The recent massacre of 16 Afghan civilians by at least one U.S. service member is only the latest example of how the U.S./NATO military strategy in Afghanistan is an utter failure. A recent Washington Post/ABC News poll has 60% of Americans saying the war in Afghanistan is not worth fighting and 54% saying that we need to withdraw, even before Afghan security forces are fully trained. Within Congress there is growing bipartisan support for an end to the U.S. occupation there, now in its 11th year.

This could be a turning point in the war. We must sieze this moment to speak loudly and clearly.

One way for you to take action is by sending a Letter to the Editor to your local papers or those you read regularly. Letters to the Editor can be a powerful way to raise awareness about the growing U.S. consensus to end our occupation of Afghanistan. You can use our sample letter below or use the talking points next to it to craft your own. (Be aware that many Editors have 200-word limits on their letters. Our sample letter is just under 200 words.)

Step 1 - Select a Recipient

Select newspapers whose content you know and can reference in your personalized Letter to the Editor. Targeting newspapers you know also helps ensure you're sending the letter to a place where it will have a receptive audience. Please keep in mind that most newspapers will not print anonymous letters, so make sure you're sending the letter to places you'll feel comfortable seeing your name.

Step 2 - Write your message

Subject:

Your Letter:

It’s time we got out of Afghanistan. The recent massacre of 16 Afghan civilians by at least one service member is the latest example of our failed military strategy there. This soldier was on their fourth deployment, and we know that multiple deployments increases the chances of such irrational behavior. However, this incident points to a larger pattern that has me convinced there is no military solution in Afghanistan.

Continued civilian killings via the U.S. military policy of drone strikes and night raids undermines any hope for stability in Afghanistan, and inflames the Afghan public, 42% of whom live in extreme poverty. Instead, we should support diplomatic and humanitarian efforts there involving players from the entire region, and with Afghan women at the table.
 
Congress can no longer justify spending $2 billion a week in Afghanistan. I’ll be urging my representative to speak out in support of H.R. 780, which ends funding for everything but troop withdraw. I am not alone in this. The latest poll shows that 60% of Americans say the war in Afghanistan is not worth fighting, and 54% say that we need to get out - even before Afghan security forces are fully trained.

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Click on a point to add it to the letter.

We are spending $2 billion each week in Afghanistan, yet 42% of the population is living in extreme poverty. Over 42% of the population are under the age of 14. Afghanistan also has the second highest infant mortality rate in the world. Only 23% of Afghans have access to safe drinking water, and 24% over the age of 15 are literate.

Reporter Michael Hastings recently stated that his sources within the White House say the Obama Administration has asked anti-war and progressive members of Congress to keep criticisms of the Afghanistan war quiet until after the election, But it is a mistake to close ranks in the midst of this election. Now more than ever, we must hold politicians accountable, and push them to take the right positions on this failed war.

Our counterinsurgency strategy in Afghanistan is an utter failure. Continued civilian killings via drone strikes, night raids, and helicopter attacks undermines any stability and inflames the Afghan public.

We need to be supporting diplomatic and humanitarian efforts, not military ones. Afghan women must be equally represented in any peace negotiations and policy solutions in Afghanistan.

In the latest Washington Post/ABC News poll, 60% of respondents say the war in Afghanistan is not worth fighting, and 54% feel we should pull out of Afghanistan even before Afghan security forces are fully trained.

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