From Afghanistan with Love

Dear Friend for Peace,

Have you RSVP'd yet for Montgomery County's annual Peace Banquet, May 21? If not, do so right away by sending us an e-mail, as space is limited! See details below. We have an outstanding program this year!

Reports Just For You, Straight from Kabul

Jean is still in Afghanistan and has been blogging about her experiences. Check out these articles on the Peace Action Montgomery blog site:

One Cup of Tea

The Shura in the Porno Cafe

"Allahu Akbar, You Are a Bitch"

Baby Toes, Precious Gems and Nuclear Waste

You can comment on these articles, and we hope you will! Check back soon, as there are more articles to come.

Can You Make Two Important Phone Calls--Today?

Senators Cardin and Mikulski will decide in the next few weeks whether to co-sponsor S. 186, Barbara Boxer's bill that calls for a significant withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in July and an end date for the war. Last year, Sen. Feingold sponsored a similar bill and both Maryland's senators voted against it. Let's change that this year.

Please call both Senator Cardin and Senator Mikulski and tell them to cosponsor S. 186. Want to know why this is so important? Read this

article in the Huffington Post. Call the Capitol switchboard at 202-225-3121 and ask for Sen. Mikulski and then re-dial and ask for Sen. Cardin.

While you have the senators' offices on the line, tell them something else: that you want the Pentagon budget cut--a lot.

For specific suggestions on what should be cut, check out our new flier.

In peace and solidarity,

Jean, Pat, Pam, Alex, Dave, Nik, Steve, Tim, Karen, Melinda, Fran, Mike, Shelley

P.S. Don't forget to RSVP for our spring banquet!

www.PeaceActionMC.org

Today's Quote

Our country is now geared to an arms economy bred in an artificially induced psychosis of war hysteria and an incessant propaganda of fear.

General Douglas MacArthur

alendar

Wed., May 4: 6:30-9 p.m. Mayors for Peace presents a briefing on disarmament and nuclear weapons abolition. Home of Mel and Juanita Hardy, 8922 Second Ave., Silver Spring. All welcome! Register here. Cosponsored by Peace Action Montgomery.*

Thurs., May 5: 7 p.m., Peace Action Montgomery meeting at the home of one of our members. All welcome. For directions, contact us here.*

Wed., May 11: 6:30-9 p.m. Mayors for Peace presents the second briefing on nuclear weapons abolition. Featuring representatives from the Japanese art and culture community who can speak to the experience of the Hibakusha (survivors of the atom bomb attacks on Japan). Sandy Spring Friends Meeting Community House, 17715 Meeting House Rd., Sandy Spring. Register here. Cosponsored by Peace Action Montgomery.*

Tues., May 17: 7:30 p.m. Presentation by Jean Athey on the military budget and the Fund Our Communities, Bring the War Dollars Home campaign. Sponsored by Pax Christi Burtonsville. Church of the Resurrection, 3315 Greencastle Road, Burtonsville. All are welcome!*

Thurs., May 19: 7 p.m., Peace Action Montgomery meeting at the home of one of our members. All welcome. For directions, contact us here.*

Sat., May 21: Peace Action Montgomery, Pax Christi, and the Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockville (UUCR) invite all to Montgomery County's annual peace luncheon. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at UUCR, 100 Welsh Park Dr., Rockville. Keynote speaker will be labor leader Gene Bruskin.
Reserve your place by e-mailing us your RSVP today!*

Sat., May 21 - Tues., May 24: Move Over AIPAC, Building a New Middle East Policy. Register now for this exciting and important conference and advocacy opportunity. Peace Action Montgomery is a cosponsor.*

Every Saturday: Join the Olney Peace Witness, corner of Rt. 108 and Georgia Ave., 10:30-11:30 a.m.*

Every Friday: Vigil at Walter Reed, in the open plaza between Dahlia and Elder streets, 7 to 9 p.m., come for any amount of time during that period.*

*Events that Peace Action Montgomery has discussed and formally endorsed.

www.PeaceActionMC.org

About Our Annual Peace Luncheon!

Peace Action Montgomery, Pax Christi, and the Social Justice Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockville (UUCR) invite you to our annual Peace Luncheon on May 21, to benefit Women for Afghan Women , a terrific organization providing literacy, medical and other services for rural women in Afghanistan.

The keynote speaker for this year's luncheon is Gene Bruskin, a renowned national labor leader and co-founder of US Labor Against the War. Sen. Jamie Raskin will present the Maryland Peace Maker Award this year.

Jean Athey, who will have just returned from a trip to Afghanistan, will briefly talk about her experiences.

The luncheon will feature Middle Eastern food and will be held at UUCR at 11:00 a.m., May 21, 100 Welsh Park Dr., Rockville. Directions here. The suggested donation is $25, but pay what you can.

Everyone is invited, but please be sure to RSVP to info@peaceactionmc.org so that we can order enough food for everyone!

TO DO THIS WEEK

Call your senators and tell them you want them to co-sponsor S.186, to bring our troops home and establish an end date for the war.

Call the Congressional switchboard at 202-225-3121 and ask for Senator Cardin, and then call again and ask for Senator Mikulski.

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RSVP for the Montgomery County Peace Luncheon, scheduled for May 21! E-mail us here.

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Invite us to show our PowerPoint, American Militarism: At What Cost? to your group! E-mail us for details.

Commentary

Newly Leaked Documents Show the Ongoing Travesty of Guantanamo-- Glenn Greenwald's important article on what we have learned from Wikileaks, and how reporting in the U.S. compares to reporting on the same material abroad.

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Two Guys Standing on an Incline -- A comic that describes the Libya action.

Those Who Died
April 10 - 23

In Iraq:

Sgt Vorasack Xaysana 30 Westminster CO

PO Micah Hill 27 Ralston NE

Pvt Antonio Stiggins 25 Rio Rancho NM

Ltn Omar Vasquez 25 Hamilton NJ

146 Iraqis

In Afghanistan: