U.S. "Precision Strikes" in a Nutshell

Signe Wilkinson's latest cartoon for the Philadelphia Daily News is brilliant:

Cartoon by Signe Wilkinson

It depicts a U.S. warplane (or drone) coming in for the attack, with the Barack Obama at the controls, saying, "Target is in sight!"

The only problem is that the "target" is really multiple targets:

* good terrorist
* bad terrorist
* despicable terrorist

. . . as well as . . . 

* lives near a terrorist

. . . and . . . 

* deciding whether to be a terrorist

In other words, pretty much anybody and everybody gets lumped together with "terrorists"; the vaunted "precision" of U.S. military strikes isn't precise at all.

And if those people on the ground weren't our enemies before the Hellfire missile strikes, you can be sure they will be afterwards.

My only quibble with this cartoon is that instead of depicting Obama in the driver's seat, it should make it clear that the warplane is controlled by "Americans." ('Cause we all get to share in the responsibility, the blame, and the consequences of our government's killing spree in the Mideast.)


Related posts

The U.S. has a modus operandi for conducting military strikes while slipping past any genuine public accountability. It's worth a look at the Tuesday, October 29, 2013, New York Times account of a drone strike in Somalia the previous day: "Pentagon Says Shabab Bomb Specialist Is Killed in Missile Strike in Somalia." It's a case study in what's wrong with the U.S. drone wars.

(See October 28 in Somalia: Another Day, Another Drone Killing)




A September 5, 2013, U.S. drone strike in Pakistan killed six people - including Sangeen Zadran -- a "senior militant commander" who was "implicated in a long-running kidnapping drama involving an American soldier."

(See September 5 in Pakistan: Another Day, Another Drone Killing)

The press announced a flurry of drone killings in Yemen over the April 19/20 weekend -- that is, while the rest of us were observing Easter -- and just as with U.S. drone killings in Pakistan and Somalia, the U.S. modus operandi was on full display.

(See April 19 in Yemen: Another Day, Another Drone Killing )

What Would a Global Movement to Ground the Drones Look Like?

The 2013 CODEPINK Drones Summit has made it clear to me that the global movement against drones is happening.

I opened my computer this morning to see this image:

Imran Khan addressing a massive crowd at the #PakistanAgainstDrones
protest at Peshawar yesterday. (Photo via @AhmerMurad)

This is a rally in Pakistan to stop US drone killings. (In fact, it has morphed into a movement to resist NATO military operations in the region.) Many of us who weren't in Pakistan participated in this protest by holding rallies where we were (for instance, in London), or by participating virtually via the #PakistanAgainstDrones campaign on Twitter.

A huge turnout outside the US Embassy in London. (via @SorayaAziz)

The New York Times gave front page coverage yesterday to the testimony of Faisal bin Ali Jaber from Yemen when he came to Washington, DC, to tell people first-hand about US drone strikes killing peacemakers in his home country.

Faisal bin Ali Jaber (NY Times)

Of course, some activists have an easier time getting a hearing than others.

Malala Yousafi at the White House: “I also expressed my concerns that
drone attacks are fueling terrorism. Innocent victims are killed in these
acts, and they lead to resentment among the Pakistani people. If we
refocus efforts on education it will make a big impact.”
(Source: ThinkProgress)

The CODEPINK summit itself, in addition to hosting Faisal and his colleagues, brought forward the voices of speakers from Pakistan and Afghanistan. In addition, we learned about the efforts of activists in Germany to resist the US drone command center there that focuses on Africa. And, of course, we heard about the great work of Drones Wars UK to resist British drone militarism, particularly in Afghanistan.

So . . . where else in the world is the movement against drones taking off?

Related posts

Five big realizations I'm taking away from the 2013 CODEPINK Drone Summit "Drones Around the Globe: Proliferation and Resistance" in Washington, DC.

(See The 2013 DC Drones Conference: 5 Big Takeaways )

The biggest idea coming out of the 2013 Drone Summit? We will only deal successfully with the crimes being committed using drones when we understand them as part of the much larger war against communities of color . . . .

(See Drone Gaze, Drone Injury: The War on Communities of Color )

A new U.N. report makes it clear that the U.S. has to report fully on all its drone attacks.

(See 2014: The Year of Transparency (for U.S. Drone Use)?)

