It is telling and disappointing that AARP has never seen fit to give space to the thousands of elderly activists who have devoted their lives to preventing criminals like your cover boy from murdering millions more and more innocent people in the Middle East and around the world.

Photo: Eva-Lee Baird

There are many many groups, such as  the Granny Peace Brigade grannypeacebrigade.org, whose members continue to be arrested and jailed in the quest for peace, despite their physical difficulties and advanced age.

Photos: Eva-Lee Baird

Several of the women in my group are over 90:  amazing brave and fearless women like Marie Runyon, who lay on the floor of Congress with Dr. Benjamin Spock during the Viet Nam “War”; Molly Klopot, who was an active labor organizer and is still a leader of WILPF (Womens Int’l League for Peace and Freedom) despite back pain and blindness (she climbs hundreds of steps a day to and from the subway between Manhattan and her home in Coney Island); Lillian Lifflander, a former WAC in World War II and community organizer on the Lower East Side of New York City; Lillian Pollak, who published a book (The Sweetest Dream: Love, Lies and Assassination) at 93-she is now 95 and going strong in all weather, marching, demonstrating, fighting.

Photo: Masahiro Hosoda

All these women, along with other equally impressive “younger” activists in their 70s and 80s, are still out on the street, risking arrest and abuse, to keep up the struggle for human rights and an end to the seemingly endless invasions, sanctions and threats perpetrated by the United States on other countries.

Photo: Bud Korotzer

But no, you choose to put this hideous caricature of a human being on your cover, with a story inside that I assume attempts to portray him as a family man and good guy instead of the unconscionable heartless and mindless murderer that he is.

Shame on you.
Disgusted,
Ann Shirazi
New York City
for the Granny Peace Brigade

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As of this week, more than one hundred people have responded to our request for funds! We sent letters to around 400 people which means the rate of response is stellar – way above average for non-profit groups. Of course, we have a life sustaining goal – ending of war — so it stands to reason that others have supported us.

Gifts from new supporters numbered 19, or nearly 20% of the total, while the balance came from people who have supported us once, or twice, or more times over the last 5 years. The gifts came from as far as Hawaii. Besides New York, where 75% of our supporters live, residents of 12 other states [California, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey, Nevada, Vermont and Virginia] were among our benefactors.

Our letter had encouraged everyone to give us an email address if you want to be kept informed about our activities and many of you did provide it. We also got notes of encouragement and advice, and expressions saying that the gift honors one of our members or someone else you know.  We appreciate all your wishes, and will try to live up to your faith in our efforts.  Most of all, of course, we wish for success in our primary goal – ending of war.

- Edith Cresmer
for the Granny Peace Brigade

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Strongly do I support your careful weighing of options for continuation of United States engagement in Afghanistan. I am, of course, appalled by the civilian deaths resulting from our ground and air military action. It is noted that Defense Secretary Robert Gates has himself acknowledged the counter-productive effects of civilian deaths resulting from military engagement. He described the killing of civilians as “one of our greatest strategic vulnerabilities” (‘New York Times,’ June 13, 2009). It is significant that  Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has said that senior officers must work to prevent the militarization of American foreign policy (‘New York Times,’ January 12, 2009). Former First Lady Laura Bush on her return from Afghanistan made the point on Meet the Press, November 30, 2008, that there were so many Afghan widows.

For humanitarian reasons and in our national interest I would urge the scheduling of military combat forces draw-down, establishment of a United Nations short-term security force mission, and re-direction of U.S. engagement in Afghanistan to the development of non-military programs for reconstruction and rehabilitation, in collaboration with the Government of Afghanistan.

In your speech last week at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska, you told a military audience that you would only commit more forces to Afghanistan if it is vital to U.S. interests and receives public support and that “I will not risk your lives unless it is necessary to America’s vital interests” (‘Staten Island Advance,’ November 13, 2009). It is my understanding that the interests now considered vital are (a) rendering al-Qaeda unable to pursue its operations and (b) weakening the Taliban’s influence. In this regard I noted and quote the following [Cato (Institute) - "Recognizing the Limits of American Power in Afghanistan" by Doug Bandow; the article appeared in the 'Huffington Post' on October 31, 2009]:

“The critical issue is Washington’s objective. The U.S. long ago achieved its goal of displacing and weakening al-Qaeda (despite the failure to capture or kill Osama bin Laden) and ousting the Taliban government which gave the organization refuge. That success persists despite recent Taliban gains. National Security Adviser James Jones estimated fewer than 100 al-Qaeda members are operating in Afghanistan, and said they have “no bases, no ability to launch attacks on us or our allies.”

I was indeed pleased to learn that General Karl Eikenberry, the U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, supports the assignment of civilian personnel to Afghanistan in fields such as agriculture, and that the State Department has attempted to accommodate his requests (‘New York Times,’ November 12, 2009). Certainly, expenditures for humanitarian aid, community development, and reconstruction should replace military expenditures for programs designed to meet needs identified by Afghan agencies and organizations. A relevant example of such a program was recently described (‘New York Times,’ November 13, 2009) – community participation in a Village Council in Jurm resulted in the village obtaining a grant which enabled local workers and an engineer to carry out a clean water development project – a small but important project.

