An Appeal from Daniel Ellsberg for RootsAction on Afghanistan

It is a dangerously misleading myth that U.S. wars in the Middle East serve to protect Americans at home. That false claim is used to justify U.S. troop casualties, vast military spending, countless foreign deaths and illegal acts such as torture, kidnapping, indefinite detention and warrantless domestic surveillance.

The Taliban, discredited and unpopular from its reign in Afghanistan, has gathered strength in recent years from nothing other than its resistance to foreign occupation by the U.S. and NATO forces. As in Vietnam, the more U.S. troops in their land, the more militants we are forced to confront -- no matter how many we kill.

The more that drones and cruise missiles kill civilians along with armed fighters, the larger and more determined the resistance and the numbers of volunteers elsewhere to retaliate against the U.S. itself.

The growing hatred of America in Pakistan and other Muslim countries bodes well for the health of Al Qaeda. Osama Bin Laden undoubtedly wishes for our occupations and attacks on Muslims to expand and continue indefinitely. Why do we gratify his hopes?

Whatever interests might be served by our military interventions in the region, making our own citizens safe is not among them.

It will be inexcusable if spending cuts aimed at deficit-reduction do not begin with drastic cuts in the budget for our hopeless occupation of Afghanistan and for continued bases and operations in the Middle East. These operations, far beyond being wasteful, actually reduce our security at home.

Please join me in signing the new petition "We Oppose the War in Afghanistan."

Daniel Ellsberg