Malalai: The "Big Lie" of U.S. Troop Withdrawal from Afghanistan

Malalai Joya spoke to a group in Chicago yesterday, and I heard a clear message from her: it is not enough for the U.S. to pull out its remaining combat troops. The presence of U.S. bases assures that the violence and instability will continue. People in the U.S. who really want to help Afghanistan need to work to remove ALL vestiges of the U.S. invasion and occupation -- to DEMILITARIZE Afghanistan.


DEMILITARIZE Afghanistan

Malalai says the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan is a "big lie" -- because there will still be the remaining effects of militarization - especially the nine U.S. bases.

During the NATO summit in Chicago 18 months ago, I listed some of the steps that must be taken to reverse the U.S. militarization of Afghanistan.

• no more drones


• no special forces "trainers"


• close the proliferation of bases


• withdraw contractors/mercenaries


• clean up the detention mess


• and much more ....

The bases are an especially important problem. Their presence virtually guarantees a whole chain of military activity -- because, hey, if you've got a base, you've got to do something with it, right? This is a problem that has application not just for Afghanistan but also for EVERY place around the world where there is a U.S. military base. (There are approximately 1,000 around the world.)

Malalai refers often to the problem of warlords and corruption in Afghanistan. By creating a situation in which every problem is addressed through the use of weapons, force, and violence, the U.S. has assured that military leaders ("warlords") will always hold the reins of power in Afghanistan.

As Malalai explained, the U.S. has now saddled Afghanistan with a massive force of "dollar soldiers" that neither provides for real order and security nor represents a sustainable model for the national economy.

Malalai will speak again tonight at Grace Place (637 S Dearborn, Chicago) at 7:00 p.m. Everyone who wants to understand what it will take to reverse the effects of U.S. militarism around the world should come participation in the discussion.

Related posts

I've outlined five questions that I hope Malalai Joya will address when she speaks to Americans in Chicago and other cities.

(See 5 Questions for Malalai on Afghanistan )

It's not enough to just pull U.S. combat troops out of Afghanistan - we need to ground the drones, clear the prisons we've filled with detainees, remove the bases, get rid of the contractors, stop the training activities -- DEMILITARIZE Afghanistan!

(See DEMILITARIZE Afghanistan)

What would happen if every member of Congress "adopted" a foreign military base and demonstrated what would happen if all the money spent there were brought home to local districts? Do you think the constituents would welcome THAT initiative?

(See How About a REAL (Tea) Party? SHUT DOWN THE MILITARY BASES! )

6 Ways of Looking at a War Crimes Alliance: NATO in Chicago, May 2012

As we prepare to welcome Afghan peace and justice activist Malalai Joya to Chicago over the next few days -- part of her national speaking tour -- it seems like an appropriate time to remember the protests against NATO in Chicago in the spring of 2012.

Below are pictures and links. What do YOU remember about the NATO protests?

People from World Can't Wait, Code Pink, Veterans for Peace, and other groups went out onto the streets and showed the faces of the victims to anyone willing to look.

(See Making Drone Killing 100% VISIBLE in Chicago!)

As the Obama administration expressed fury at Pakistani resistance to further NATO war operations and excludes Pakistan's president from the NATO Summit, members of the wider community gathered to memorialize people killed by U.S. airstrikes and drone attacks in Pakistan and in the U.S. occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as U.S./NATO operations in Yemen, Libya, and elsewhere. Recognizing what veterans on Sunday called "the burden of blood that has stained these medals", Trinity Church opened its lawn to expressions of grief and remembrance by the entire community.

(See #NATOvictims )

Challenged by Chicago columnist Eric Zorn to "get to the point," people around the country and around the world helped contribute to the protests against NATO by formulating five-word summaries of NATO: "NATO in 5".

(See #NATOin5 )

We saw U.S. veterans give voice to the anguish of so many who have been caught up in U.S. war-making. They are tormented about the violence, injury, and pain to which they have contributed. They seek everyone's help in putting a stop to itono. It was a fitting message to remember on Memorial Day, 2012, which fell the weekend after the NATO summit.

(See THIS Memorial Day, Honor the Fallen: STOP Drone Killing! )

It's hard to imagine someone aspiring to rerun Mayor Richard J. Daley's 1968 playbook, when he unleashed police repression on antiwar protesters and others. Daley's actions made "Chicago" synonymous with "brutality" for a generation. And yet that seems to be exactly what Rahm Emanual was doing whenhe arranged for NATO to hold its summit in Chicago and then tried to introduce new laws to limit free expression.

(See Welcome to Chicago! You're Under Arrest)

The protests against NATO were accomplished through the work of MANY groups!

