No one wants people to starve to death. But untold numbers will die of hunger and disease this winter if trucks carrying food and aid do not reach them by the end of November. The current bombing campaign makes such deliveries impossible in many areas. Whatever your feelings about the current crisis, you can help save millions of lives by calling for a halt to the bombing of Afghanistan so food and medical supplies can get through. Within the next two weeks the roads to many parts of Afghanistan will become impassable due to harsh winter conditions. If 5,000 Americans are an unacceptable loss, what of 7.5 million Afghanis? This is not an ideological debate about our government’s actions. This is a call for humanitarian aid, regardless of your beliefs about this war. The Facts Up to 7.5 million people are in danger of death from starvation within the next three months – 1.5 million of these are children under 5 years old. 70% of Afghanistan’s population is women and children. Children are the most vulnerable to starvation. If we halt the bombing campaign before the roads become impassable, we can potentially save as many lives as were lost in the Holocaust. Three Ways to Take Action 1 Call or e-mail political leaders on Friday, November 16th, 2001 President George W. Bush – Phone: 202-456-1414; president@whitehouse.gov Senators – Congressional Switchboard: 202-224-3121; www.senate.gov House Representative – Congressional Switchboard: 202-224-3121; www.house.gov Tell them that you don’t want people to starve, regardless of all other issues. Ask for an immediate halt to the bombing, at least in areas designated critical by the United Nations, so that food and aid can get through. 2 Fast for 24 hours, starting at 1 p.m. on Friday, November 16th As we approach a Thanksgiving feast, this is a way to express our solidarity with people who are on the brink of starvation. If you cannot fast for 24 hours, skip a meal, or simply meditate or pray. 3 Silent vigils to conclude the fast on Saturday, November 17th Plan a lawful, peaceful, hopeful demonstration against hunger. Focus signs and banners on the issue of hunger in Afghanistan; please exclude other political issues. This action plan originated at the Rocky Mountain Peace & Justice Center (Boulder, Colorado, 303-444-6981, www.rmpjc.org). Please contact RMPJC for ideas of how to implement your own local action plan, or to receive a template of this document to modify for your own campaign. “Continued bombing in most parts of north and central Afghanistan, and the use of cluster bombs, have created a climate of fear that severely limits the ability of WFP and other agencies to continue food deliveries… It should not be forgotten that the Geneva Conventions clearly establish the obligation of all warring parties to ensure that food and medical supplies reach civilians.” - Oxfam website “With winter nearly upon us, millions of Afghans are in need of some type of humanitarian assistance. Hundreds of thousands of people have fled their homes, but continuing insecurity is hampering humanitarian efforts to help them inside Afghanistan.” - UN High Commissioner for Refugees, November 8th, 2001 SIX COMMON QUESTIONS AND THE EXPERTS’ ANSWERS: How many people are really at risk? World Food Program (WPF, the UN’s frontline food aid organization) figures from November 5th state that there are 7.5 million desperately hungry people throughout Afghanistan; over 1/3 of the entire population is severely malnourished. 20% of these people (1.5 million) are children under 5 years old. The WFP states that most of these people will starve to death within 3 months without adequate food aid. The latest figures from Oxfam (November 1st) show that 2 million people live in areas where food will run out completely by December. Oxfam speculates that this population may also have grown significantly since the bombing began, due to the large numbers of refugees fleeing the cities. Why is time so short? Afghanistan has an extraordinarily harsh winter. By the end of November roads into many remote areas will be completely impassable. The only way to prevent starvation in these parts of the country is by pre-positioning large stores of food in these communities while the roads are still usable. Why are so many on the brink of starvation? Twenty years of conflict followed by more than three years of severe drought has devastated Afghanistan's food production. Getting food to remote areas is necessary for people to survive the winter, but they must also plant