Twin Cities peace movement responds to Obama’s West Point speech

Minneapolis, MN — At a packed press conference here Dec. 1, leaders of the Twin Cities peace movement responded to President Obama’s announcement that 30,000 more troops are being dispatched to Afghanistan. Representatives of a spectrum of peace groups came together to watch President Obama’s national televised speech and responded by demanding that U.S. troops get out of Afghanistan now.

Representatives of Military Families Speak Out, Iraq Peace Action Coalition, Anti-War Committee, Twin Cities Peace Campaign-Focus on Iraq and Women Against Military Madness were among those planning to attend the press conference.

Meredith Aby of the Anti-War Committee stated, “Widespread anti-war sentiment helped Barack Obama win the 2008 presidential election. Since taking office, he has acted to escalate the war in Afghanistan. In February 2009, he ordered the deployment of an additional 17,000 combat troops. Now he’s announced an even greater new deployment of 34,000 troops. Ironically, the first troop increases will be heading to Afghanistan just as Obama receives his Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo. We call on President Obama and Congress to listen to the wishes of the American and Afghan people and end the U.S. war and occupation in Afghanistan now.”

Aby continued, “Americans and Afghans want the war to end. Americans don’t support this war. A recent USA TODAY/Gallup Poll found that 55% of Americans disapprove of Obama’s handling of Afghanistan and the biggest number want Obama to reduce the number of troops fighting in Afghanistan. ABC New polls in Afghanistan show the same sentiments. Most oppose the western occupation forces and 82% oppose U.S. and NATO troop increases.”

Marie Braun, of the Twin Cities Peace Campaign stated, “We have now been at war in Afghanistan for eight years and it is long past time to heed the call of Martin Luther King, who said during another unnecessary war in 1967, ‘Come home America,’ urging Americans to take on their own issues of racism, economic exploitation and militarism.”

Across the U.S., protests are planned to demand an end to the U.S. war in Afghanistan.

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