As the last US military planes carrying troops have left Afghanistan, it would be naive to assume that the war is “officially over.” The truth is this decades-long violence is far from over, and its impact will be felt for generations to come. And just as the 24-hour news cycle has failed to cover the toxic legacy of the so-called global war against terror has had on Iraqis, so too, will Afghanistan slowly disappear from headlines. Meanwhile US drones will continue to fly over Afghan skies and Special Operations Forces will continue to wage clandestine warfare on Afghan lands. Our responsibility is to remind elected officials that the US has a reparative responsibility in this moment. The peace movement has to reignite around justice for Afghanistan and diasporic movements are making sure the American public does not forget. All over the world, grassroots anti-war movements are vigilant and ready to hold the US accountable for the reparations that
are owed after 20 years of imperialist occupation of Afghanistan. We will remain steadfast in this demand! Over the weekend, diasporic communities and the grassroots anti-militarization movement took to the streets in cities across the US, and our international allies at the World March of Women (WMW) have put out a call for a day of action today. We join this grassroots feminist call with our demilitaRISE membership to rise up for the human rights of Afghan people.
“Women and children are the first victims, along with poor and racialized communities,
of any armed conflict. We have experienced the consequences of military interventions by NATO forces and now the irresponsible withdrawal of US troops shows that the Afghan people live in terrible poverty. Recent U.S. presidents, from George W. Bush, who initiated the occupation of Afghanistan with lies, to Biden, deserve to be held accountable before an International Court of Justice for their crimes. The destruction they have created is immeasurable, it shows that for imperialism the peoples and our ways of life in our territories are expendable,” noted a statement of WMW. As a catastrophic refugee crisis accelerates, our demilitaRISE member, the Arab Resource Organizing Center, began coordinating legal resources for the Afghan community living in the San Francisco Bay Area. This past Saturday, AROC’s membership took to the streets of San Francisco along with hundreds of Afghan diasporic community members and their allies to denounce US imperialism.
Our member, About Face: Veterans Against the War also joined in solidarity in Washington D.C., as part of globally coordinated actions in nearly 34 cities to support women’s rights and safety, access to education and health, freedoms of speech and press. “Our members are at direct
actions across the nation today urging this administration to #StopKillingAfghans–from Erik Prince charging $6,500 to airlift people out of Kabul to immigration charging $575 per refugee application to only help those who aided US occupation instead of helping the most vulnerable leave Kabul, this administration must do better and follow the lead of the Afghan diaspora here.”
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