A Christian Response to the Trump Regime’s Foreign Policy–With a Special Focus on N. Korea, Iran and Russia

Speaker: Ray McGovernDate: Friday, November 3, 2017 @ 7:30 p.m.

Place: Dorothy Day Catholic Worker, 503 Rock Creek Church Rd. NW, Washington, DC, 20010

Ray McGovern leads the “Speaking Truth to Power” section of Tell the Word, a publishing arm of the ecumenical Church of the Saviour in inner-city Washington.  A former co-director of the Servant Leadership School (1998-2004), he has been teaching there for more than 20 years. His current course is: “Ethics for the Day-to-Day.” McGovern came to Washington from his native Bronx in the early Sixties as an Army infantry/intelligence officer and then served as a CIA analyst for 27 years, from the administration of John F. Kennedy to that of George H. W. Bush. Ray’s duties included chairing National Intelligence Estimates and preparing the President’s Daily Brief, which he briefed one-on-one to President Ronald Reagan’s five most senior national security advisers from 1981 to 1985. In January 2003, Ray co-created Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS) to expose how intelligence was being falsified to “justify” war on Iraq.

 

Please join us!

 

For more info contact the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker: 202-360-6416,  artlaffin@hotmail.com.

Report of October 6, 2017 Dorothy Day Catholic Worker Peace Vigil at the White House Commemorating the 16th Anniversary of U.S. Warmaking in Afghanistan and Kathy Kelly’s talk at DDCW

Dear Friends,

Today marks the 16th anniversary of the immoral and illegal U.S. bombing and occupation of Afghanistan. God, Forgive US!  Yesterday at the weekly Noon-time Dorothy Day Catholic Worker (DDCW) peace vigil outside the White House, nine peacemakers (see photo) remembered the victims and their families and recommitted ourselves to ending this sinful war.  During the vigil Kathy Kelly, renowned global peacemaker and dear friend who has been to Afghanistan over 20 times, shared with us past and present horrors of this war and all wars everywhere. She also shared signs of hope as evidenced by the inspiring witness of the Afghan Peace Volunteers. During the vigil other friends offered compelling reflections. We also called for an end to U.S. military threats against North Korea and Iran and celebrated the International Campaign for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

In the evening  Kathy gave a powerful talk at the DDCW titled: “What Does War Generate?” Basing her reflection on the two feeding of the multitude stories in Mark’s Gospel, she spoke about the effects of U.S. militarism in relation to the “Four Famines” developing in Yemen and the horn of Africa, the naval blockade of Yemen, and U.S. support for the Saudi Coalition that has been decimating Yemen’s infrastructure. She also addressed how Saudi and UAE airstrikes have killed thousands of civilians, exacerbated a cholera crisis, and displaced millions of people.

Below is the prayer I offered in repentance for 16 years of U.S. warmaking in Afghanistan.

In the face of mass murders at home and a foreign policy based on mass murder abroad, let us redouble our efforts to do all we can to stop the killing everywhere, proclaim the Gospel of Nonviolence and create the Beloved Community.

With gratitude,

Art

Prayer in Repentance for U.S. Warmaking in Afghanistan 

 

Tomorrow marks 16 years since the United States began its criminal invasion and occupation of Afghanistan. Many nonviolently resisted this act of military intervention and a small group of us were arrested here at the White House. Tens of thousands of Afghan civilians have suffered and died from the US invasion and occupation since October 7, 2001 and many thousands more displaced. Three presidents have now presided over this war with no end in sight. President Trump announced on August 21 that he would continue the U.S. War in Afghanistan. At that time, Secretary of Defense (War) Mattis stated that some 3,000 U.S. troops (other Defense officials put the number at 3,500) would join the 11,000 American personnel and 6,000 allied troops already in Afghanistan. 

We pray for all those Afghans who have been, and continue to be, crucified to a cross of ruthless U.S. military occupation.  

Sing: God Forgive the Wrong We’ve Done, God Forgive Us Now (2Xs)

Let us remember that on October 3, 2015 the U.S. bombed a Doctors Without Borders Hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, where 42 people were killed and 30 injured. A survivor of the attack described how patients in the hospital were literally burning to death in their intensive care unit beds.

Sing: God Forgive the Wrong We’ve Done, God Forgive Us Now (2Xs)

In Afghanistan, year after year, life for Afghan civilians is only more dire.  According to the annual report by the United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan for 2016 there was a record-breaking increase of casualties–3498 civilians killed, and 7920 wounded and over 80,000 displaced. 

Sing: God Forgive the Wrong We’ve Done, God Forgive Us Now (2Xs)

On April 13, 2017, Holy Thursday, the U.S. military, allegedly targeting suspected ISIS fighters, dropped the GBU-43/B massive ordinance air blast MOAB) on Asad Khel, a small village in eastern Afghanistan. MOAB, the so-called “mother of all bombs,” is the most powerful conventional bomb ever used in combat; its blast effects are said to stretch a mile in every direction. At least 90 people died from the bombing, although the exact number is unknown.

Sing: God Forgive the Wrong We’ve Done, God Forgive Us Now (2Xs)

The UN estimates that 1,652 Afghan civilians were killed from January through June 2017.

Sing: God Forgive the Wrong We’ve Done, God Forgive Us Now (2Xs)

 

The Brown University Cost of War project estimates the total cost of the US war in Afghanistan to be $783 billion through FY 2016. Thant number climbs to $1.8 trillion when factoring in long term spending like veterans care and interest on the debt. Just think how this exorbitant amount of money could instead be used to eradicate poverty in Afghanistan and in the US.

Sing: God Forgive the Wrong We’ve Done, God Forgive Us Now (2Xs)

 

+Let us fervently pray for an immediate end to the immoral and illegal U.S. war in Afghanistan and for the withdrawal of all military and CIA personnel.

+Let us pray that the United States repent for its crimes against humanity, beg forgiveness from our brothers and sisters in Afghanistan, and make reparations to these war-weary people.