(See Who Will Be Taking On NATO In Chicago?)






What do YOU remember about the NATO protests?

5 Questions for Malalai on Afghanistan

The 12th anniversary of the U.S. war on Afghanistan is approaching, and activist Malalai Joya has embarked on a speaking tour of the U.S. (See her full schedule and read her bio on Wikipedia.)

Below are five questions that I hope Malalai Joya will address when she speaks to Americans here in Chicago and other cities.

(1) What do you want Americans to know about Afghanistan?

We have been swamped with 12 years of self-serving U.S. government propaganda, so that by this time most Americans have absorbed a handful of myths about Afghanistan that serve the purposes of the occupation, and at the same time know almost nothing true about the country. Now is the time for Americans to give their attention to a true representative of Afghanistan and learn.

(2) What would benefit the position of women in Afghanistan?

Probably the single biggest pretext for the continuing U.S. occupation of Afghanistan is that it is somehow in the interest of the rights of women.  Please set the story straight on this.

(3) How do the people of Afghanistan want their civil society to function?

The U.S. invasion, war, and occupation has led to a situation in which the continued functioning of Afghanistan civil society is said to depend on a massive security force, requiring a budget that dwarfs other parts of the Afghan economy.  We are led to believe that Afghanistan doesn't have a better way to govern itself.

Is there a better way?

(4) Where has Afghanistan been left, in strategic terms?

We are told that Afghanistan is in "a dangerous part of the world" -- unable to defend itself from neighbors like Pakistan, Iran, Russia and its former republics . . . What is the truth?

(5) What can we do to help?

The U.S. has created a tragedy in Afghanistan.  We know -- or should know -- that we have a responsibility to repair it.  What can we do to help -- really help?


Related posts

It's not enough to just pull U.S. combat troops out of Afghanistan - we need to ground the drones, clear the prisons we've filled with detainees, remove the bases, get rid of the contractors, stop the training activities -- DEMILITARIZE Afghanistan!

(See DEMILITARIZE Afghanistan)

When Malalai spoke to a group in Chicago, she said it is not enough for the U.S. to pull out its remaining combat troops. The presence of U.S. bases assures that the violence and instability will continue. The bases are an especially important problem. Their presence virtually guarantees a whole chain of military activity -- because, hey, if you've got a base, you've got to do something with it, right?

(See Malalai: The "Big Lie" of U.S. Troop Withdrawal from Afghanistan)

Read about the #AfghanistanTuesday campaign - in which people made time every week to remember what's happening in Afghanistan and push for change.

(See Making an Impact on #AfghanistanTuesday)

OK, You Have Our Attention. Let's Put a Stop to ALL These Criminal Weapons!

More on Syria: Where Have We Ended Up?

How many of Barack Obama's words about Syria will be used against him when the U.S. is indicted for its crimes using drones?

As President Obama insisted two nights ago:

When dictators commit atrocities, they depend upon the world to look the other way until those horrifying pictures fade from memory. But these things happened. The facts cannot be denied. The question now is what the United States of America, and the international community, is prepared to do about it. Because what happened to those people -- to those children -- is not only a violation of international law, it’s also a danger to our security. (Emphasis added. Full transcript from Washington Post.)

The UN is on the verge of taking action on U.S. extrajudicial executions using drones, and the movement against drone warfare is preparing for another wave of nationwide protests. Person after person is noticing the eerie resonance of Barack Obama's accusations against Syria with the crimes of his own administration against people in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, and elsewhere.

A friend wrote to me from Wisconsin:

Yesterday evening I watched Obama fill the air with hypocrisy. It struck me he mentioned children dying 3 times. He also talked of them writhing. Obviously this is a ploy to pull the heartstrings of Americans. Of course it struck me that he is killing children in Pakistan and elsewhere and the fact thousands are being killed, and hundreds of thousands killed by the U.S.

