This week, President Obama has reached out to Congress to make the war against ISIL official, requesting an Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF). It is been long past due for Congress to have this debate about whether or not the US should authorize war against ISIL, and one that we hope they will take very seriously.
The Peace Economy Project opposes the passage of the AUMF, and the trend towards endless war that we have seen played out in the Middle East. President Obama may be asking for permission now, but the fact remains that the US has been engaged in air strikes against ISIL since August, regardless of any official declaration of war.
The US has shown no interest in addressing international conflict through any means besides force. The Taliban and al Qaeda have not been defeated. ISIL itself is the result of the US invasion in Iraq. The war on terror has been a failure, and Obama himself has said that ISIL isn’t an immediate threat to the US. So why do we continue to go down this road when we’ve already wasted trillions of dollars on war?
It’s time to begin looking for real solutions to make the world a more secure place. There are alternatives to war that the US is not considering. The region needs time to rebuild and stabilize, but our continued military presence has done nothing but create more de-stabilization.
We must tell Congress that we must resist endless war. Sign on to this petition from Win Without War or call your Senators and member of Congress. Tell them that military force has not been working, and that it’s time to find a new approach.
