The world changed on September 11th, 2001. The tragic deaths of almost 3,000 people and the destruction of the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers in New York City had a deep effect on the American people. 9/11 fundamentally altered the culture of the United States and its relationship with the rest of the world. The violence of that day was not confined, it spread throughout the world as America lashed out both at home and abroad. The almost 3,000 deaths of September 11th became hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of deaths from wars the US launched in retaliation. Tens of millions lost their homes. Join CODEPINK and Massachusetts Peace Action, on Saturday, September 11th, as we reflect on the lessons of 9/11 and the lessons of the 20 year Global War on Terror.

In the name of freedom, and of vengeance, the United States invaded and occupied Afghanistan. We stayed for 20 years. With lies of ‘weapons of mass destruction’ a majority of the country was convinced to invade and occupy Iraq, the worst foreign policy decision of the modern era. The Executive Branch was given sweeping authority to make war across borders and without limits. The conflict in the Middle East expanded under both Republican and Democratic Presidents, leading to US wars in Libya, Syria, Yemen, Pakistan, Somalia, and more. Trillions of dollars were spent. Millions of lives were lost. We created the greatest migration and refugee crisis since World War II.

9/11 was also used as an excuse to change the relationship of the US government to its citizens. In the name of safety the national security state was given expansive surveillance powers, threatening privacy and civil liberties. The Department of Homeland Security was created and with it ICE, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Words like ‘enhanced interrogation,’ a euphemism for torture entered the American lexicon and the Bill of Rights was tossed aside.

After the events of September 11th, 2001, “Never Forget” became a common expression in the United States. Unfortunately, it was not only used to remember and honor the dead. Like “remember the Maine” and “remember the Alamo,” “never forget” was also used as a rallying cry to war. 20 years after 9/11 we are still living in the age of the ‘War on Terror.’

We must never forget the lessons of 9/11 or the lessons of the Global War on Terror, lest we risk repeating the pain, death, and tragedy of the past 20 years.

This Webinar is Co-Sponsored by:

World BEYOND War, Project Censored, Veterans For Peace, CovertAction Magazine, Historians For Peace, On Earth Peace, Military Families Speak Out, The Coalition For Civil Freedoms, National Network Opposing The Militarization of Youth, United For Peace & Justice

Afghanistan: Who’s to Blame and What Next? - A CODEPINK Webinar

With Colonel Ann Wright, Matthew Hoh, Dr. Zaher Wahab and Medea Benjamin

– August, 2021 - 1 Hour: 45 Minutes

With the collapse of the US-backed Afghan government and the Taliban set to return to a position of power they occupied 20 years ago, who is responsible for this colossal failure? Who should be held accountable and how? And what can we do to make sure that lessons are learned that will stop the US government from future invasions/occupations? Army Colonel Ann Wright, former State Dept official Matthew Hoh, and Dr. Zaher Wahab join us in conversation. Zaher Wahab was born and schooled in Afghanistan, received a BA in sociology from The American University of Beirut, an MA in comparative education from Teachers College, Columbia University, and an MA in anthropology, and a PhD in international development education from Stanford University. Dr. Wahab was the first person in his family’s history to attend the village school, a boarding school in Kabul, and receive scholarships to attend college in Lebanon and the US. Dr. Wahab served as senior advisor to the Minister of Higher Education in Afghanistan from 2002 to 2006. he has written and presented numerous papers at regional, national, and international forums on education, was profiled in the Stanford Magazine, Academe, The Portland Alliance, The Oregonian, The Lake Oswego Review and Lewis & Clark’s The Chronicle Magazine for his achievements and for his services in the U.S. and Afghanistan, and is a frequent speaker at educational, civic and media organizations. Matthew Hoh has nearly 12 years of experience with America’s wars overseas with the US Marine Corps, Department of Defense, and State Department. He has been a senior fellow with the Center For International Policy since 2010. In 2009, Matthew resigned in protest from his post in Afghanistan with the State Department over the American escalation of the war. His writings have appeared in publications such as the Defense News, the Guardian, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post. He has been a guest on hundreds of radio and television networks and is an active member of Veterans for Peace. Ann Wright is a retired Army Colonel who was a diplomat in the State Department for 16 years, serving in the U.S. embassies of Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Micronesia, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Grenada and Nicaragua. She was on the team that reopened the U.S. Embassy in Kabul in December 2001 and remained five months. On March 13, 2003, Wright sent a letter of resignation to then-Secretary of State Colin Powell. Since that day, she has worked for peace, writing and speaking all over the world and has returned three times to Afghanistan. Wright is co-author of Dissent: Voices of Conscience and is active with CODEPINK, Veterans for Peace, and other organizations. Moderated by Medea Benjamin, co-founder of CODEPINK and author of Drone Warfare: Killing by Remote Control, Kingdom of the Unjust: Behind the U.S.-Saudi Connection, and Inside Iran: The Real History and Politics of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Exposing U.S. Empire - Philip Agee As a Model for Whistleblowers and Dissidents

With Daniel Ellsberg, Chris Agee, Ann Wright, Lou Wolf and Others