Bob Koehler, the syndicated columnist based here in Chicago, calls Obama's behavior "cherry-picking evil":

So Barack Obama, in his role as president, belies both his own intelligence and that of — my guess — most of his constituents when he asks us to play along with the game. Yes, poison gas is a ghastly evil (though who actually used it in the Damascus suburb of Ghouta remains uncertain), but what a ruse to muster all one’s outrage over images of “men, women, children lying in rows, killed by poison gas, others foaming at the mouth, gasping for breath, a father clutching his dead children, imploring them to get up and walk” — and then use that outrage as the pretext to justify counter-actions on our part that are equally indiscriminate in their delivery of hell to the same people. Virtually every aspect of modern warfare fits the description Obama drew as a sort of “red line” of bad behavior: the use of weaponry that kills on a mass scale, making no distinction between soldier and infant. We are, after all, the nation that developed nuclear weapons and, over the next half century, spent some $5.5 trillion playing arms race with the Soviet Union and, ultimately, with no one at all. We’re still developing further generations of “tactical” nukes, bleeding more than $30 billion annually into this insanity. (Read Bob's entire column: Cherry-Picking Evil)

Sure, the world needs to stop Syria's chemical weapons. But what about the United States' drones? Which leads me to another metaphor -- one that found resonance with my friends from Pakistan on Twitter -- "what's good for the goose is good for the gander."

Isn't it time we put a stop to ALL these criminal weapons? And the criminals who use them?

Get involved in the movement to stop drone warfare.

More on Syria: Where Have We Ended Up?

Related posts

In my opinion, the reason to focus on drones is this: when we focus on drones, the general public is able to "get," to an unusual extent, the degree to which popular consent has been banished from the process of carrying out state violence. (Sure, it was banished long ago, but the absence of a human in the cockpit of a drone suddenly makes a light bulb go off in people's heads.) It takes some prodding, but people can sense that drone use somehow crosses a line. And that opens up the discussion about how our consent has been eliminated from the vast range of US militarism.

(See "Why focus on drone attacks?")

"Because of the intensified division of labor," the narrator explains, "many technicians and scientists can no longer recognize the contribution the have made to weapons of destruction." "Our department extracts lareic, oleic, and naptha acids . . . . "  "I'm a chemist. What should I do? If I develop a substance, it can be good for humanity . . . ."  "Besides napalm, Dow Chemical produces 800 other products . . . ." Does this familiar to you?


(See American Fire: Still Spreading, Still Inextinguishable)

The recurring theme of the The Hurt Locker is "We're done here." The tension of each encounter with a bomb is followed by the moment when the hero successfully defuses the bomb, and then announces "We're done here." The deeper theme of the movie is psychological: the solder is addicted to the excitement. He is unable to go on with a normal life. He keeps going back, again and again, to Iraq, to defuse more bombs. (HE is NEVER "done".)

(See DU: Will we ever be able to say "We're done here" ? )

Orwell Was Right

I've decided to read a book to ring in Barack Obama's second term. No, I'm not talking about The Audacity of Hope. I'm talking about 1984, by George Orwell.

In case you haven't read it lately, I strongly recommend giving 1984 a fresh read. My memory of it was of a book that was clever, but a bit shallow, and one that ultimately imparted a feeling of comfort because, after all, it was pointing a finger at the misdeeds of other societies. (Okay, okay, it's been a long time since I last read it . . . . )

NATO protests, Chicago, May 2012

What I'm finding instead is a book that is both packed with insight into the psychology of the public experience of repression, and startlingly prescient about the specific facts of our world today.

With respect to the latter of these, allow me to quote just three brief descriptions that made the hair on the back of my neck stand up:

In the distance a helicopter skimmed down between the roofs, hovered for an instant like a blue-bottle, and darted away again with a curving flight. (p. 2)

We in Chicago are the most electronically surveilled population population in the world. (Can you say "seventeen thousand cameras??) The proliferation of cameras makes the use of helicopters optional.

Of course, they're not really doing anything with all that surveillance, right?

It was always at night -- the arrests invariably happened at night. . . . there was no trial, no report of the arrest. People simply disappeared, always during the night. (p. 17)

Considering that progressive Americans are rejoicing today over the re-election of Barack Obama, despite his failure to close Guantanamo, reverse the legacy of night raids in Afghanistan, prosecute the torturers who carried out extraordinary rendition, and abandon his claim to be able to detain anyone indefinitely under the NDAA . . . this passage is chilling.

But it was the passage that seemed to describe drone strikes really made me stop short:

"Steamer" was a nickname which, for some reason, the proles applied to rocket bombs. . . . The bomb had demolished a group of houses two hundred meters up the street. . . . Thre was a little pile of plaster lying on the pavement ahead of him, and in the middle of it he could see a bright red streak. When he got up to it he saw it was a human hand severed at the wrist. (p. 74)

This description was quite startling to encounter, shortly after seeing the account of Pat Chaffee, recently returned from the Code Pink delegation to Pakistan to protest U.S. drone killings, entitled, "Body Pieces".

I feel quite sure that when I read this passage years ago, I thought, "Well, certainly, that will never happen . . . .

