The day after the 1000th US soldier was killed in Afghanistan a vigil was held in front of the War Memorial in San Francisco to draw attention to the growing loss of life for the US war drive. All 1000 names were read as well as a representative of the unknown number of Afghanis who have been killed during the occupation of their country. The event was organized by the American Friends Service Committee and Veterans for Peace.

About the same time as the 1000 US soldier was killed, 27 Afghan civilians were killed and 14 wounded in yet another round of NATO airstrikes. Their convoy of three vehicles, which included women and children, was hit on its way to Kandahar province. The massacre comes just a week after 12 Afghans were killed by a missile, and another five in an airstrike.

The Pentagon has been bragging about new rules of engagement designed to "protect civilian lives," yet more than 50 Afghan civilians have been killed by U.S./NATO forces during the past two weeks. The wars and occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan have produced the greatest percentage of civilian deaths than any previous war.

On March 20th, people across the United States will converge on Washington, D.C. There will be joint demonstrations in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Demonstrators will demand, "No Colonial-type Wars and Occupations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine, Haiti!"

Photos | Oakland Mother Being Tried for Refusing to Leave Son and Go to Afghanistan | Day of Actions to Prevent Funding the Afganistan Escalation