Witherspoon
supports call to Pres. Bush to establish a Victims Fund for those in
Afghanistan having been hurt by US military campaign there.
[7-15-02]
At the suggestion of Derrick Kikuchi, an active
member of the Silicon Valley Witherspoon chapter, the Executive
Committee of the national Witherspoon Society has added its name to a
letter being sent to President Bush, calling for the creation of a
government fund to help the innocent civilians who have been injured
during the recent US bombing campaign in Afghanistan. Kikuchi and
a number of other members of First Presbyterian Church of Palo Alto (CA)
have recently returned from a visit to Afghanistan.
If you want to add your name to the letter, you'll
need to act quickly, since Global Exchange and other sponsors of the
letter are planning a press conference this Wednesday, July 17, to
announce the letter.
To add your name or get information, contact Kristi
at (415) 255-7291, or send a note to peace@globalexchange.org
The Global Exchange web site will provide more
background information, though your WebWeaver has not been able to find
the text of this letter there.
~~~~~~~~~~
___ Yes, add our name to the SIGN-ON letter to
President Bush.
Name:
Title:
Organization:
Email:
Phone:
******************************************
Dear President Bush,
We, the undersigned organizations, represent a
diverse coalition of humanitarian, women's rights, human rights, and
Afghan-American organizations.
We are writing to ask you to create a government
fund to help the innocent civilians who were mistakenly injured during
the recent US bombing campaign in Afghanistan.
When innocent people were killed in the tragic
events of September 11, the United States government responded with
compassion to assist the families of the victims. But unfortunately the
innocent victims in Afghanistan, many of whom are among the poorest
people in the world, have received almost no help at all. People whose
homes were destroyed have no money to rebuild; people who suffered
severe medical injuries and mental trauma have no funds to get
treatment; women who lost their husbands have no economic means to take
care of their children.
We estimate that about 2,000 Afghans would submit
claims, with the average claim being about $10,000. This would mean a
fund of a mere $20 million, which is less than the $30 million a day we
spent on the military campaign.
By helping the Afghan civilian victims of the
recent military campaign, the US government will provide critically
needed assistance to people living in desperate conditions, improve our
image internationally, and move closer toward reconciliation and lasting
global security.
A recent Zogby poll showed that 69% of the US
public agreed that the US government should provide humanitarian
assistance to these innocent Afghan civilians mistakenly hurt during the
war. This is an idea that appeals to the generosity and compassion of
the American people.
We therefore hope you will carry out the desire of
the US people to show compassion for the Afghan victims by immediately
creating a fund to assist them in rebuilding their lives.
Thank you for your considering this request. We
look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
