Dear Friend,

South Mountain Peace Action is developing a citizens’ proposal on bringing our troops home from Afghanistan in a responsible way that addresses security and human rights, especially for women, and we’d like your feedback.

When
finalized, we hope to circulate the proposal in our community outreach
work and eventually to send it to our Congressmen, Senators
and President.

The draft below proposes five steps based on proposed legislation and the views of military and civilian experts. The July Human Rights Watch
report on women in Afghanistan, which makes an urgent plea for
protection of women’s rights in Afghanistan, is a key source (see links
below).

You can click each point for the sources and documentation.

Additional links follow the draft for those seeking further background information that was used.

If you have the time, could you please review this draft and reply with your impressions, suggestions and/or questions?

Thanks very much for your help.

Paul

___________________________

Paul Surovell, Chair
South Mountain Peace Action
101 Plymouth Avenue
Maplewood NJ 07040
973-763-9493
www.BeAboutPeace.com
___________________________

[ Draft ] A Citizens’ Proposal for Peace in Afghanistan

South
Mountain Peace Action supports the following steps to improve the
prospects for peace in Afghanistan and enable our troops to come home as
soon as possible.

1. A Presidential Timetable for Withdrawal of US Troops

President Obama
should issue a plan to carry out a timetable for the safe, orderly and
expeditious redeployment of US armed forces from Afghanistan, as called
for by House Resolution 5015 by Rep. James McGovern and by Senate
Resolution S3197 by Senator Russ Feingold.

We urge consideration of the
following steps, recommended by military and civilian experts, to
improve the prospects for improved security, development and human
rights, as we redeploy our troops from Afghanistan:

2. Redefine Our Mission in Afghanistan

The US should rebrand its mission in Afghanistan to carrying out the United Nations mandates
which call for military and civilian assistance to help the Afghan
people improve their security, rebuild their country and protect human
rights, especially for women. The current emphasis on our mission as
“defeating” Al Qaeda suggests a military victory, which virtually
everyone, including General Petraeus, agrees is impossible.

3. Avoid Civilian Casualties and Minimize Military Casualties

The US should strengthen its policy of avoiding civilian casualties by stopping drone attacks
which Colonel David Kilcullen says victimize innocents and are
counterproductive and which the ACLU says are violations of US
Constitution and international law. We should also prioritize military actions to minimize our military casualties as well as civilian casualties.
Securing urban areas instead of attacking Taliban strongholds, is a
priority suggested by Gilles Dorronsoro of the Carnegie Endowment for
International Peace

4. Press Pakistan to End its Safe Haven and Weapons Flow to the Taliban

The US should continue to press
Pakistan to eliminate the safe haven, the flow of weapons and any other
form of support for the Taliban from its territory.

5. Negotiate With the Taliban but Require Acceptance of Human Rights, Especially for Women

The US should support Afghan
Government efforts to negotiate with the Taliban on reconciliation and
reintegration, but this should be conditioned on respect for basic human
rights, especially for women, as recommended by Human Rights Watch in its July 2010 report
on Afghanistan. Negotiations with the Taliban on power-sharing, as
proposed by Gilles Dorronsoro, also protecting human rights, especially
for women, should also be considered.

____________________________

For additional background information on the War in Afghanistan, click the following links:

Who Are the Taliban Today? Q&A with Gilles Dorronsoro