Afghan war forum packs Falmouth hall
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Cape Cod Times
Robert Gold
04/12/2010
FALMOUTH — Should the U.S. commit more money and troops to the war in Afghanistan? Should all the troops be sent home, ending the war?A panel of experts drew a packed auditorium at Morse Pond School yesterday afternoon as they tackled the growing list of questions about the war in Afghanistan.U.S. Rep. William Delahunt, D-Mass., who arranged the forum, told the crowd he wouldn't be making a decision at the event on whether to vote for or against additional funding that President Obama is expected to request from Congress.Instead, he joined the crowd in asking questions of a four-person panel. The experts were Thomas Barfield, president of the American Institute of Afghanistan Studies and a professor of anthropology at Boston University; Joseph Wippl, a former CIA officer and director of the Center for International Relations at Boston University; Chris Hellman of the National Priorities Project, a Northampton nonprofit group that studies federal spending and how tax dollars are spent; and David Swanson, author of "Daybreak: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union."Swanson argued that the war is killing innocent people and hurting the reputation of the United States. The war boils down to an occupation, something the people of Afghanistan strongly resist, he said."You do not exit a war by escalating it," he said, arguing against more troops.He argued that helping develop legitimate forms of farming in the country is one way to improve the lives of locals.Hellman focused on the cost, saying the wars and occupations in Afghanistan and Iraq have cost the U.S. $1 trillion since 2001.Barfield said that since entering Afghanistan since 2001, not enough has been done to improve the lives of ordinary people."They want normalcy. They want peace. They want the ability to live their own lives," he said.But a full withdrawal would return the Taliban to power. And while the Taliban would not care about threatening the U.S., Barfield said al-Qaida would likely be welcomed back into the country.Many in the audience urged an end to the war, calling for the money to be used for support programs abroad and to help the economy in the United States.Two demonstrators avoided the question-and-answer format. One at a time, they chanted "end the war" several times. Drawing a mix of cheers and shouts to sit down, both were escorted out of the room by police but not arrested.Before the meeting, about 30 activists carried signs, urging the end of the war.Falmouth resident Shelagh Foreman said she hoped additional funding would be voted down. She said she was encouraged that the forum was being held, saying "nothing is clear cut.""We need to know about the people," she said.
