Afghan women Jirga: US out

[Yoshie Furuhashi]

><http://www.dawn.com/2001/12/27/nat10.htm>
>
>'Afghan women Jirga calls for US forces' pullout'
>
>'Dawn' (Pakistan)
>
>Bureau Report
>
>PESHAWAR, Dec 26: The Afghan Women Jirga, a unique event in the 200 years'
>history of Afghanistan, has urged the newly-installed political managers in
>their country to make the equal representation for women as part of the future
>constitution of the country.
>
>The first-ever women Jirga was organised by the Afghan refugee women with the
>cooperation extended by the International Law Group and Aurat Foundation here
>at Nishtar Hall on Tuesday.
>
>Hundreds of refugee women attended the one-day Jirga and made important
>deliberations on women rights, which, according to them, held no significance
>in the past; and stressed upon the interim Kabul government to give equal
>opportunities to half of the humanity in the future development of 
>the country.
>
>Many delegations, representing Revolutionary Association of Women of
>Afghanistan (RAWA), Afghan Women Council (AWC) and other small groups from
>Quetta, Islamabad and Peshawar, attended the Jirga.
>
>They welcomed the stay of multinational peacekeeping forces to maintain peace
>in the country, but demanded the immediate pullout of the US fighting forces
>from Afghanistan. They said the US fighting forces had no role after the rout
>of Taliban to stay in their country.

*****   New York Times 29 December 2001

THE AFGHANISTAN MISSION

U.S. Forces Facing Long Afghan Stay, President Asserts

By ELISABETH BUMILLER

CRAWFORD, Tex., Dec. 28 - President Bush said today that he expected 
American troops to remain in Afghanistan for "quite a long period of 
time" to flush out remaining Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters and to 
interrogate, fingerprint and process more than 6,000 prisoners of war.

The United States mission will not be complete, Mr. Bush added, until 
Afghanistan is a stable country.

"I mean, there's a lot to do," Mr. Bush said in a 21-minute 
question-and-answer session with reporters at his ranch, with Gen. 
Tommy R. Franks, the commander of the Afghan campaign, at his side. 
"And the American people just must understand when I said that we 
need to be patient, that I meant it."

Mr. Bush gave no hint of any timetable for the withdrawal of American 
forces....

<http://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/29/international/29PREX.html>   *****
-- 
Yoshie

* Calendar of Anti-War Events in Columbus: 
<http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/calendar.html>
* Anti-War Activist Resources: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/activist.html>
* Student International Forum: <http://www.osu.edu/students/sif/>
* Committee for Justice in Palestine: <http://www.osu.edu/students/CJP/>