A year ago, the United States launched its military campaign in Afghanistan. To mark the event, the Madison Area Peace Coalition and other local organizations held an anti-war press conference at the Capitol building yesterday.

“We were horrified when the U.S. began bombing Afghanistan on Oct. 7, 2001,” Barbara Smith, Madison Area Police Coalition member and organizer of the event, said. “Only a year later, with that tragedy still in progress, we are working to prevent another U.S. war, this time in Iraq.”

“We want to stop these wars, which direct our resources away from productive uses into killing, creating victims both outside and within our country,” she added.

The event was held to launch “Week to Stop the Wars,” a series of events held this week with an anti-war message.

Speakers at the press conference included Smith; Will Williams, a Vietnam veteran; Bonnie Block, of Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice; Lea Zeldin, of Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom; Jennifer Loewenstein, of Palestine/Israel Peace and Justice Alliance; and Matt Rothschild, of Progressive magazine.

Block, who discussed the cost of war with the group of activists, said, “The event was important because, as a country, we really need to understand the effects of what our militarism does. We tend to ignore what our military terror does to other nations.”

On possible military attacks against Iraq, Block said, “It’s in every way immoral, illegal and stupid.”

Diana Farsetta of the Madison Area Peace Coalition helped organize the event. “We want people to stop and think about where we have been and where we are going,” she said. “Has it been a positive direction?”