Never say never.

Orwell was right.


Page references are to the 2009 Plume paperback edition.
Image: @Deprogrammer9 Copyright Julie Dermansky 2012


Related posts

Re-reading George Orwell's 1984 recently made me see at least 15 ways 2013 is like the world he describes in the book . . . .

(See 2013 = 1984 ? )

As the Chicago Committee to Defend the Bill of Rights prepared to convene a conference on surveillance on October 19, 2013, it was a shock to find that the majority of the Illinois congressional delegation voted AGAINST the Amash Conyers Amendment -- the measure to curtail NSA surveillance.

(See In Chicago, Illinois: YOU ARE UNDER SURVEILLANCE!) 













"What are the unseen possibilities and risks associated with drones?" We need the insights of lots of people -- including the work of thinkers who are no longer living -- that are good at imagining the future and considering previously unimagined possibilities.


(See DRONES: Build a Foundation for Our 3-D Future ) 

#Barackmail

I don't know about you, but I'm getting really pissed off at the Obama campaign people and other Obama supporters who think that the way to rebut criticism of Obama is to say, "Well, you have no other choice but to vote for Obama."

"Mitt would be worse!" is NOT a rebuttal to "I cannot support a President who kills children with drone strikes."

"Do you think Romney would be any better?" is NOT an answer to "I am morally opposed to a President who directs extrajudicial executions."

"If you don't vote for Obama, the Republicans will win!" is IRRELEVANT to the question, "What happened to closing Guantanamo and ending indefinite detention?"

"What do you think the Republicans would do?" is INSUFFICIENT to the questions, "Ten more years in Afghanistan? Daily CIA incursions into Pakistan? Threats of war against Iran? Yemen drone strikes? Somalia drone strikes? ....."

Until we Americans start voting our consciences, and fight back against "Barackmail," we're going to be stuck in an endless swamp of civil liberties violations, foreign aggression, and war crimes.

In June: REMEMBER #BAGRAM!

June is Torture Awareness Month. People everywhere are organizing events for June 26 -- International Day in Support of Victims of Torture -- as well as the days leading up to it. A list of events planned in Chicago is shown below.

I will be recognizing Torture Awareness Month by continuing to work to force transparency and accountability with respect to the thousands of detainees who have been left in prisons throughout Afghanistan as a result of the U.S. invasion and occupation.

For those who think President Obama has put the Afghanistan "episode" behind us, it is essential to recognize that the United States has created a massive human rights disaster through its detention regime in Afghanistan -- one that dwarfs Guantanamo in comparison -- and we cannot turn our back on it.

Despite efforts by the U.S. to wash its hands of the detention mess in Afghanistan, as the latest post by Jason Ditz at Antiwar.com attests, "US Still Runs Afghan Torture Prison: Officials Retain Effective Control Over Detainees in 'Afghan Custody'."

As Tina Foster, founder and Executive Director of the International Justice Network said in today's New York Times article ("Detainees Are Handed Over to Afghans, but Not Out of Americans’ Reach"), “The worst thing is the administrative detention regime the Afghans are adopting is exactly the same as what the U.S. government has been doing for the last 10 years .... The legacy left here by the U.S. is people disappeared into legal black holes.”

In June, make a special effort to #stopTorture ... close #Bagram ... #DEMILITARIZEafghanistan!

* * * * *

CHICAGO EVENTS DURING NATIONAL WEEK OF ACTION AGAINST TORTURE

SATURDAY JUNE 23
Vigil: Water Tower (Michigan and Chicago) - 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Please JOIN the Facebook event page and invite friends!

Film screening: "Beneath the Blindfold" 5:00 p.m. at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, 25 East Pearson
Beneath the Blindfold interweaves the personal stories of four torture survivors who now reside in the U.S., but originally hail from different parts of the globe: South and Central America, Africa, and the U.S.
Please JOIN the Facebook event page and invite friends!
(Read my review of "Beneath the Blindfold"!)

TUESDAY JUNE 26
Morning rush hour vigils at various locations:
(a) 8th Day Center for Justice - weekly Peace Vigil
Where: (note revised location) Jackson & LaSalle
When: 8:00am - 9:00am
Bring a sign or we will bring some as well" (Note: this is a weekly vigil.)
(b) White Rose Catholic Worker
Where: Corner of Hollywood Rd. & Sheridan
When: 8:00am - 9:00am
(c) Su Casa Catholic Worker
57th St. and Lakeshore Drive (east side, bike path)
When: 8:00am - 9:00am
(d) Others - details TBA

PRESS CONFERENCE: Restore Torture Commission Funding! - Join us as we (a) call for the restoration of funding for the Illinois Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission, to assure that its important work can continue; and (b) applaud plans by Governor Quinn to close the Tamms Supermax facility.
Where: State of Illinois Bldg - James R. Thompson Center (Randolph & Clark)
When: 12:00 noon - 1:00 pm
JOIN the Facebook event page and invite friends!