next year's crops; this, too, requires cessation of bombing. In October, bombing limited the amount of food delivered to 13,000 tons; 52,000 tons per month is the minimum for survival of those at risk. Doesn’t the Taliban prevent food and other aid from getting to the civilian population of Afghanistan? Although there have been reports of interference by the Taliban, the great majority of properly administrated, neutral humanitarian aid will get through to those who need it, according to the relief agencies themselves. International aid organizations such as the WPF, the International Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, Christian Aid and Oxfam have systems in place to ensure that supplies get to the people who need them. The bombing campaign, however, prevents the aid workers, truck drivers and other key personnel from doing this. Isn’t the U.S. government dropping huge amounts of food into Afghanistan already? The heaviest airdrops have averaged 37,500 individual adult food rations per day. This number of rations would feed 1/2 to 1% of the hungry adults (not children) for one day, assuming that every single ration was consumed. Unfortunately, Afghanistan has one of the worst land mine problems in the world, and many of the ration packets are dropped into heavily mined territory, meaning that people must risk death to retrieve them. Added to this problem is the fact that the yellow food packets look similar to the unexploded yellow cluster bombs also dropped by US planes. All this makes the small amount of US airdropped food aid even smaller. Certainly it will not save millions from a whole winter of starvation. Is it true that although there was initially a problem, it has now been addressed by increased aid from Europe and other countries? There has been a recent increase of aid into a few of the more accessible parts of Afghanistan, but it is not nearly enough and is not reaching those at highest risk. The WPF’s central distribution center is in Kabul, site of extremely heavy bombing. Communications systems are down and roads and borders are closed or so threatened by bombing that vehicles cannot get through. “Only a massive mobilization of food and other relief assistance and its distribution, particularly to the vulnerable groups, will avert the threat of an impending mass starvation in the country.” - United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Websites of International Humanitarian Aid Organizations: United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization: www.FAO.org International Red Cross: www.ICRC.org Oxfam International: www.OXFAM.org The Institute for Food and Policy Studies: www.FoodFirst.org Doctors Without Borders: www.doctorswithoutborders.org Christian Aid: www.christian-aid.org.uk Is it just sufficent to believe the the US media on this issue and assume that if mass starvation happens it's the Taliban's fault and that we couldn't do anything to help
Sorry, you can blame the U.S. all you want, but it's the Taliban. You know he forced people out of the country with threats of death if they helped the people don't you? This was BEFORE the bombing! Do you actually think that if the bombings stopped they would let them just walk right in there? Taliban is still at war, with the rebels, so stopping the bombing not only gives the Taliban the opportunity to turn the tides, but they STILL can't get food in there. You don't seem to get it. Humanitarians would likely be killed if they went in there. Do you actually think the Taliban would suddenly let humanitarians in there for a few weeks and then start the war all over again? It doesn't work that way. But you don't seem to get it so I'll ask you this and think about it: If the U.S. stopped the bombings do you think the Taliban would let "bygones be bygones" and let humanitarians come in? He doesn't care about his people. He's threatening to kill them if they don't fight in the war. Do you think the Taliban and the rebels would stop their battles for a few weeks to allow humanitarians in? Don't you think it's easier for the U.S. to help rebels take care of the people then a renegade like the Taliban? How do you plan to get the humanitarians in there? You do know that if the U.S. stopped the bombings to let them in there that one of the requirements by the Taliban would be that the U.S. couldn't send soldiers in there to protect them. He's paranoid as it is now. And you do know that there is a STRONG chance that he could take hostages. It's not as easy as you think.
