More than 40 American service people have died in the military campaign in Afghanistan. Yet the few successful apprehensions of known Al-Qaeda members have been made by other nations, through police actions, intelligence and diplomatic channels.
In Afghanistan, thousands of innocent civilians have been affected by the bombing, and the lives of millions remain in danger from the ongoing hunger and poverty resulting from two decades of war, exacerbated by our recent military operations. Members of Peaceful Tomorrows have visited innocent Afghan families who lost loved ones in the U.S. bombing. We have campaigned for assistance to these families, believing that such assistance represents the highest ideals of America and serves to bolster our support in the region.
Still, the interim government of Kabul remains unstable, and the progress made for women in Afghanistan remains uncertain. In the June 16, 2002 issue of The New York Times, officials of the FBI and CIA acknowledged that the bombing of Afghanistan did not make America safer, and may have in fact complicated antiterrorism efforts by dispersing Al-Qaeda elements to other countries.
The contemplated invasion of Iraq—a nation that has no proven links to the events of September 11—in the name of the “war on terrorism” means that more American service people and more civilians would die, with unforeseen effects on our security, our economy, our ability to address the root causes of terrorism, and our relationship with other nations.
In Afghanistan, thousands of innocent civilians have been affected by the bombing, and the lives of millions remain in danger from the ongoing hunger and poverty resulting from two decades of war, exacerbated by our recent military operations. Members of Peaceful Tomorrows have visited innocent Afghan families who lost loved ones in the U.S. bombing. We have campaigned for assistance to these families, believing that such assistance represents the highest ideals of America and serves to bolster our support in the region.
Still, the interim government of Kabul remains unstable, and the progress made for women in Afghanistan remains uncertain. In the June 16, 2002 issue of The New York Times, officials of the FBI and CIA acknowledged that the bombing of Afghanistan did not make America safer, and may have in fact complicated antiterrorism efforts by dispersing Al-Qaeda elements to other countries.
The contemplated invasion of Iraq—a nation that has no proven links to the events of September 11—in the name of the “war on terrorism” means that more American service people and more civilians would die, with unforeseen effects on our security, our economy, our ability to address the root causes of terrorism, and our relationship with other nations.