More War Crimes Exposed – Now, What Do We Do?

By Debra Sweet

3 days after documents of 8 years of war crimes against the people of Afghanistan were leaked, what does the U.S. government do?  Admit or apologize for the crimes?  No — go after the leakers!  Pentagon Launches ‘Manhunt’ for Document Leaker.  Cut off the funding for the wars? No, vote another $59 billion!  On Friday U.S. Conducts Afghan massacre – On Tuesday Congress Votes to fund more death.

The massive release of documents by Wikileaks.org only proves what our movement has been saying for years: the illegitimate occupation is built on regarding all civillians as potential enemies, killing them in strikes from the air, detaining them indefinitely, depriving them of safe havens from either the Taliban, the war lords in Karzai’s government, or US troops, and carving up the resources under Afghanistan for foreign use.  In the name of a war for empire, everyone here and there is less safe.

But just because we already "knew" this, we cannot snooze on these outrages.  Now we’ve got their own self-exposing words.  They’ve been caught bloody-handed.  No one who sees the news can say they don’t know.  And now this: On Friday a NATO strike killed 52 civilians in Regey, Helmand Province.  Not in 2004 or 2006 under Bush, but in mid-2010, under Obama’s command.

From the Guardian UK: "Many residents of the town say they believe the strike, which they say was a missile attack on a mud house where people were hiding from nearby fighting, was deliberate. ‘The foreign forces could see us,’ said Haji Abdul Ghafar, a 38-year-old farmer who had fled to Regey from a nearby village. ‘We were not in any hideouts. The Americans can see tiny things on the ground, but they could not see us. I think they bombed us on purpose.’"

Left: Haji Abdul Ghafar with his son Agha Shereen, left, who suffered a broken leg and nose in the alleged Nato attack, and nephew Abdul Jabar who is suffering from severe shock Photograph: Ali Safi for the Guardian

DOWNLOAD NEW FLIER: MORE WAR CRIMES EXPOSED – NOW WHAT DO WE DO?

Sunday August 1 we’re bringing people together in NYC, and on the web, to talk about how the antiwar movement should respond to the revelations.  What do they show?  What implications for our movement to stop the occupations?  Please join in.  If you’re in NYC, come and be part of the live discussion. Or watch:

Live webcast