Resolution of the LINKE Party Executive Committee from 12th September 2021
The Party Executive Committee of Die LINKE calls on all party structures and organizations to join with allies in organizing vigils and activities on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the beginning of the war in Afghanistan.
On the 20th anniversary of the Afghan war, we remember the many victims who have died. The Costs of War project estimates at least 238,000 people have died in Afghanistan und Pakistan as a direct result of the war; in its Body Count study, the IPPNW (International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War) calculates the number killed is likely five to eight times that amount. In addition, 3,600 soldiers of the Western alliance lost their lives, including 59 Bundeswehr soldiers.
We remember in particular the victims of the devastating airstrike in Kunduz, in which 141 civilians were killed. The attack was ordered by a German Army commander.
The acts of terror of 9/11 should never have been countered with war, because war engenders fresh terror. DIE LINKE has been pointing this out for years. We caution against provoking a new war. We oppose the airstrikes and targeted killings currently being carried out by armed US drones.
The assumption that development requires a military presence has proved to be unfounded. From the start, we have criticized the civilian-military cooperation as a fig leaf for military intervention.
We reject a foreign policy geared to geopolitical interests. We demand of the German government, the EU, and NATO member states an immediate and non-bureaucratic intake of all Afghans who have been under threat for years and who are now acutely threatened. UNHCR funding must be increased. Deportations must be permanently stopped.
We will highlight DIE LINKE’s positions from our party platform on the day of action:
- No Bundeswehr deployments abroad
- Disarm the Bundeswehr, don’t rearm it – No to the Bundeswehr as a global deployment force
- Stop arms exports: No profit from war!
- A world with no nuclear weapons
- Cooperation not confrontation: for an inclusive security system
- Civil conflict management and crisis prevention
The national headquarters is creating a campaign package featuring:
- “No to war” posters
- Printable downloadable design templates for flyers
- Social media graphics templates
- Speaker pool
The original version of this resolution appears on the LINKE website. Translation: Julie Niederhauser