Outside Congressman Alan Lowenthal’s Long Beach Office, on Tuesday, Aug. 22, stood about a half dozen people protesting the president’s Afghanistan troop increaseion; photo by Barry Saks
About half dozen people, organized by the Long Beach Area Peace Network, on Tuesday, Aug. 22, protested President Donald Trump’s decision to increase U.S. troops in Afghanistan at 100 West Broadway, which is outside Congressman Alan Lowenthal’s Long Beach office.
John Fortier stands, on Tuesday, Aug. 22, with his protest sign
John Fortier, 83, who is a retired teacher from the Los Angeles Unified School District, was at the protest. Fortier went into the military right out of high school ended up as an airplane gunner in Korea. He characterized a reoccurring nightmare he had as a “PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) experience.” Fortier, who taught school for about 35 years, said, “I dreamt I was in a great big plane and that we were flying in among high tension wires and I called, my pilot whose name was Bob, ‘Hey Bob get out of these wires….We’re going to go down.’….I would wake up with a sweat, sometimes I would be yelling (and) sometimes just talking.” After being discharged for two or three years, he met a friend he served with. His friend reminded him that North Korea military personnel would string low-hanging ropes or cables to bring down low-flying U.S. military planes bombing railroad tracks. After being reminded, his nightmares ended. Fortier added he does a weekly Friday one-man protest in Redondo Beach, where he lives.
Carol Quinlan, 59, who lives in Long Beach, was also at the protest. Quinlan said, “This is an unwinnable war…and that we need to get out.” Quinlan, who is a longtime LBAPN activist, added that the money that is being spent on the war in Afghanistan should be spent on infrastructure and schools.
While the president did not specify how large the Afghanistan troop increase would be during his Monday night address Fort Myer, Va., near Washington, the New York Times reported the increase would be “4,000.” During the presidential campaign Trump argued for a withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Barry Saks 
It’s fine to say “Get out now”, but what happens if we do that? Admittedly the President doesn’t put forth a plan for what “victory” looks like, nor does he provide any plan for what those additional troops will do, Does the Left have a plan other than abandoning the Afghans?? Just leave the place to the mercy of the Taliban? We know what happened last time.
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