed. Tens of thousands more have been wounded. … Enough is enough."
Rep. Walter Jones' opposition to this war has made him a modern profile of courage. He turned against the war after visiting constituents who lost their children, fathers, and mothers, as well as soldiers in the hospital whose lives have been forever shattered. He doesn't think this war is worth their sacrifice. He is right.
Although the president has committed to begin withdrawing troops in July, the military is working behind the scenes to make this withdrawal as small as possible. In their initial proposal, the military floated a news story suggesting a withdrawal of only 5,000 troops. This is not acceptable anymore, and we must insist on a clear, quick, and responsible exit -- not one slowly drawn out over years. Too much money has been spent, and too many lives have been lost. It's time for the war to end. So I am calling on you, our most committed constituents, to contact your members of Congress and urge them to co-sponsor this legislation. With our voices, we can make a difference, and we must. The time has come to end this war.