U.S. Civilians Try to Inform U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan About Pakistan

This is the letter I sent to Ambassador Richard Hoagland after he met with the Codepink Delegation for Peace on October 3 stating that American policies are what have made Pakistan dangerous for Americans. -- Ann Wright

October 5, 2012

Ambassador Richard Hoagland
US Embassy
Islamabad, Pakistan
Dear Ambassador Hoagland,

Thank you and your staff for meeting with our American delegation for peace on October 3.

As you mentioned, your meeting with us demonstrates one of the strengths of American society-freedom of speech to criticize policies of one’s government.

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We fully appreciate the United States warning about travel for Americans to Pakistan.

We strongly believe that as long as the United States continues its war in Afghanistan, the violation of Pakistan sovereign territory by the use of CIA assassin drones and their use on civilians of Pakistan, the U.S. President’s extra-judicial drone “kill list”, the U.S. reward/ bounty program that has consigned innocent civilians to a decade of imprisonment without trial in Guantanamo and perhaps other locations, kidnapping through extraordinary rendition, and sending detainees for torture in other countries, that Pakistan will remain a dangerous place for Americans to visit.

In the name of U.S. national security we demand that the United States government change these policies.

Our delegation of peace will meet representatives of those affected by the CIA assassin drones. Although more people have been targeted for attack by assassin drones in North Warizistan, we hope the Government of Pakistan will allow our delegation to travel to South Wairzistan to witness the destruction wrecked by drones on the lives of people there.

Our delegation follows in the footsteps of American groups that, over the decades, have travelled to North Vietnam, Cuba, Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Gaza and North Korea to witness the effect of disastrous war and sanctions/quarantine policies of the United States and to bring back to the American people the stories of the citizens of these countries, stories of harm that are, not surprisingly, never told by our government.

While in Pakistan we have met with Pakistani think tanks, the Pakistani Government’s National Defense University which provides senior educational opportunities for both military and civilian employees, human rights groups, parliamentarians and politicians. Our message of concern about American policies by American citizens has received a warm reception from all the groups.

We ask that you and your staff meet with us again after we return from South Warizistan so that you as a representative of our government’s drone policies hear first hand from those who have witnessed their effects.

Sincerely,
Ann Wright

Former US diplomat who resigned in March, 2003 in opposition to the war on Iraq
Retired US Army Reserve Colonel