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(EMAILWIRE.COM, February 19, 2009 ) Washington, DC — Peace Action, the nation’s largest peace organization, today denounced President Obama’s announcement yesterday to send an additional 17,000 U.S. troops into Afghanistan. The group claimed that experts doubt there is a military solution to the crisis in the country and the international community should focus on diplomacy, humanitarian aid and development.
“Instead of sending more Americans to die in Afghanistan in a conflict that experts agree is unwinnable militarily, we need a diplomatic and humanitarian surge,” stated Kevin Martin the group’s group’s executive director.
Groups pushing for non-military solutions in Afghanistan point to a recent RAND Corporation report concluding that, since 1968, only seven percent of all terrorist groups that have ended were taken down by military force. In contrast, 40 percent of those groups were defeated through police and intelligence work, and 43 percent gave up terrorism as they were integrated into the political process.
“We know from the British and Russians that occupation in Afghanistan doesn’t work. The U.S. needs to push for regional diplomatic discussions that include all stakeholders. The U.S. needs to stop the killing of civilians by stopping air and drone strikes. Lastly, the international community needs to help the Afghan humanitarian crisis by increasing aid and development,” concluded Martin.
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Since 1957, Peace Action, the United States' largest peace and disarmament organization with over 100,000 members and nearly 100 chapters in 34 states, works to achieve the abolition of nuclear weapons, promote government spending priorities that support human needs and encourage real security through international cooperation and human rights. http://www.Peace-Action.org
Contact: Paul Kawika Martin, Political Director, 301.565.4050 x 316, 951.217.7285 cell, pmartin@peace-action.org
Kevin Martin, Executive Director, 301.565.4050 x 307, 301.537.8244 cell
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