America cannot afford a war--says petition

Today morning two more news related to Afghanistan were in my inbox. One was from Kabul. According to this news item combined Afghan and international security forces detained several militants today in three operations around Afghanistan. This news item was based on a news release issued by an International Security Assistance Force Joint Command. American Forces Press Service also released a news in this regard which tells some detail.
Quoting the military officials report says that combined force detained several suspected militants near the village of Payandegi in the Zurmat district of Paktia province while pursuing a Taliban commander believed responsible for weapons trafficking and several attacks in the area. They recovered assault rifles, chest racks, grenades, blasting caps and other bomb-making materials.
Near the village of Duzalakheyl in the Hesarak district of Nangarhar province, a combined force detained a Taliban militant and other insurgents. The militant is believed responsible for supplying bomb-making materials to others in the area.
In a third operation, a combined force detained a suspected militant in Wardak province while pursuing a Taliban commander suspected of being heavily involved with bombing activity in the area.No shots were fired and no one was harmed in these operations, officials said.


Another report also related to Afghan issue but it is different. this report talks about those veterans who want to end the war in Afghanistan. According to the associate editor of the People's World   Ms Susan Webb  Veterans and others opposed to the U.S. military escalation in Afghanistan announced on Capitol Hill today (December 15,2009) that they have collected 100,000 signatures on a petition calling for an end to the war.  The Petition notes that the decision to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan will cost more than $100 billion a year. "America cannot afford a war that does not make us safer, and Congress has the power to stop the escalation," it tells lawmakers. "Vote NO on any spending bill that would send more troops to Afghanistan." Veterans for Rethinking Afghanistan members had traveled to Washington this spring to oppose additional war funding and urge Congress to turn to non-military solutions for Afghanistan and Pakistan.  In a series of  harrowing videos  posted online, the veterans describe their war experiences and the lessons they learned.--Rector Kathuria