Contact: Carley Towne | CODEPINK Co-Director | [email protected]| (909)-809-8104
May 21st, 2021-CODEPINK joined Public Citizen and thirty-eight other groups to send a letter to leadership of defense appropriations subcommittees this morning calling for a lower Pentagon budget for FY22 in light of the recent announcement that the U.S. will be withdrawing troops from Afghanistan.
"Troop withdrawal from Afghanistan offers an opportunity to re-examine the nation’s extremely large commitments to the Pentagon budget" the groups write. "Estimates indicate that at least $20 billion and perhaps as much as $50 billion will be freed up by withdrawing troops from Afghanistan."
Carley Towne, Co-Director of CODEPINK said "Withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan by September of 2021 is an important step toward fulfilling President Biden's campaign promise to 'end the forever wars'. The U.S. now has a special responsibility for peacebuilding, reconciliation, and reconstruction, given our near 20 year occupation of Afghanistan. To truly fulfill the promise to "end forever wars", the estimated savings freed up by troop withdrawal should be redirected from the Pentagon budget to create a dedicated fund for Afghanistan's reconstruction and social development."
The letter signers include national peace, environmental, faith, national security, and good governance groups.
Read the full letter here and find additional commentary from signatories here.
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