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For Immediate Release
June, 09 2010, 12:49pm EDT
Contact:
Martha de Hoyos
(310) 204-0448, ext. 225
martha@bravenewfoundation.org
Brave New Foundation and TrueMajority/USAction's Members Demand Firm Withdrawal Date for U.S. Troops in Afghanistan with Politico Ad Buy
Brave New Foundation and TrueMajority
today announced the purchase of a full-page advertisement in Politico
calling for President Obama and Congress to ensure a responsible troop
withdrawal from Afghanistan ending no later than December 2011. When
asked to contribute to
cover costs for the ad, the two organizations' supporters donated the
necessary
funds within a matter of hours, underscoring a growing, intensifying
impatience
across the country with policy-makers' unwillingness to end the military
conflict and pursue non-military solutions.
WASHINGTON
Brave New Foundation and TrueMajority
today announced the purchase of a full-page advertisement in Politico
calling for President Obama and Congress to ensure a responsible troop
withdrawal from Afghanistan ending no later than December 2011. When
asked to contribute to
cover costs for the ad, the two organizations' supporters donated the
necessary
funds within a matter of hours, underscoring a growing, intensifying
impatience
across the country with policy-makers' unwillingness to end the military
conflict and pursue non-military solutions. The ad will run in Politico
on Wednesday.
The ad
leads with a quote from Pentagon-Papers whistle-blower Daniel Ellsberg,
reminding policy-makers that, "it
was always a bad year to get out of Vietnam." On Monday, June 7, the war
in
Afghanistan surpassed the Vietnam War as the longest war in U.S.
history.
To preview the ad, please click
the link below:
https://act.bravenewfilms.org/go/148?akid=1129.29662.8KgmpN&t=3
As of Monday, the U.S. has been
in Afghanistan for 104 months-more than eight-and-a half
years-surpassing the
war in Vietnam. In his December 2009 West Point speech, President Obama
announced a U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan would begin in
July 2011.
However, he set no end date, leaving open the possibility that U.S.
combat
troops could remain there indefinitely at enormous cost to
taxpayers. While Congress debates adding another $33 billion to fund an
ongoing escalation in Afghanistan, more than half of the American people
say
the war is not worth the cost, according to a recent Washington Post-ABC
News
poll.
Brave
New Foundation and True Majority intend to use the ad to send a strong
message
to Congress on behalf of their supporters that this war has gone on long
enough.
"We can no longer afford to
spend U.S. lives and U.S. dollars on a war in Afghanistan that is not
making us
any safer. Members and supporters of Brave New Foundation and True
Majority are
making their voices heard and telling Members of Congress and the
President in
clear terms that we expect a responsible withdrawal completed by
December
2011."Director, Robert Greenwald, Brave New
Foundation
"This war has already gone on too long. It's time for
Congress to stop talking, and demand an exit strategy from President
Obama.
Millions of American voted for change in 2008, it's time for President
Obama
and Democrats in Congress to deliver some." Matt Holland,
Online Director,
TrueMajority/USAction
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