Anti-War Groups Compare Obama’s Af-Pak Plan to Kennedy’s Vietnam Escalation

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Peace Action, an anti-war coalition that has enlisted four Democratic and four GOP members of Congress in an effort to dissuade President Obama from sending more troops to Afghanistan, just invoked an ominous historical analogy to describe today’s new White House war plan.

Kevin Martin, executive director of the anti-war alliance, said in a statement:

It’s a shame President Obama believes he can pursue the same militaristic strategy as his predecessors and produce a different result. While President Obama has made some good statements on increasing diplomacy and economic aid to Afghanistan and Pakistan, the emphasis is clearly on military operations. John F. Kennedy was in a comparable situation when he was elected. He chose to escalate then as well, and the consequences of his decision left our country mired in an unwinnable war.

Peace Action is organizing local protests against the escalation of the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan, starting in early April.

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