Wednesday marked the eighth anniversary of the U.S. invading Afghanistan. In this video, Carol Botke, a DeWitt resident, and Gary Lee, an East Lansing resident, explain why they protested the deployment of more troops to Afghanistan.
On a day remembered for conflict, East Lansing resident Aian Briganti held her sign for peace.
On Wednesday, Briganti participated in the protest of the war in Afghanistan that started eight years ago. The protest was headed by the Greater Lansing Network Against War and Injustice and the Peace Education Center. After fighting since 2001, the U.S. military is discussing whether to send more troops to the area.
“Sending more people over will only kill more people,” Briganti said.
Eight years after the U.S. invaded Afghanistan, U.S. General Stanley McChrystal has requested for the deployment of more troops to help adopt a similar strategy to that of Iraq, Matt Zierler, an assistant professor of international relations said.
“Currently, the U.S. is in a crossroads,” Zierler said. “It’s not that (President Barack Obama) wants to stay indefinitely. … Obama is being more cautious and that’s creating some division.”
Zierler said it’s hard to judge whether the U.S. efforts have been successful thus far. Currently, there is not timeline for Obama’s decision.
“It’s a situation that we knew it would be difficult,” Zierler said. “It’s a complex country to govern given its numerous ethnic groups and the difficulties that have previously existed.”
Lansing resident Margaret Kingsbury, who participated in Wednesday’s protest, said she doesn’t believe the country can be successful in that region.
“I think it would be a grave mistake to send more troops to Afghanistan,” Kingsbury said. “I don’t think there’s way for Afghanistan military victory. The history shows it’s not possible like in Vietnam.”
Kingsbury said she would like to see the U.S. government make an effort to turn the country over to the Afghanistan government.
“It’s their country and we are a foreign power,” Kingsbury said. “We really can’t resolve all the issues in the world that are troubled. We can’t possibly expand ourselves that far.”
Ann Francis, a coordinator of the GLNAWI, said the government should consider options other than deploying more troops, such as working with international organizations and putting more money into diplomacy.
“We are concerned that there isn’t an exit strategy by the U.S. and we will be at
war continually,” Francis said.
Though Francis has personally felt the war close to home with cousins going off to war, she said everyone has been impacted.
“These are people who could be home doing things,” Francis said. “They are sacrificing their lives.”
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