Senseless death must galvanize opposition to Afghan war

Major Brent Taylor, 39 year old mayor of North Ogden, UT, was murdered in Afghanistan Saturday by one of the Afghan commandos he was training. Taylor, father of seven, died there as a member of the Army National Guard. According to Utah governor Gary Herbert, colleagues of Taylor discouraged him from volunteering for a fourth tour saying "You've done enough". But Taylor "thought he could do some good in Afghanistan, to help the people be liberated."

Bunk. Taylor was simply cannon fodder for the US war party which wants America to continue its senseless, criminal war in Afghanistan forever to bring endless riches, power and glory to the Military-Industrial Complex. Insider attacks by Afghan forces are so common that the Pentagon discourages contact with Afghan forces. But since our primary mission there is training, such dangerous contact is unavoidable. The Afghans want to be liberated all right...from America's criminal intervention. That is why they try, and sometime succeed, in killing our trainers. Taylor is US coalition death number 3,509. Afghan deaths are in the tens, maybe hundreds of thousands. Squandered treasure may exceed a $trillion. We can honor Taylor's misguided service to the war party by demanding our congressmen and president end our Afghan mis-adventure. We pay for it...we can stop it.

Walt Zlotow

Glen Ellyn