Since glynch apparently does not understand how dropping food into Taliban-controlled territory would fail to benefit any starving civilians, here is a scenario to illustrate how this would work: Ismail the goatherder is tending his goats one day when he sees something strange fall from the sky. Investigating, he comes across a strange bundle of mysterious packages in a mountain pass outside of his village. He does not know what the strange packages hold, but when he sees the picture of the stick figure eating something he makes the connection. He opens a package, and to his great surprise finds food! Ecstatic, he runs back to the village to tell everyone of this miracle. Within minutes of his telling the village elders of the miracle, the local Taliban commander Khan hears of it and tells his chief aide to go get the 4-Runner. As the whole village runs out to get the gift from God in the mountain pass, Khan and his troops swoop ahead of the crowd in their SUV. They get there first. Upon seeing the food drop, Khan lets out a “Praise Allah! Allah is great! And praise the American devils!” His aid turns to him and says “God truly is great! I was wondering what we were going to eat this winter.” When Ismail arrives to see the Taliban loading the food into the SUV, he walks up to Khan and asks “You are bringing the food back to the village for us?” Khan replies “For us, old man.” Ismail, not comprehending, says “But surely this miracle from God was intended for all of us?” Khan, raising his rifle and pulling his trigger, introduces Ismail’s brain to the rocks behind him. “Does anyone else think we should share this food?” he asks the crowd. No one says anything, and the villagers begin to wander back to the village, hoping they will be able to forget the day that food fell from the sky. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yes, I already posted this elsewhere, but since he didn't answer it there... For some reason glynch still hasn't acknowledged that as of Sept. 10 an estimated half million Afghans were going to starve this winter due to a three year drought and incessant warfare. He just can't seem to grasp the concept of the US not being responsible for the famine. And he can't seem to understand that the only way to prevent a famine is to break Taliban control of the cities in order to safely run convoys. For whatever reason, he chooses to ignore the fact that aid sent into Taliban areas doesn't reach the intended recipients, it reaches Taliban stockpiles. I'm starting to suspect that glynch has another motive. That or he's not too bright...
Current situation in Afghanistan: As the map above shows, the Taliban have control of the eastern and southern parts of Afghanistan. The factions opposed to the Taliban have control of the north (excepting a few scattered pockets) and are making inroads towards to the capture of Herat near the Iranian border (western Afghanistan). The battle for Bagram is in progress and the Northern Alliance wants to push into Kabul despite Pakistani and US desires that they halt outside the city. The areas controlled by the Northern Alliance should have little difficulty in getting the aid that they need. The US plans on delegating security & distirbution issues for the food programs to the military forces of their allies while the American miltary is more involved near the battle field and coordinating with the anti Taliban forces. This will allow the allied forces to participate while avoiding the criticism that the US military is receiving. That leaves the Taliban controlled areas to contemplate. I have posted in the past that many countries have had meetings discussing the future government for Afghansitan after the Taliban have been removed from power. Its seems that the Taliban is the only <i>government</i> that thinks there won't be a change. As noted previously in this thread, security for food programs in the Taliban areas will be a huge issue and trusting the Taliban to <i>do the right thing</i> and feed their civilian population is a huge leap of faith. A food convoy with sufficient security (personnel & weapons) to fend off the Taliban and distribute the food fairly would likely not be permitted to travel in Taliban territory. Mango
Well glynch has convinced me that I should take up the call to action. I've sent email to each of the addresses above. In them I declare my support for the immediate escalation of the bombing and for US Armed Forces to press on to drive out the Taliban and bring bin laden to justice. He was right. I feel much better now.
You and glynch are right! Escalate the bombing and get this over with ASAP, before winter sets in! I'll also let them know my opinion.
Actually I agree that if they're not going to break for food relief, which I prefer, that they should get it over with by winter and feed the people. Innocents should not have to die. But what if speeding it up led to the loss of another couple of US lives, would you guys still be in favor of it? Treeman, ulterior motives????
