[pjw] EVENT: "The Afghan Invasion 15 Years Later" Rally/March Fri 10/7 5 PM

[Peace and Justice Works]

Iraq Affinity Group Supporters:
This is the last of four PPRC Friday Rallies in the last 2 months we're 
cosponsoring to mark ignoble anniversaries. This one marks the end of the 
15th year of the US' longest war ever (see footnote to the release, below) 
with no end in sight.
Please join us and spread the word!
dan handelman
peace and justice works iraq affinity group

Peace and Justice Works
   Iraq Affinity Group
   PO Box 42456
   Portland, OR   97242
   (503) 236-3065  (Office)
   iraq at pjw.info
   http://www.pjw.info/Iraq.html

EVENT: "The Afghan Invasion 15 Years Later" Rally/March Fri 10/7 5 PM

"The Afghan Invasion 15 Years Later"
Rally/March for Peace and Justice
*Friday, October 7*
5:00 PM
Pioneer Courthouse Square, SW Yamhill and Broadway

Even though the government of Afghanistan had nothing directly to do with 
9/11, the US began bombing the impoverished nation less than a month 
afterward. The war has never ended, with ongoing US military operations 
including airstrikes and drone raids, and a promised withdrawal of troops 
that has been scaled back and cancelled. On Friday, October 7, 2016 Peace 
and Justice Works Iraq Affinity Group is co-sponsoring the weekly Portland 
Peaceful Response Coalition Friday rally at 5 PM at Pioneer Courthouse 
Square (SW Yamhill and Broadway) to demand an and to US military 
intervention in a rally titled "The Afghan Invasion 15 Years Later."

The war on Afghanistan was just the first of 7 now ongoing post-9/11 wars 
by the US (with the others being in Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Libya 
and Syria). It was launched without a specific UN mandate. Afghanistan has 
been racked by violence for over 35 years beginning with the US and 
Soviet Union fighting for control from 1979 to 1989. Osama Bin Laden was 
a product of US efforts funding "Mujahideen" to fight the USSR. Although 
a new Afghan government was installed by the US, the Taliban and others 
have initiated guerilla attacks against international forces and the new 
regime. In 2009-10, President Obama increased the number of troops from 
34,000 at the end of the Bush era to over 100,000. While Obama pledged to 
remove all combat troops by the end of 2016, about 9000 are still there-- 
with 29,000 "contractors" supporting them (Military Times 8/17).

It is unknown how many Afghan civilians have died as a result of the 
invasion, but 1601 civilians were killed just in the first 6 months of 
2016, with a more than 100% increase in deaths by airstrikes (The Hill 
7/25). As of September 8, 2384 US troops and over 1000 from other 
countries had died in Afghanistan (icasualties.org).

Because the war in Afghanistan has now lasted 15 years, it is from an 
official standpoint the longest running US war in history.*

PPRC has held weekly rallies for peace every week since early November 2001 
shortly after the invasion of Afghanistan. For more information contact Peace 
and Justice Works at 503-236-3065 or iraq at pjw.info.

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PJW also rallied against the third Iraq war on August 6, 15 years of 
endless wars since 9/11 on September 9, and two years of war on Syria on 
September 23.


* Arguably US military intervention in Iraq, which began in 1991 and has 
never really ended, has gone on longer.