A MESSAGE FROM FCNL [Friends Committee on National Legislation]
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Responding to the Death of Osama bin Laden
The U.S. assassination of Osama bin Laden announced on Sunday night continues the
violence initiated by al Qaeda's attacks on the United States and the
reciprocation of war in Afghanistan and Iraq. While many people in the United
States may feel closure or vindication in the death of the man who claimed to be
the intellectual author of the September 11 attacks, for many others it is a
failure of imagination and of political will that led to answering violence with
more violence.
We believe that war is not the answer [
http://fcnl.org/r/A/MTUxMTYx/NDgwMjQ/0/0/aHR0cDovL2Zjbmwub3JnL3Jlc291cmNlcy9uZXdzbGV0dGVyL3NlcDAxL3N0YXRlbWVudF9ieV90aGVfZnJpZW5kc19jb21taXR0ZWVfb25fbmF0aW9uYWxfbGVnaXNsYXRpb25fZmNubF9fb25fdGhlX2F0dGFja3Nfb25fdGhlX3dvcmxkX3RyYWRlX2NlbnRlcl90aGVfcGVudGFnb25fYW5kX2NpdmlsaWFuX2FpcmNyYWZ0Lw ] ,
and perpetual violence is not the answer. The costs are too high. Tens of
thousands of people have been killed or wounded in the past decade, and more than
$1 trillion has been spent by the United States alone. The United States has
violated civil liberties and held political prisoners without trial.
Killing Osama bin Laden will not end violent extremism. The groups that Bin Laden
worked with will remain. The war in Afghanistan continues. Troops remain in Iraq.
As FCNL's Jonathan Evans and others have noted on our blog, killing the al Qaeda
leader goes against Friends' testimonies [
http://fcnl.org/r/A/MTUxMTYy/NDgwMjQ/0/0/aHR0cDovL2Zjbmwub3JnL2Jsb2cvMmMvVGhlX0RlYXRoX29mX09zYW1hX2Jpbl9MYWRlbl9XaHlfSV9DYW50X0NlbGVicmF0ZS8 ]
and appears to violate international law.
Change is Coming
Change is coming to the Middle East. Most significantly for those of us in the
FCNL community, the most powerful forces changing the political structures in the
Middle East are the non-violent, inclusive mass movements that have already
overthrown two authoritarian governments and are making change happen in several
additional countries.
This is the moment to open a new chapter in U.S. foreign policy in the greater
Middle East. This is the time for the United States to respond with solutions
that don't perpetuate violence, but rather build on the non-violent
transformation occurring in the Greater Middle East. You can help encourage
Congress to start this conversation by asking some key questions.
Will the administration and Congress take a hard look at the failed war policies
of the last ten years? Although the United States entered Afghanistan in pursuit
of Bin Laden and al Qaeda, 9-1/2 years later Bin Laden wasn't found in that
country, but rather living comfortably near the capital of one of the United
States' closet allies in the region. U.S. intelligence officials say there are
fewer than 100 al Qaeda operatives in Afghanistan today.
Congress and the administration can look back at the recommendations of the Iraq
Study Group and other bipartisan experts that all identified greater diplomacy,
development, and international cooperation as the tools most likely to address
the threat of extremist terrorism.
We at FCNL will urge Congress to focus in the next few weeks on a serious
reexamination of the U.S. war in Afghanistan. The United States needs to abandon
the current war strategy and adopt a new strategy focused on:
* beginning a significant withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan
* halting offensive operations against the Taliban
* engaging Afghan parties and Afghanistan's neighbors in negotiating peace, and
* channelling U.S. development aid for reconstruction through Afghan,
multilateral, and other civilian humanitarian organizations.
Take Action
Contact your representative and senators today. [
http://fcnl.org/r/A/MTUxMTYz/NDgwMjQ/0/0/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5jYXB3aXouY29tL2Zjb25sL2lzc3Vlcy9hbGVydC8_YWxlcnRpZD00NDQ3MzUwMSZ0eXBlPUNP ]
Let them know what you think about the death of Osama bin Laden. Then ask your
representative and senators to begin a fundamental review of U.S. policy in the
region.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
About
http://fcnl.org/r/A/MTUxMTY0/NDgwMjQ/0/0/aHR0cDovL2Zjbmwub3JnL2Fib3V0Contact US
http://fcnl.org/r/A/MTUxMTY1/NDgwMjQ/0/0/aHR0cDovL2Zjbmwub3JnL2NvbnRhY3Qv Tell a Friend
http://fcnl.org/r/A/MTUxMTY2/NDgwMjQ/0/0/aHR0cHM6Ly9mY25sLm9yZy90ZWxsLwDonate
http://fcnl.org/r/A/MTUxMTY3/NDgwMjQ/0/0/aHR0cHM6Ly9mY25sLm9yZy9kb25hdGUv Copyright FCNL
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
NOTE: The Religious Society of Friends (commonly known as Quakers) is one of the few nominally Christian sects that truly tries to practice the teachings of Jesus Christ. They are traditionally pacifist, and have been at the forefront of many progressive issues, thereby earning the respect of people who have been disaffected by the imperialist nature of so many "Christian" churches. Hajja Romi
No comments:
Post a Comment