Today marks the tenth anniversary of the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Ten years ago the peace and anti-war movements warned the leaders of the global community that war was not the answer, and that war once unleashed would bring only destruction and death. United for Peace and Justice finds no pleasure in being right about this U.S. made catastrophe of human suffering. There is no joy or self-satisfaction that can be felt. This is not an “I told you so” moment. But we will use both the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars as examples of how violence begets violence and how war, if it ever was, is no longer a moral means to solve conflicts.
The people of Iraq have suffered for decades: first under Saddam Hussein; then the 1991 U.S.-led invasion, followed by U.S.-led sanctions; and finally another U.S.-led invasion and occupation. The Iraq War must not be swept aside to be forgotten like a national nightmare, and we must not let the nightmare of the war be repackaged in patriotic rhetoric to support future wars. Our nation has an obligation to the people of Iraq, and to the U.S. service members sent to fight, bleed and die there. There is still much work ahead to help the people of Iraq and the U.S. troops and communities to which they have returned to heal.
Thank you for your years of resistance to U.S. wars and militarism. Your efforts and support have helped to force change. In his State of the Union address, President Obama claimed that a decade of war is coming to an end. If only that were true. The Administration’s plans for Afghanistan are unclear, killer drones fly across Asia and Africa with no end in sight, and threats to attack Iran are a common occurrence. Ten years on, United for Peace and Justice will continue to call for an end to U.S. wars. We will continue to demand a change in our nation’s priorities from war making to peacemaking. We ask you to continue to support our work for peace and justice. Click here to donate.
P.S. Your support is critical. Without your financial help and activism UFPJ cannot continue. Ten years later the U.S. is still at war. We must keep up the struggle for peace and justice. Click here to donate.