GATHERING in Support of Survivors of Torture - organized by representatives of a wide range of local and national organizations
Where: (note revised location) State of Illinois Bldg - James R. Thompson Center (Randolph & Clark)
When: (note revised time) 12:30pm - 1:30pm (immediately following press conference)
JOIN the Facebook event page and invite friends!

EVENING PROGRAM Heartland Alliance Marjorie Kovler Center presents:
United Nations Day in Support of Survivors of Torture
Dinner and program 6pm-9pm
Keynote address by Jobi Petersen Cates, Director of the Midwest Region, Human Rights Watch.
McCormick Lounge in Coffey Hall, Loyola University 1032 W. Sheridan Road, Chicago
For more information contact Caroyln Morales, 773-751-4035.

FRIDAY JUNE 29
Outing to see My Kind of Town - play about Chicago police torture scandal - details TBA

* * * * *

Image of Parwan Detention Facility (Bagram, Afghanistan) from Wikipedia.

Related posts

The Chicago Coalition to Shut Down Guantanamo holds weekly vigils at Dearborn and Jackson in Chicago every Friday at 4:30 p.m. to support the Guantanamo Hunger Strikers and to demand that Guantanamo be shut down. (Learn more about weekly vigils by the Chicago Coalition to Shut Down Guantanamo.)

It's not enough to just pull U.S. combat troops out of Afghanistan - we need to ground the drones, clear the prisons we've filled with detainees, remove the bases, get rid of the contractors, stop the training activities -- DEMILITARIZE Afghanistan!

(See DEMILITARIZE Afghanistan)







My most prominent memory of my first viewing of the Guantanamo film, The Response, is of one of the stars of the film -- Kate Mulgrew of Star Trek fame -- participating in a panel after the screening. I was blown away when she said, "I did this because our civil liberties in our country have been gravely damaged and we all need to contribute to repairing them."

(See Understanding What Guantanamo Means)
 

Obama's Plan for Afghanistan NOT "Good Enough"

Part of the campaign among U.S. elites to soft-peddle the failure of U.S. warmaking in Afghanistan in general and the latest Obama/NATO "solution" for Afghanistan in particular -- which I've been discussing for weeks -- is a paper from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) called Time to Focus on "Afghan Good Enough".

Hamid Karzai and Barack Obama meet at the NATO Summit, Chicago
"After a hundred visions and revisions, have there finally been decisions
on Afghanistan? And is there time for more before the Presidential election
in November? And, depending on whether Obama wins or loses, how
reversible might those be?" (from The New Yorker,
"Is Obama Really Done with Afghanistan?" by Amy Davidson)

The whole "Afghan good enough" concept was discussed in the New York Times on Friday, May 18: U.S. Redefines Afghan Success Before Conference. The basic idea seems to be, "We've failed miserably at forcing Afghanistan do what we want it to do. It can't possibly be that we and our methods are flawed. It must be because Afghanistan is a fundamentally f*cked up place, and so let's not get down on ourselves as we walk out on the mess we've made."

The CSIS paper is carefully couched in technocrat-speak, in order, I suppose, to cushion the blow that it delivers at the end: "Pursuing today’s 'strategy' and illusions offers almost no hope at all." Admonitions such as "Local Forces and 'Warlords' Are Better Than Nothing" and "Rely on Direct Support of the Competent and Effective Elements of Afghan Governance in the Field" are just another way of saying the U.S./NATO had no business expecting that it could make things run in a particular way in Afghanistan through use of force.

The problem with "Afghan good enough" is that it doesn't recognize that "a militarized Afghanistan is NOT good enough." The gaping hole in the CSIS paper is that it doesn't address the legacy of militarization that the U.S./NATO have put in place in Afghanistan, and that must be reversed. When it says,

Creating an Affordable Afghan Army Beginning Now: One key will be to give real meaning to the effort to reshape Afghan forces as a much smaller and more affordable force, and to do so as soon as possible, rather than building up to a 352,000-man hollow force and rushing down to 230,000. This means a force that can credibly be funded with the money that could actually come rather than relying on promises. It means focusing on the army, knowing that much of the police will remain ineffective or corrupt. It means securing the Afghan government where it is now effective, rather than trying to expand it into vulnerable ink spots than can easily be overrun once U.S. and ISAF forces leave. It also means creating plans for the size of Afghan forces that trainers and partners can credibly sustain, providing more than mere pledges and hopes.

