DSA Statement on the US Bombings of Afghanistan

The Bush Administration’s bombing campaign against Afghanistan has escalated the crisis created by the September 11th terrorist attacks. Although supposedly aimed at the Al-Qaeda network and the fundamentalist Taliban government of Afghanistan that has harbored the network, the campaign is more likely to punish the innocent than the guilty. In fact, the bombings have already resulted in civilian casualties, an increased flow of refugees, and a massive disruption of humanitarian aid—all in a country that has already experienced over two decades of warfare and is in the midst of a massive drought. Democratic Socialists of America opposes this unilateral use of American air power.

DSA firmly believes that the criminals who planned and helped carry out the September 11th terrorist attacks on the United States must be brought to justice. Any peace movement that might convince the majority of the American people that massive use of United States military force is counterproductive must make such an unequivocal call. Justice and the nature of the crime requires that the all of the perpetrators of September 11th be captured and tried for their crime against humanity before an impartial international tribunal that upholds international law and universal human rights. Such a permanent international court would provide all countries with a place to bring charges of human rights violations, including charges against our own government's history of violating universal human rights.

DSA would support the use of appropriate police powers and force to bring indicted criminals before such a tribunal. But the prolonged presence of American ground troops in Afghanistan, which now appears to be the inevitable next step, is more likely to result in increased anti-Americanism swelling the ranks of potential terrorists instead of weakening their organizations. A lengthy campaign will undermine the international cooperation necessary to destroy the covert systems of financing that allow terrorist organizations to engage in sophisticated operations. In addition, such unilateral use of military force will undermine the cooperation with other national intelligence agencies necessary to curtail terrorism.

The Bush Administration has attempted to present its actions as multilateral by cobbling together a series of bilateral arrangements with other nations obtained, in many cases, through the blatant use of coercion and bribes. DSA supports effective international action against terrorism. Terrorism by an individual, a group, or a state is never justified; the innocent are almost always the victims and reactionary forces are always its real beneficiaries. Genuine international cooperation among nations, including involvement by the United Nations is a prerequisite for a campaign that will be seen as in the interest of all nations and not just some nations. Such action will also require prolonged and complex use of a variety of means—diplomatic, ideological, financial, legal, and, at times, the appropriate use of force. How quickly and effectively international cooperation can curtail terrorism is an open question. But, unilateral, massive, and indiscriminate use of the United States military power will subvert the possibility of effectively combating terrorist organizations. Ultimately a campaign against international terrorism must be based on a commitment by all countries, including the United States, to international enforcement of universal human rights and to a more just and equitable world.

Approved October 14, 2001 by the
DSA NPC Steering Committee