US Lawmakers Call on Obama to Back-off Escalation of War in Afghanistan

By Jeremy Scahill

A bi-partisan group of Congresspeople sent a letter to President Obama today calling on him to “reconsider” his “escalation” of the US war against Afghanistan, saying the “goals of our seven year military involvement remain troublingly unclear.”

Some excerpts:

—If the intent is to leave behind a stable Afghanistan capable of governing itself, this military escalation may well be counterproductive.

—The 2001 authorization to use military force in Afghanistan allowed military action “to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States.” Continuing to fight a counterinsurgency war in Afghanistan does not appear to us to be in keeping with these directives and an escalation may actually harm US security.

—We are also concerned that any perceived military success in Afghanistan might create pressure to increase military activity in Pakistan. This could very well lead to dangerous destabilization in the region and would increase hostility toward the United States.

—[I]n reviewing the past history of Afghanistan and the nations that have failed to conquer it — Russia spent nine years in Afghanistan and lost many billions of dollars and more than 15,000 Russian soldiers— we urge you to reconsider the decision to send an additional 17,000 troops and to resist pressure to escalate even further.

**Note that absent from the list of peace groups supporting this campaign is the “anti-war” group MoveOn.