... it leaves the way wide open for the usual set of solutions that have been set in train in Afghanistan: drones killings, thousands of detainees, School of the Americas-style training regime, contractors, and more.


It's time to DEMILITARIZE Afghanistan. Only that will be "good enough."




Related posts

You don't need to be in Chicago to protest NATO. I'm asking everybody -- and especially everyone who has ever participated in #AfghanistanTuesday -- to help protest NATO from wherever they are. We want to build a crescendo of opposition that culminates in a clear message to NATO on May 20/21 when they meet in Chicago: #DEMILITARIZEafghanistan!

(See #DEMILITARIZEafghanistan )


Wait a minute: so the problem is that it is the Afghans who are "dangerous"? And "unreliable"? What has the US and NATO submitted Afghanistan to for the last DECADE?

(See "Dangerously Unreliable" in Afghanistan ) 









A number of Nobel Peace Prize laureates and laureate organizations have agreed to come to Chicago April 23-25 for the 12th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates. Some people believe that the Nobel Peace Prize laureates should decline the invitation to come to Chicago, to prevent the leaders of the City of Chicago from using them to legitimize the NATO summit.

(See A Nobel Laureate Message for Chicago? )

Not So Fast, Obama! DEMILITARIZE Afghanistan!

The latest element in the choreographed Obama soft-shoe on Afghanistan ran -- like clockwork -- as the lead story in today's New York Times. "[W]hen the president and a half-dozen White House aides began to plan for the withdrawal, the generals were cut out entirely. There was no debate, and there were no leaks. And when Mr. Obama joins the leaders of other NATO nations in Chicago on Sunday and Monday, the full extent of how his thinking on Afghanistan has changed will be apparent. He will announce what he has already told the leaders in private: All combat operations led by American forces will cease in summer 2013, when the United States and other NATO forces move to a “support role” whether the Afghan military can secure the country or not." In other words, Obama's such a good guy, and if the American public was tempted to arise from its slumbers for a moment to question the havoc that the U.S. is wreaking all over the globe, they can just go back to sleep.

As I pointed out three months ago, the use of the NATO summit to whitewash the Obama administration's predations in Afghanistan (and Pakistan and elsewhere) has been totally predictable. The public cannot just shrug its shoulders and say, "Oh well, I guess if he's getting the troops out ...."

People must focus on the full range of problems that must be resolved -- the detentions, the drone killings, the night raids, the special forces trainers, the mercenaries, the bases, and more -- and insist that Obama and NATO DEMILITARIZE Afghanistan.

* * * * *

Image: "Afghanistan pullout to dominate NATO summit" on SKNVibes website.

#NATOvictims

We are planning an event for Monday, May 21, in Chicago to honor the memory of victims of #NATO violence. You can read full details of the event below.

This is a realization of the #RemembranceDay2012 commemoration I proposed several days ago.

We are inviting people everywhere to contribute the names of victims of NATO violence, using the hashtag #NATOvictims. We will recite the names as part of the service of remembrance on May 21. (You can view videos of the ceremony below.)

We've started assembling the names and stories of #NATOvictims on the World Can't Wait website.

Stay tuned for more details of the event -- to be released shortly.

* * * * *

MONDAY, May 21, 2012 - Remembrance Day 2012

[ -- REVISED MAY 21 2012 -- ]
Protesters, Clergy, Community Gather to Put Focus on Victims of U.S. / NATO Wars in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Others

As the Obama administration expresses fury at Pakistani resistance to further NATO war operations and excludes Pakistan's president from the NATO Summit, members of the wider community will gather to memorialize people killed by U.S. airstrikes and drone attacks in Pakistan as well as in the U.S. occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as U.S./NATO operations in Yemen, Libya, and elsewhere. Recognizing what veterans on Sunday called "the burden of blood that has stained these medals", Trinity Church has opened its lawn to expressions of grief and remembrance by the entire community.

