Stop the War logoDemonstrate 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on Saturday 24 October, marking the eighth anniversary of the Afghan invasion and calling for all British troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan.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
    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."

There is only one solution to this quagmire. The Afghan people must be allowed to deal with the issues of security and stability for themselves, without intervention by an imperial power which is only concerned with its strategic interests in the region. As to the argument that this will lead to civil war, Afghan MP Malalai says: "What about the civil war and catastrophe of today? The longer this occupation continues, the worse the civil war will be."

"The Afghan people want peace," she says, "And history teaches that we always reject occupation and foreign domination."

Instead of learning those lessons of history, the US and Britain are committing more troops to this unwinnable and unjustified war, with total troop levels in Afghanistan now the largest since the Soviet occupation was driven from the country in 1989.

Preposterously, Gordon Brown called the worst month the British army has experienced so far in Afghanistan a 'success'. It seems inevitable that, before he and Barack Obama realise the game is up, the invading forces and the Afghan people will suffer many months even worse than July 2009, with yet more futile loss of lives and limbs.

 
Contact us
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
020 7801 2768
07939 242 229

Stop the War Shop
T-shirts, badges, pamphlets, books...
Gaza Gaza protestors defence campaign

Sign the petition

 


Local Stop the War Events

Mon 17 May: Support the EDO Six
DecommissionersSix anti-war activists intend to go to trial on May 17th, not as the accused, but as accusers. Details...


Jenny Tonge Petition
Jenny Tonge has been dismissed from her post as health spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats because she suggested that Israel investigate charges which have been made regarding Israeli aid workers in Haiti. Petition...

Newsfeed

News and Comment

Action and Events

Resources

Contact us

  • This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
  • 020 7801 2768
  • 07939 242 229
  • Follow us on twitter

Powered By Page_Cache by Ircmaxell