Yes. But it would almost certainly work out the other way around - the faster it goes, the fewer Americans die. Not to mention innocent civilians... Which leads me to the motives comment. If you are serious about wanting to see a famine prevented there, you would not support this ridiculous call to halt the bombing. All that would accomplish is the further preservation of the Taliban, and they are not letting any aid through. Either you really don't understand this, or you want to see the Taliban stay in power. Those are the only two logical possibilities. I'm presuming then that you really didn't understand this?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/pakistan/Story/0,2763,592613,00.html The UN confirmed that armed gangs in Mazar-i-Sharif looted UN and aid agency offices and raided food warehouses in the hours before and after the fall of the city last Friday. Northern Alliance troops had seized a 10-truck convoy belonging to Unicef which was carrying tents and water pumps, the UN added. The troops also looted furniture, computers and radios in Unicef's office. Taliban fighters had already stolen all of Unicef's vehicles as they fled southwards to Pul-i-Khumri on the road to Kabul, the agency's spokesman, Chulho Huyan, said. "Soon after the fall of the city groups of armed people entered Unicef premises and removed almost every item found inside," he added. The reports confirm the impression that as more cities fall to the Northern Alliance armed gangs are filling the power vacuum left by the departing Taliban. "So far it remains volatile with reports of looting, abduction of civilians, uncontrolled gunmen and street battles on going," Lindsey Davies, a World Food Programme spokeswoman, said.
Wow, do you think we should just call this whole thing off and let the Taliban stay in power, boy? This is to be expected - it is war, after all. Urban combat is always chaotic, and no one ever said that the Northern Alliance was full of nice guys to begin with. I'd expect to see some anarchy until the new government takes shape - the Northern Alliance is not the new government, they're a conquering army. Most conquering armies behave like this (it's pretty standard for Afghans in particular). The only thing the Taliban did differently when they conquered a town was to make the mass executions orderly... Much of this is not even the Northern Alliance. A good portion of these "armed gangs" were almost certainly Taliban fighters two days ago (notice it started before the Northern Alliance got there). I was wondering where the Taliban went when they "pulled out" of Mazar. They didn't appear to have a destination... Some left for Kabul or Kandahar, and some stayed behind. It's going to take a week or two for things to calm down enough for the real relief work to start. When the new government is in place - and that should be soon - then it can start. But no matter what happens, the Taliban is still finished, boy. Like it or not.
If the Taliban really cared about the Afghan people, they would just surrender now. Even if we just left them alone, they would not be able to help the people as well as the US. By realizing that they are fighting an unwinnable war and conceeding victory to the US, they would save not only the people whom they maintain that they are fighting for, they would save themselves as well.
This is from Nic Robertsons (CNN) report on the recent interview with Bin Laden. "And part of that conversation with Mir, bin Laden was saying that he was very encouraged to see people coming out on the streets in the United States and Europe protesting against these airstrikes. In fact, Mir said bin Laden was encouraging people to do that. " Just as the peaceniks helped Ho Chi Minh, so do they help Osama bin Laden (kinda rhymes).
I think it's pretty clear that the Taliban wouldn't mind it one bit if thousands of Afghans died of hunger. In fact they would probably love it if that happened. It would only help their propaganda efforts. You should read the piece that Will wrote for MSNBC last week. The Taliban uses your morality against you. Hijacking the world's conscience
And it was peaceful with people living in harmony and not being executed with the Taliban around boy? I am shocked there are so many people like this supporting the Taliban, especially since he is being financed by known terrorist, or since some people don't like the name terrorist, then being financed by murderers. Obviously it's going to be an uprising for a few weeks, then things will settle down. By the way glynch, this is possibly what could happen if we sent aid workers in: http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20011113/ts/attack_afghan_christians_dc_2.html <b>Taliban Says They Have Taken Aid Workers to Kandahar </b> <i>ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (Reuters) - All eight Western aid workers held by Afghanistan Taliban on charges of promoting Christianity were taken to the movement's southern stronghold of Kandahar, the father of an