Demonstrate against the unwinnable war in Afghanistan

Stop the War, in conjunction with the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and the Britsh Muslim Initiative, has called a national demonstration on Saturday 24 October, marking the eighth anniversary of the Afghan invasion and calling for all British troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan. Download an initial flyer...

July 2009 in Afghanistan: The worst of all months

July 2009 was the worst month since the invasion in 2001 for deaths and injuries of both the Afghan people and the troops of the invading armies. July's catalogue of worsts includes:

Surgeons treat wounded British soldier
• The worst level of civilian casualties revealed by the United Nations, with at least 1,013 civilians killed in the first half of 2009, a 24% increase from the same period in 2008, and certainly a significant underestimate due to many deaths not being reported.
• The worst monthly level of US casualties, with 42 killed. A record level of US wounded is also certain.
• The worst monthly level of British casualties, with 22 killed. These are the British military's worst casualty figures since the Falklands War in 1982. They were so high that for the first time army commanders insisted that immediate replacements were sent from Britain to replace the fallen.
• The worst monthly level of British soldiers wounded, with medical staff at the army's field hospital so overwhelmed that they had to draft in US surgical teams. An army medic treating these injuries said, "It is difficult to see young, fit guys who may have to have multiple amputations."