Candlelight Light Vigil & Commemoration 1000th US Death in Afghanistan

1000 casualty commemoration
Monday, February 22 -yes tonight
Vets Bldg-Macallister/ Van Ness, S.F.
5:00 pm
Dogtag vigil and reading of the names
Bill Creighton 415 571 9962
Sandra Schwartz AFSC 415 565 0201


For Immediate Release Contact: Sandra Schwartz, 415-999-2436

http://WWW.AFSC.ORG

999 AMERICAN TROOP DEATHS IN AFGHANISTAN
Why do we keep sending more troops to die? Whose name will be next?
Grim Milestone is a Stark Reminder of Human Cost of War

San Francisco, CA February 22, 2010 – The American Friends Service Committee, AFSC and Veterans for Peace will be reading the names of the fallen to draw attention to the cost of war in front of the Veterans Building, 401 Van Ness Ave. at 5 pm today, Feb. 22.


In the ninth year of war, increased foreign troop levels and increasing national resistance to their presence has escalated the violence in Afghanistan, making life less safe both for the occupied and occupier. Almost one-third of the 1,000 deaths, 317, took place last year, and deaths this year are on a pace to record even more.

For Afghans the exact numbers of casualties are unknown. Civilians are increasingly caught in the crossfire. Surveys from the United Nations show that last year marked the highest number of civilian deaths and the highest number of children being killed.

Before year’s end, the U.S. plans to complete the second phase of troop level increases announced in 2009. The additional troops would double the number of U.S. forces to 100,000. The department of defense uses a calculus of $1 million per soldier, per year, to deploy to Afghanistan – making our investment there $100 billion.

The AFSC urges the U.S. to announce an immediate cease-fire, pledge to stop sending additional troops, negotiate a timeline for the removal of U.S. troops and no US control of permanent bases in Afghanistan.

WHO: American Friends Service Committee, YOUR ORGANIZATION
WHAT: 1000th US Casualty in Afghanistan
WHERE: 401 Van Ness Ave. in front of the Veterans building
WHEN: February 22, 2010 at 5 pm







For more information on AFSC’s Afghanistan initiative, visit http://www.afsc.org, or follow us on Twitter or Facebook.


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The American Friends Service Committee is a Quaker organization that includes people of various faiths who are committed to social justice, peace and humanitarian service. Its work is based on the belief in the worth of every person and faith in the power of love to overcome violence and injustice.