Death Of Bin Laden Can Mean Choosing To Walk The Path Of Peace

Published in May 7th Des Moines Register
 
The death of Osama bin Laden presents a historic opportunity for the United States.  We can take advantage of the opportunity only by soberly and somberly reflecting on  the path we have taken these past nine-plus years. That path produced over 6000 US soldiers killed, $1.3 trillion spent, over one hundred thousand Iraqi and Afghan civilians killed, millions of Iraqi & Afghan refugees, 300,000 more veterans with PTSD, etc.  

We can choose now to continue on that path by extending our deadline for leaving Iraq, by accepting our generals’ judgment that we must be at war in Afghanistan indefinitely, and by finding ever more fertile grounds for the deployment of our lethal military. 

Or we can mark the death of bin Laden as the end of that path and begin walking the path of peace.  

In practical terms, that means beginning to bring  soldiers home from Iraq now, making the promised substantial troop withdrawal from Afghanistan this summer, controlling our generals, reining in Pentagon spending, and putting  our shoulders to the monumental job of waging peace. This path  is not only  more in keeping with what is best in American ideals, but will keep us safer from dangers, external and internal.

Ed
Flaherty
is President, Veterans for Peace Iowa Chapter #161 and former member of Johnson County Democrats
Central Committee and other suspect groups. Ed is a retired banker.