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Guest column: Current plan leads to war in perpetuity
by Jim Cottingham, Friends Meeting · Op-Ed · November 06, 2014
As we observe the beginning of the 14th year of the U.S. war in Afghanistan and the increasing likelihood of endless war, we, members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), affirm our commitment to our historic peace testimony: We utterly deny all outward wars and strife. . .
It is natural for all of us to want to “do something” to react to the horrendous behavior of ISIS and to do something to assure that such actions won’t occur again. But, the only options presented to the American public are “do nothing” or “bomb Iraq and Syria” in ISIS-held areas. And the mainstream media has echoed this all-or-nothing approach.
We believe that there are alternative ways to respond to the growing influence of ISIS in the region and to stop the violence that has overtaken this fragile part of the world. We believe that there is no military solution that will bring lasting peace. (For more information about alternatives to military solutions to the crises in the Middle East, see www.fcnl.org the Web site of the Friends Committee on National Legislation.)
We believe that there are several steps the United States can take to increase the likelihood of peace:
1) Stop bombing Iraq and Syria. Our bombs are killing civilian women, men, and children and creating more refugees. Our bombs aid ISIS in recruiting volunteers to their cause and increase hatred for the United States. We acknowledge that we do not know what the short-term consequences would be if the U.S. stopped bombing ISIS strongholds. They might well include increased chaos, violence, and territorial gains by ISIS. But we believe that the bombing must stop in order for peaceful solutions to be sought.
2) Implement an arms embargo on all parties in the region. More weapons in the area can only lead to more violence and these weapons often end up in the hands of ISIS.
3) Support a more inclusive government in Iraq, one that doesn’t exclude the Sunni minority, many of whom, feeling isolated, are increasingly supportive of ISIS.
4) Repeal the Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF), legislation passed in 2001 to give the president the authority to go to war without the approval of Congress. This legislation has contributed to “endless war,” as President Bush and now President Obama have invoked it to justify attacks on other countries without consulting Congress.
5) Increase humanitarian aid to the people in the regions where conflict and violence are endemic.
6) Work through the United Nations to seek realistic solutions that engage all parties to the conflict.
We believe that in the long run, in contrast to current U.S. policy, taking these six steps is more likely to decrease violence in the region and lead to lasting peace. The bombing we inflict on civilians kills children, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, and will leave lasting hatred for Americans, regardless of who ultimately governs in that region. And it may well lead to a world that is perpetually at war.
Jim Cottingham is the clerk for West Branch Friends Meeting (Conservative)
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