"While billion dollar deals to continue U.S. and NATO presence in Afghanistan and Pakistan are discussed behind closed doors, we're putting the stories and images of the individual people, and families, harmed by these military actions," said Debra Sweet. "NATO is expected to announce combat troop reductions in Afghanistan, while leaving unresolved -- and hidden -- the daily killings and injuries by drones, detention, night raids that will continue for decades by with the apparatus the US/NATO has put in place there."

Local clergy, members of the international community, and protesters who marched Sunday will gather to emphasize their commitment to ending the wars and occupations -- in all their dimensions -- and focusing on the humanity of those who are often seen as "collateral damage" in modern wars.

Time: 12:00 noon
Location: Open air event on grounds of Trinity Episcopal Church, 125 E. 26th St., Chicago
More info: Details of the #NATOvictims campaign on the World Can't Wait website Remembering the Victims: #NATOvictims

* * * * *

VIDEOS OF COMMEMORATION CEREMONY FOR #NATOvictims
Memorial for NATO Victims-Religious Voices
Memorial for NATO Victims-Debra Sweet and Jill McLaughlin
Memorial for NATO Victims-Voice from Pakistan
Memorial for NATO Victims-More Voices

* * * * *

Holding You In the Light: for those who have died ... in body, mind, or spirit
A SERVICE OF COMMEMORATION

Gathering Song: Peace, Salaam, Shalom by Pat Humphries

Opening Words of Welcome: Rev. Loren McGrail from Protest Chaplains

Prayer of Forgiveness
We come today to this holy place occupied by the Holy Spirit and those who came here to protest and testify. With the words of the brave soldiers who threw away their medals still echoing, the images of children’s corpses still fresh, the blue scarves of the Afghan youth still fluttering, the drones still flying, the soldiers prepping for another deployment, men and women sexually assaulted, trauma denied healing, waterpipes blown up, whole families targeted as shields, we come seeking forgiveness for our ignorance, indifference or apathy. We seek forgiveness for the pain and suffering our government has inflicted on others in the name of freedom or liberation in our name. We kneel, we stand, we cry for the liberation of our country and the world leaders who seek peace through violence and endless war. We come to this holy place and time to seek forgiveness and assurance that another world is possible and that we may have the courage and strength to make it so. Amen

Song: This is My Song

Words: Debra Sweet, World Can't Wait

We Remember
Reading of names of people killed in NATO led wars. People come to the front and light a candle in remembrance of those killed in NATO led wars including our soldiers. We light two large candles in collective memory for the two million killed in Afghanistan.

Song: Keep on Moving Forward by Pat Humphries
1. We’re gonna keep on movin’ forward (3x)
Never turnin’ back (2X)
2. We’re gonna reach across our borders…
3. We’re gonna keep on loving boldly…
4. We’re gonna work for peace together…
5. We’re goona keep on movin forward…

Our Commitment to Another World Possible and On the Way
Side A: For the light of the spark of the divine in all of us making us one family.

Side B: We commit ourselves to keeping our hearts open to the suffering of all those affected and killed by global wars of terror.

Side A: For the light of the spark of the divine in all of us making us all sisters and brothers.

Side B: We commit ourselves to not become indifferent to all those who are victims of violence, bereaved by loss, isolated by trauma, imprisoned because of their consciences, or who live by fear.

Side A: For the light of the spark of the diving in all of us that makes dependent upon each other.

All: Because the world can’t wait, we commit ourselves to work for, pray for, advocate for a world without war, a world where resources are shared and all the people have dignity and freedom.

Liturgy by Rev. Loren McGrail and Rev. Luis Alvarenga from Protest Chaplains


See Flashback: Protesting NATO in Chicago - May, 2012


More related posts

People around the world are using the Twitter hashtag #NATOvictims to bring forward the names of the victims who are left invisible to us. People everywhere have already started to contribute to the commemoration.

(See It Will Be Remembered as the #NATOvictims Summit )

Sixty-seven years ago tonight, morning in Japan, a single B-29 dropped the first atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima. This incredible blast destroyed most of the city and killed over 60,000 people almost immediately. Another 80,000 more died in subsequent months and years from the deadly radiation.

(See Our Dark Beacon: Prayer Vigil for Hiroshima and Nagasaki (August 5, 2012)

But have we truly left the world’s darkness? I wondered as I watched the shadow the candle spread on the ground or on the wall, and the shadow my own head made. And I began to realize to my own dismay that this shadow we call delusion is not less real than myself or the candle. And I said, as I witnessed death snatch many around me with the speed of a wink, that we still stand with our backs to the sun. . . .

(See Logan Square Laments With Syria )