CALL FOR A SELF-DETERMINED AFGHANISTAN MAIREAD MAGUIRES PRESENTATION TO INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE, BONN, GERMANY, DECEMBER 4TH 20ll.

Dear Friends, Ten years after the US led NATO invasion and war against Afghanistan, the Afghan people are trapped in a downward spiral of violence. The US and British Generals for war, are upbeat and optimistic but the facts of suffering, injury, displacements and deaths of Afghan civilians, including many women and children, reminds us of the ongoing daily and unacceptable cost of war. Add to this also the injury and death of Soldiers from NATO Countries particularly UK and USA. Surely the question has to be asked at what point is enough killing enough? And when will people everywhere unite and act to stop this military madness and insanity?. Precisely because the war in Afghanistan is going so badly, and is in truth unwinnable, NATO and US military are using even more illegal and cruel forms of violence in their increasingly desperate attempt to stop the dissidents, and build-up their own US power base in Afghanistan. These immoral and illegal actions include drones, bombing raids, destruction of suspect building, when often whole families have been killed. Whole villages have been destroyed by NATO forces which in turn results in recruitment to the Taliban. (Drone strikes in 2008/10 have killed 14 Taliban leaders and over 700 civilians). The USA military have a massive targeted assassination program. The US Air Force personnel at Creech, Nevada, pilot surveillance and combat drones, unmanned aerial vehicles with which they are instructed to carry out extrajudicial killings in Afghanistan and Iraq. These drones include the Predator and the Reaper. The Obama administration favours a combination of drone attacks and Joint Special operations aid to persue its stated goal of eliminating whatever Al Qaeda presence exists in these countries. Such extrajudicial killings, sanctioned by President Obama, are in clear violation of International Law. The Afghan people are caught in an increasing circle of violence between NATO forces, tribal militias, Taliban, drug and crime warlords. The USAs invasion of the sovereign state of Afghanistan is supported militarily by UK with token forces from a few other NATO states, as most countries initially involved have pulled out. Billions continue to be spent on the Afghan war (15bn for 20ll-15 by UK) and the USAs 400 bases across Afghanistan, cost $7.5 billion). The UK Government has said that British combat troops will be out of Afghanistan by 2015 but the continual build-up of USA military present in Afghanistan and South East Asia (716 USA bases worldwide) gives an indication that their presence will be long-term. As the gravity of power moves from West to Asia-Pacific region it behoves the Western military/political powers, instead of arrogantly trying to Control these countries militarily for their own purposes, to acknowledge the right of these countries, including Afghanistan, to self-determination.

Afghanistan is already, after ten years of war, a country in deep poverty and sorrow. It is immoral and unethical to ask the Afghan people to accept to live 4 more years with a war being played out in their streets and villages, and having yet more of their lives, their homes and their livelihoods destroyed. It is time now for the Taliban and all groups using violence to end the violence and for the US-NATO to withdraw militarily and use its financial resources to recompense the Afghan people for the destruction of their country. We can all join in solidarity to support the peaceful, nonviolent Afghan civil communities, working from the bottom up, rebuilding their communities and their country. We are seeing this in such courageous movements like the Afghan Youth for peace in Kabul. We can also encourage Political leaders to end the violence and support the Afghan people in a negotiated peace settlement through all inclusive, unconditional dialogue and negotiation with Representatives of all sections of the society, including women, Community groups, Taliban, and other tribal and religious leaders. Now is the time to listen to the voices of the Afghan people who are calling for an end to all violence, their Right to Self-determination, and a solution based on International Law and Human Rights. ABOLISH NATO, MILITARISM AND WAR In this its 62nd year NATO continues to expand its military operations including the current war in Afghanistan and recent military attacks on Libya. We should not be surprised by NATOs attack on Libya, as the programme for wars was revealed to us all by General Clarke. US General Lesley Clarke, NATOs commander during bombing of Serbia, revealed on US TV seven years ago that the Pentagon had drawn up a hit list in 200l of seven States they wanted to take-out within five years Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Iran. In a world where there is a new consciousness of our inter-dependence and Inter-connectedness as the human family, NATO is a cold-war relic, and an obstacle to real development and peace. NATO should be disbanded and its resources put into Human security, i.e., removing poverty, environment, violations of human rights and International Law, education, health care, nonviolent civilian security, etc. Increasingly we are aware that violence, armed struggles, militarism, and war do not solve problems. I therefore believe we must abolish militarism and war, use peaceful settlement of disputes, and make this method a principle of International relations. In the Nobel Peace Laureates Charter for a World without Violence, Chapter 13 states, we have a right not to be killed and a responsibility not to kill others. Adopting such a principle wherever we live, would help bring about a new Culture of Peace and Nonkilling for the Human Family and be more in keeping with the magnificence of the Human Spirit. We can build such a world, and working together, each one of us can make a difference. Thank you. Peace, Mairead Maguire www.peacepeople.com (4.ll.20ll)