Afghanistan

Obama is a sociopath, but that shouldn’t shock.  He’s a U.S. President, and Commander-in-Chief of the largest, most lethal arsenal in history, which could destroy the world many times over, and, which has a budget many times the size of the next 10 national military budgets combined. 

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"Militarism is the way corporations maintain their access to their food supply — the planet."   --Steve Martinot, Militarism and Global Warming

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From Examiner.com, http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-8257-SF-Energy-Policy-Examiner~y2009m...

Oil billionaire T. Boone Pickens has reversed the anti-war complaint "No blood for oil,"  He's upset that U.S. energy companies aren't getting enough oil for American blood----and U.S. taxpayer dollars.  He complains that it's going to China instead.

On Saturday, October 17, nearly 400 people gathered in Minneapolis to protest the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.  The demonstration was part of a national day of action to oppose the U.S. occupation of both countries.  Additional photos below.

Anti-war events were held in 50 cities across the U.S. in response to the recent escalation of the war in Afghanistan where troop levels have more than doubled since Obama took office.  There are currently 67,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan and 1,000 more are headed there by the end of December.  General Stanley McChrystal, commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, warned that unless additional troops are deployed, “the conflict will likely result in failure.”  Obama recently told Congress that he has ruled out a U.S. withdrawal and will not consider cutting back troop levels.  Right now he's considering McChrystal’s request for up to 80,000 more U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

As U.S. Administration discusses Afghanistan escalation:

Antiwar organizations across the country have called for Oct. 17 to be a national day of local and regional actions protesting the continuation of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

President Obama's award of the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday added him to a list of laureates that in addition to legendary human rights activists includes such other warmakers as Al Gore and Henry Kissinger.  However, his escalation of the war in Afghanistan--he's currently debating whether to send an additional 40,000 troops to supplement that occupation--has not made him popular in the Twin Cities on this, the 8th anniversary of that war's beginning.

On Wednesday - as some do every Wednesday at evening rush hour - people gathered at the Lake Street/Marshall Avenue bridge to bear witness to the war, which in Afghanistan has killed unknown thousands of civilians and 869 U.S. soldiers. "For 8 years, the people of Afghanistan have suffered attacks on their families and the destruction of their homes and villages. We say this is 8 years too many!" declared a statement by the vigil organizers.

Related: Rochester IMC | Washington, DC (1, 2, 3) | New York City | San Francisco | Minneapolis: March October 17 | Recruiting Station Cleared Out

Eight Years of War in Afghanistan:
Out of Afghanistan –
Bring the Troops Home Now!

Peace Vigil, 5:00 to 6:00 pm
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Lake Street/Marshall Avenue Bridge over the
Mississippi River between Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN

Wednesday Peace Vigil to Mark 8 years of War
in Afghanistan with call for Peace

A peace vigil will be held from 5:00 to 6:00 pm on Wednesday, October 7, 2009, to mark the 8th anniversary of the beginning of the U.S. war in Afghanistan.