American prisoner said on Tuesday. John Mercer emerged from a 20-minute meeting with Taliban diplomats in Islamabad to say they had confirmed the six women and two men were well but had been taken by retreating Taliban forces from Kabul. Mercer, who has been seeking his daughter's release since shortly after the arrest of the group early in August, said the Taliban refused to discuss freeing the humanitarian workers. The two Americans, two Australians and four Germans -- members of the German-based Christian charity Shelter Now International -- were awaiting trial after being detained by the hardline Islamic Taliban for allegedly spreading Christianity. A senior Western diplomat said last week the eight were being constantly moved between different locations in Kabul, possibly to prevent a commando raid to rescue them, and were now clearly hostages. A visibly worried Mercer, father of Heather Mercer, had gone to the Taliban embassy in Islamabad after Northern Alliance forces began moving into the Afghan capital overnight as the Taliban fled south toward Kandahar. ``It's very distressing. If I sit back and try to analyze it, you know, it is quite possible that the Taliban consider that they still have an effective government and they can still have a trial in Kandahar,'' Mercer told CNN. ``That's one way to look at it. ``The other is that maybe they are going to be pawns for some leverage in political negotiations. I still have hope that the Taliban have kept them safe for over 100 days now and they will continue to do so,'' Mercer said. The trial of the eight aid workers had just begun when the U.S.-led military campaign was launched against the Taliban for sheltering Osama bin Laden blamed for the suicide-hijacking attacks in the United States that killed some 4,600 people. Atif Ali, a Pakistani lawyer hired to represent the eight, said Mercer went to the embassy to learn where the aid workers were and how the trial could proceed in current circumstances. The Taliban had rejected earlier appeals by family and governments to release the aid workers, who have denied trying to convert Afghans from Islam. There has been no news on the fate of 16 local employees of the charity arrested at the same time. POTENTIAL DEATH SENTENCE The U.S. government have listed the release of the eight as one of the demands on the Taliban, along with handing over Saudi-born militant Osama bin Laden and his senior lieutenants in the al Qaeda network who are blamed for the September 11 attacks on the United States. The Taliban chief justice had promised a fair trial but any punishment would ultimately be decided by Taliban supreme leader Mullah Mohammad Omar, who was based in Kandahar until the U.S. air strikes began on October 7. The punishment could range up to death sentences. The foreign detainees have been identified as Australians Peter Bunch and Diana Thomas, Americans Dayna Curry and Mercer, and Germans Georg Taubmann, Katrin Jelinek, Margrit Stebner and Silke Durrkopf. Opposition fighters entered Kabul on Tuesday, defying international pressure to stay out, and there was no sign of the Taliban in the city after they left under cover of darkness. The Taliban's offices in the city were deserted and some were being plundered by looters. Residents said some prisoners had broken out of jails abandoned by the Taliban. </i>
If People are Dying in Afghanistan because of this war, it is the fault of the Taliban. They routinely massacre their own people for any type of insubordination outside of what they feel is "religious" The way those bastards killed Abdul Haq, I hope they all are buried alive in one of their hiding caves. Haq, a war hero, and Pashtun leader that lost a leg in the war was murdered by the Taliban because he was not in agreement with them and had a strong following with the Pashtun tribe, of which the Northern Alliance is not. They sit there and preach and tell children to go to war and give their lives, yet they flee at the first sign of danger. This regime is wrong and needs to go down. If Afghanistani's are dying, it is the Taliban's fault, but of course they will use it to muster up support for themselves as always........
It's very unfortunate the tribal leader from the majority south (Haq) and the Northern alliance leader (killed by a suicide bomber) were both assasinated recently....Obviously the taliban is going down and going down hard.....For the sake of establishing a type of government, it would have been beneficial in obtaining their leadership abilities. Leadership is something that will need to happen........ On a side note, I am so happy..... seeing the people of Kabul running in the streets, smiling, shaving beards in defiance and having new found hope......I guess the people of Afghanistan really didn't embrace the stark obressiveness from the taliban govt. after all.....brainwashing can only go so far....you keep kicking, and kicking a dog, making it submit to your will, and eventually the dog may find it in it's best interest to bite back.
