The "close" relationship between Bill Ayers and Barack Obama that many right-wing pundits envisaged had always been rather tenuous but it appears even more so now. The former 60s radical is now vocally protesting Obama's planned troops surge in Afghanistan on the streets of Chicago. Ayers, the co-founder of the Weather Underground, a communist revolutionary group, has long been an anti-war activist. In the footage, he gives a stern warning about Obama's troop escalation:
I am here demonstrating against the war because I am appalled and alarmed that once again we are escalating the war,'' Ayers said, in the interview above captured on the streets of Chicago this week. "The idea that there are benchmarks for getting out is a myth and a lie.
The fact is that, you know, you cannot imagine a scenario where six months from now or 18 months from now the administration would say, well we didn't meet our benchmarks, therefore we're leaving. This is an absolute tragedy for the Middle East, for Afghanistan and us.''
Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments
or send an email to the author at
jhudson at theatlantic dot com.
You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire.
John Hudson
User Comments
Please type your comment and click Post. If you’re not already logged in you will be prompted to log in or register