Guest Post: Our Terrorist War On Afghanistan

A "war on terror" waged 7000 miles from the Pentagon left an already impoverished nation even more destitute.

The November/December issue of Hospitality published the following by one of my distant cousins, Weldon Nisly, a Washington state-based Mennonite minister who devotes himself to the work of Contemplative JustPeace and Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT). According to the Hospitality editor, "His life is dedicated to the abolition of war. Weldon serves half time on the CPT Iraqi Kurdistan team and was on the CPT Palestine team in Hebron in September-October 2017 and August-September 2018."

I post the following excerpts of the article with his kind permission, including three of his seven laments in a "Litany of Lament for the Lies of War":

"... August saw an ignominious end to U.S. occupation. But it is no end to the war on terror, which by definition and design is forever war. Drone strikes, sanctions, arming other countries and political threats ensure forever war. It is delusional to believe that continuing military intervention for another year or ten years will achieve a different result.

"... I offer this litany of lament for the terror and trauma America's endless war inflicts on people of color, people who are poor, people of other faiths, people speaking other languages, people who are innocent.

"... I Lament that America, in its war on Afghanistan, hailed as the 'good war' to defeat terrorism,  refuses to see that terrorism cannot be defeated by military might any more than hate can be defeated by vengeance. 'Good war' blindness scorns comparisons between the U.S. war in Vietnam and Afghanistan. Now the Afghanistan Papers, like the Pentagon Papers a half-century ago, document 'good war' lies.  Will I see that lies of war never build peace?

    Jesus said, 'Blessed are your eyes, for they see.'

"... I Lament the monetary cost of war stealing trillions of dollars from taxpayers to pay for the war on Afghanistan and trillions more dollars wasted on the war on terror plus the incalculable cost of destroyed homes and homeland, farms and forests, polluting and exploiting God's creation. The real 'winners' of war are weapons makers and dealers who make a killing sacrificing human life for personal profit. Will I dare to see and imagine the good that could be done by spending millions of dollars on peace rather than war, human security rather than national security?

    Jesus said, 'Blessed are your eyes, for they see.'

"... I Lament that whistleblowers who tell the truth about the lies of war are persecuted and prosecuted as war criminals while political leaders who spout lies and commit war crimes are heroized and not held accountable. Colleen Rowley, former FBI agent and 9/11 whistleblower, recently said, 'When telling the truth to divulge lies of war becomes a crime, you know the criminals are in charge.' 

    Jesus said, 'Blessed are your eyes, for they see.'

"... Each lament sees the sacredness of all God's people and creation with the eyes of our heart."