Call Time: 6:00 PM PT, 7:00 PM MT, 8:00 PM CT, 9:00 PM ET
Conference Call Number: (605) 562-3140     
Access Code: 952870#
Backup Dial-in Numbers: (951) 262-7373 or (805) 360-1075

About Monday’s Call

Guest speaker, Terry Rockefeller is one of the co-founders of 9/11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows.  Terry lost family members in that tragedy.  She is now a co-convener of United for Peace & Justice (UFPJ). All these years Terry has maintained a steady relationship with those people in Iraq who form the vital civil society of that country. Terry has led yearly delegations to Iraq whenever the level of violence has permitted and she attends international conferences that the Iraqi Civil Society Movement holds.  Terry will be reporting on the recent political demonstrations and other positive developments in Iraq.

During the second half of the call, our focus will shift as Afghanistan is suddenly back in the spotlight with the U.S. bombing of the Doctors without Borders hospital in Kunduz.  There are calls for independent investigations into the bombings.  Then, just a few days ago, President Obama announced that he is slowing down the pace of withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and that some troops will stay there beyond his presidency.  Further, in the background, Congress approved the National Defense Authorization Act of 2016 which included $38 billion more for the war budget than President Obama originally proposed.  We will discuss each of these developments with an eye to what makes sense to do in response.

Materials for Discussion

BOMBING OF HOSPITAL IN KUNDUZ

About Kunduz

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kunduz_Province

Map of Kunduz

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/09/29/world/asia/afghanistan-taliban-maps.html

Kunduz Hospital Attack - MSF Fact Sheet

http://uslaboragainstwar.org/Article/74306/kunduz-hospital-attack-msf-factsheethttp://uslaboragainstwar.org/Article/74306/kunduz-hospital-attack-msf-factsheet