Former Afghan MP Malalai Joya spoke in Vancouver.
Malalai Joya
Joya rejects the NATO coalition, Harper and the excuses for war
In the United States, many looked to the ballot box and hoped for real change when Barack Obama was elected President in 2008.
To be honest, I never expected that he would be any different for Afghanistan than President George W. Bush. The truth is that Obama's war policies have turned out to be even more of a nightmare than most people expected. Obama talked a lot about hope and change, but for Afghanistan the only change has been for the worse.
After almost two years of Obama, the number of U.S. troops occupying Afghanistan has more than doubled. And the number of drone attacks in Pakistan has increased. Obama's so-called surge of troops has resulted in increased Afghan civilian deaths.
The whole world will be watching Chicago anti-NATO protests
This weekend, tens of thousands are expected to converge on Chicago to protest against a summit of NATO leaders. Originally, the G8 was also going to meet in Chicago this week, but that gathering of heads of the world's most powerful governments was moved to Camp David.
The war in Afghanistan will be at the top of NATO's agenda, and it will be a focus of the mass demonstrations planned outside the summit. Prominent Afghan women's rights activist and former parliamentarian Malalai Joya adds her voice in support of the anti-war protests in Chicago.
Canada should change its policy on Afghanistan
After 9/11, unfortunately the United States and its allies like Canada pushed us from the frying pan into the fire, by putting in power the Northern Alliance criminals and warlords. As long as they follow this wrong policy, the situation in Afghanistan will become more disastrous.
Canada should not continue its current policy until 2011. Canada should act independently of the United States and find an alternative policy if they really want to be an honest friend of the Afghan people and improve this catastrophic situation.
