United Anti-War Movement Tells Obama: NO ESCALATION!

On November 30th, representatives of 34 antiwar groups delivered an open letter to President Obama
strongly opposing his anticipated decision to escalate the war in
Afghanistan with the commitment of tens of thousands of additional U.S.
troops.

The
document called increased war spending, in light of the ongoing U.S.
economic crisis, an "utter folly" and named the war "a war against
ordinary people, both here in the United States and in Afghanistan,"
which "if continued, will result in the deaths of hundreds if not
thousands of U.S. troops and untold thousands of Afghans" and "cause
other people in other lands to despise the U.S." as "the world's
richest nation making war on one of the world's very poorest."

The
signatories pledged "to keep opposing this war in every nonviolent way
possible. We will urge elected representatives to cut all funding for
war. Some of us will be led to withhold our taxes, practice civil
resistance, and promote slowdowns and strikes at schools and
workplaces."

Signed
by veterans and peace activists, religious leaders and labor
organizers, the document represents one of the most widespread antiwar
coalitions in decades, including many of the organizations which, in
2003, brought millions onto the streets to oppose the U.S.-Iraq war.

Signers to the letter are urging their colleagues to participate in
local demonstrations the day after an announcement of troop escalations
is made.

The letter ends by warning President Obama, "we will do everything in
our power, as nonviolent peace activists, to build the kind of massive
movement -- which today represents the sentiments of a majority of the
American people - that will play a key role in ending U.S. war in
Afghanistan. Such is the folly of your decision and such is the depth
of our opposition to the death and suffering it will cause."