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Last Updated on July 6, 2016.

 
The Win Without War coalition released the following statement by Director, Stephen Miles, in response to President Obama’s announcement that he will break his previous pledge for a full drawdown of U.S. military personnel from Afghanistan before he leaves office.
“There is simply no reason to believe that 8,400 American troops will accomplish what 100,000 were unable to: a lasting peace in Afghanistan and an end to America’s longest war. It has been clear for more than a decade that there is no military solution to the war in Afghanistan, and the President’s announcement today is a sad reminder that America’s plan to bomb our way to peace in Afghanistan has been an abject failure.
This fall, the American war in Afghanistan will mark its 15th anniversary with no end in sight. Years of a ‘military-first’ policy have proved wholly incapable of ending decades of armed conflict in Afghanistan. Like all Americans, we stand with the people of Afghanistan in their pursuit of a lasting, sustainable peace – in particular, one that protects the important gains women and girls have made since 2001. Yet today, Afghanistan is rife with insecurity, the center of the world’s opium production, and a safe haven for violent extremists.
This is the legacy of 15 years of war. This is the result of trying to pursue peace through war.
We are deeply disappointed by the President’s announcement today that we will continue to fight a war with no military solution in Afghanistan. We strongly urge those who hope to succeed him to put forward a policy that will finally end America’s longest war, bring all our troops home, and put an end to decades of conflict in Afghanistan.”

July 6, 2016