Strategy 101: When you overstretched your forces, Coalition forces in Afghanistan have “now reached their limit”, according to General Sir Michael Rose, former commander of UN forces in Bosnia…Gen Rose warns there are not enough combat troops to continue the momentum against the Taliban. do not do this: …[O]fficials said the raid Sunday, apparently the [...]
Archive for October, 2008
Two Bad Things, Worse Together: U.S. Widens Violent Conflicts as Forces Hit the Wall
Posted: October 29, 2008 in UncategorizedTags: Afghanistan, civilian casualties, Iraq, Israel, Jesus, Lebannon, nonviolence, Syria
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Truthout: “The Case Against the Continued Occupation and Escalation of the War in Afghanistan”
Posted: October 27, 2008 in UncategorizedCamillo “Mac” Bica at Truthout wrote a great article blasting the idea of Afghanistan as “the good war” and pushing the anti-war movement to step up (or start) serious efforts to block an escalation. Despite some subtle nuances regarding a timetable for the phased withdrawal of at least a portion of the combat troops from [...]
Christian Anti-War Movement Must Prepare for an Obama Presidency
Posted: October 24, 2008 in UncategorizedTags: Afghanistan, al-Qaida, Jesus, nonviolence, Obama
The ambiguities of presidential politics persist today. From Globe and Mail: Sounding presidential, Senator Barack Obama said Wednesday he would order a surge of U.S. troops – perhaps 15,000 or more – to Afghanistan as soon as he reached the White House. “We’re confronting an urgent crisis in Afghanistan,” Mr. Obama, the Democratic contender and [...]
Wired posted an interesting article on the use of Facebook to circumvent “real world” political repression aimed at suppressing freedom of association: In a twisted way, though, even the quashed demonstration of May 4 was a success, maybe more so because of Maher’s arrest. For one thing, it illustrated how just a little digital organizing [...]
I’ve added a new website to the “Resources” set of links on the right. The Pace e Bene newsletter describes the site as follows: BeyondIntractability.org, created at the University of Colorado, is a free knowledge base on constructive approaches to destructive conflict. Their free online courses range in topics from Conflict 101, Social Conflict & [...]
Mr. Boucher Finds that People Don’t Buy Hypothetical Carrots When Hit with Real Sticks
Posted: October 21, 2008 in UncategorizedTags: Afghanistan, nonviolence, Pakistan
Another one for the “not helpful” file: Assistant Secretary of State Richard Boucher met with top Pakistani leaders today, praising the country’s military offensives in its tribal areas. Boucher also lauded the government’s effort to recruit local tribes to assist in fighting against militants. He said he believes that only ‘harsh military means‘ can solve [...]
Did you know there was a strong and growing peace movement in Afghanistan? “Afghanicide – the killing of Afghanistan – must be stopped,” says Israir Ahmed Karimizai, a leader of Awakened Youth of Afghanistan, a prominent antiwar group. After seeing the violence grow sharply last year, Mr. Karimizai and a group of friends formed Awakened [...]
U.S. Military Learning to Get Soldiers to Kill on Reflex, Drop Moral Reasoning
Posted: October 20, 2008 in UncategorizedTags: conscientious objection, Jesus, nonviolence
From WIP, emphasis mine: The ethical dilemma that anchors the film is blatantly stated in the first few minutes – “At some point, every soldier has to face the question: Will I be able to kill another human being in combat?” Until recent wars most soldiers were not willing to kill; during WWII the military [...]
Jesus, Obama, Hunger and War
Posted: October 18, 2008 in UncategorizedTags: Afghanistan, hunger, Jesus, nonviolence, Obama
First, four quotes. From Obama’s new anti-hunger policy sheet: “We’ve got rising food prices here in the United States. My top priority is making sure that people are able to get enough to eat.” Senator Obama [Meet The Press, 5/4/08] When he was a child, Barack Obama’s mother briefly received food stamps to put food [...]
