A Policy of War Will Not Bring Peace

By Michael McPhearson

Seven years ago, in response to the September 11 tragedies the United States government began a bombing campaign and eventual invasion of Afghanistan. Tonight on the anniversary of that bombing Barrack Obama and John McCain will hold their second presidential debate to discuss their plans for our nation. How appropriate their discussion since our country's prosperity is directly tied to how one of them will handle our foreign policy. Unfortunately both candidates propose more war. War will not lead to peace and prosperity.

By Army Col. Ann Wright (ret.)

From the beginning of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the United States military has come under intense criticism and scrutiny for the deaths of civilians. This week, the secretary of defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff made trips to Afghanistan and Pakistan to "acknowledge" the deaths of innocent civilians in attacks in those countries.

In the five and one-half years of the US occupation of Iraq, hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians have been killed by US military personnel at checkpoints, during convoy movements and during operations to find the "enemy." In the half-decade of US military presence in Iraq, a very small number of US military personnel and an even smaller number of CIA and contractors have been charged with manslaughter or murder in these deaths.

By Larry Jones

Even before the recent financial crisis, 80% of U.S. voters were expressing serious dissatisfaction with the war on Iraq.  But somehow the endless, unjust war and occupation of Iraq have been virtually removed as an "election issue". To the (very limited) extent either major candidate or the mainstream media discuss the situation in Iraq, it is to debate whether Bush's "surge" is "working", and to comment on the reduction of violence in Iraq.

But the fact is that the U.S. occupation has been an endless horror for the people of Iraq. it is also continuing to present the occupiers with challenges of sustaining a fragile political stability on the country, and many of the measures the U.S. has taken for short term "stabilization" may undermine the more long term U.S. goals.