(The following article is from the September 16-30, 2009, issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $30/year, or $15 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $45 US per year; other overseas readers - $45 US or $50 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 133 Herkimer St., Unit 502, Hamilton, ON, L8P 2H3.)

People's Voice Editorial, Sept. 16-30, 2009

Little noticed amidst the presidential election debacle in Afghanistan and another horrifying NATO slaughter of civilians has been a crucial shift in US public opinion: 54% of Americans now believe the war in Afghanistan is a mistake. Driving this point home, the United for Peace and Justice Coalition and its 1000-plus affiliates are organizing across the United States to hold local activities on October 7 to mark the eighth anniversary of the US-NATO war in Afghanistan.

     The enormous corruption of the presidential campaign makes it clear to even the most optimistic observers that eight years of NATO occupation has, if anything, served only to entrench the stranglehold of various warlords and elites over the Afghan people. This truth was revealed again by the tragic fiery deaths of dozens of people, killed by US bombs on Sept. 4 as they siphoned fuel from tanker trucks stuck in the Kunduz River. Early accounts indicate that the bombers were called in by German troops on the basis of an allegation that the trucks had been hijacked by the Taliban. This mass murder shattered recent attempts to cut down on civilian deaths caused by NATO troops.

     These events make it even more critical to hold the Harper Tories accountable for the nightmare of the Afghan occupation. Public opinion in Canada remains solidly opposed to continuing the war, a political factor which must have a strong impact if a federal election takes place this fall.

     Responsibility for Canada's ongoing military role in Afghanistan lies not only with the Harper Tories, who arbitrarily extended the mission to July 2011 despite their minority in Parliament, but also with the opposition parties which refuse to demand "troops out now." The shocking refusal of all parties in Parliament to respond to the demands of Canadians for an end to the war must be exposed at every opportunity this fall.