Authorization for continuation and intensification of U.S. military operations in Afghanistan would, I believe,  severely lessen the potential for your administration’s success in drawing support for domestic programs and for your other foreign policy objectives.

I hope that revisions in U.S. policy with regard to Afghanistan would include, inter alia, the following:

- cessation of military action in Afghanistan and in Pakistan

- establishment of just system of reparations for civilian casualties and for local destruction

- removal of land mines

- withdrawal of military forces

- negotiations with all parties concerned (including the Taliban, as it is a significant part of the
citizenry and will not be ignored)

- provision of financial aid for programs identified by Afghan authorities/agencies/local councils,
to be executed by local workers and Afghan organizations to the extent possible;
if necessary, civilian personnel of other institutions/organizations to be identified by the Afghan authorities/agencies/local councils

- support for establishment of a United Nations short-term security force mission

In my end-the-war activities, I often meet people who have lost loved ones in this conflict and family members of posted military personnel who are struggling emotionally/financially. This is indicative of the dreadful vortex -

‘died as part of the Afghan war and related operations:
BROCHU, Jordan M., 20, Pfc., Army.
WALSHE, Tyler R., 21, Specialist Army.
WELCH, Jonathan D., 19, Specialist Army.’
This should be unacceptable to all.

Respectfully submitted,
- Barbara Walker
for the Granny Peace Brigade

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I am of course aware of the various pressures exerted by lobbyists, including contractors, weapons manufacturers, foreign and domestic political partisans, on your Administration, toward the end of keeping the wars going on and if possible expanding them. However, it is significant that Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has said that “senior officers must work to prevent the militarization of American foreign policy…” (‘New York Times,’ January 13, 2009). The ‘New York Times’ went on to say “The military is engaged in deep soul-searching over the proper role of the armed forces in foreign policy.” (I realize this has broad implications.) “The debate has been inspired by the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq….” It could be noted that the list of ‘Names of the Dead’ at the end of the article were the names of three service members – all killed in Afghanistan. Is this to be our next Viet Nam? I mention the much mentioned Eisenhower warning about the military/industrial (and I understand he wanted to include ‘congressional’) complex. Defense Secretary Rumsfeld was not fired; General MacArthur was!

Mr. President, why is there planning for the funneling of our military personnel from Iraq into Afghanistan? Originally it was said that we were in Afghanistan to look for Osama bin Laden. Well we know what happened then — we let him go. The Taliban? The Ambassador of Afghanistan to the United States indicated on “Meet the Press,” November 30, 2008, that the Taliban must be dealt with — that it should be brought into talks, not for power sharing but for the purpose of working on solutions. Former First Lady Laura Bush on the same program said, regarding Afghanistan and its needs: “There are so many widows.” Afghanistan is not ‘the good war’ but unfortunately many are picking up ‘the good war’ chant.

Former Finnish President Martii Ahtisaari, who has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, managed and oversaw, after Namibia’s long and bitter war with South Africa, the massive UN supervised operation which led to elections and the independence of that country. UN staff, international police and military personnel, contracted personnel  locally recruited translators/interpreters, clerical, administrative staff, and others, as required, were employed. The mission worked in collaboration with community leaders over the whole of that geographically large country to prepare for the elections. The situations and operational requirements in Namibia clearly were not as in Afghanistan but there are some common factors. One personnel matter that worked to the benefit of the operation in Namibia was that there were relatively few U.S. nationals assigned to the operation; therefore, there was not a large U.S. ‘footprint.’
Mr. President, consultation with President Ahtisaari could be useful. Please do not be led into continued military action in Afghanistan and another deadly debacle.

Mr. President, when during your campaign you spoke of our troops leaving Iraq and then you spoke of their deployment to Afghanistan, my heart and the heart of many sank! As you know, there are persons knowledgeable about Afghanistan — situation, history, societies, cultures, geography (e.g. Rory Stewart, Herbert Bix) — who have stressed, among other matters, need for economy, institution, infrastructure rebuilding, rather than U.S. military action.

Certainly there is awareness of the question how best can the skills of our service members now deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan and returning home en masse be applied, but continuing the waging of war to avoid developing a solution would not be moral or practical.

Mr. President, last evening, January 30th, on “Bill Moyers Journal,” Dr. Marilyn Young, Professor of History, New York University, cogently stated how terribly ill-advised is U.S. military action in Afghanistan — the mistaken application of military action there rather than the needed application of political action. I respectfully urge that you read the transcript of that segment of the program. My own great fear is that such military action, though you may be pressed by military proponents to take such action, will severely damage your Administration, in which so many have so much hope.

Sincerely yours,
- Barbara Walker
Granny Peace Brigade