Speak out to Your Representatives in Congress
Submitted by DFNYC member Susan Andrews

Despite the administration's decision to escalate the war in Afghanistan, it is never too late to oppose a pointless, irrational war, as many feel this one is, and to try to keep this administration from making a "colossal mistake," as Representative Nadler termed it on public radio (Brian Lehrer Show, 12-07-09). The United States is ostensibly planning to escalate this war because of the presence of al Qaeda there—despite the fact that there are thought to be only 100 members of al Qaeda left in Afghanistan today and that al Qaeda is an international movement, and not a small group operating out of a cave, which we can eliminate as soon as we find the cave (note that 9/11 was plotted in Hamburg, Germany, and the training for it was carried out in the U.S.). Representative Nadler noted that according to U.S. military manuals a counterinsurgency effort of this magnitude would require 600,000 troops.

Fortunately, there are bills in Congress we can support. One is HR 2404, proposed by Representative James McGovern of Massachusetts. HR 2404, which McGovern proposed in May, requires the Secretary of Defense to submit a bill to Congress by December 31, 2009,
outlining the United States exit strategy for United States military forces participating in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. This bill is currently co-sponsored by 101 representatives, including Representative Nadler.  A second bill, HR 3699, sponsored by Representative Barbara Lee, would prohibit the funding for additional troops in Afghanistan.

1. Contact your representative and ask him or her to co-sponsor both HR 2404, and HR 3699.

and

2. Contact Senators Schumer and Gillibrand and ask them to sponsor similar legislation in the Senate.

You can call Congress toll free at 1-800-828-0498.