US Official Resigns Over Afghanistan

[zeeshan809]

Senior American civilian official stationed in Afghanistan has resigned stating that he has lost confidence in the purpose of the war. Mr. Matthew Hoh was working in the Afghan province of Zabul. He is a former marine and an Iraq war veteran. He let his superiors know in a letter that the American presence in Afghanistan is of no use as the country is failing and is the continued presence is actually increasing support for the Taliban.

Read the rest at:
Wars of the World: US Official Resigns Over Aghanistan - Criticizes War Objectives & Strategy

 

[H2O3C4Nitrogen]

Atleast someone has guts to not to become a part of neoconistic bloody expantion programe .

 

[absarahmedkhan]

I read this news in yesterday's Washington Post edition.

He says in his resignation letter:

Eight years into war, no nation has ever known a more dedicated, well trained, experienced and disciplined military than US Armed Forces. I do not believe any military force has ever been tasked with such a complex, opaque and Sisyphean mission as the US military has received in Afghanistan. The tactical proficiency and performance of our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines is unmatched and unquestioned. However, this is not the European or Pacific Theaters of World War II, but rather is a war for which our leaders, uniformed, civilians and elected, have inadequately prepared and resourced our men and women.

"We are spending ourselves into oblivion" a very talented and intelligent commander, one of America's best, briefs every visitor, staff delegation and senior officer. We are mortgaging our nation's economy on war.

4 Pages version of his resignation letter can be downloaded from:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/hp/ssi/wpc/ResignationLetter.pdf?sid=ST2009102603447

---------- Post added at 03:09 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:08 AM ----------

Hoh's letter is powerful and on point. Barack Obama, are you listening?

 

[absarahmedkhan]

In words of one of my American Friend:

Can Americans, including the President, tolerate seeing the dead bodies who were once living, breathing young people return from a war that very much resembles the Vietnam War? I wish Obama were just a little bit older so that he could remember the everyday newspaper articles and photos of the young faces -- more than 50,000 Americans of all races -- killed in a useless, shameful "conflict" that boiled down to one word -- hubris.

George Bush was the epitome of hubris entangled with his own unique family dynamic. His feelings of inadequacy and inability to understand, well, anything more complex than Legos, drove us into this war. Now, let's see if the Nobel Peace Prize winner can maneuver us out. Then, and only then, will the real work begin. And THAT kind of work is the work in which Obama excels -- building bridges, diplomacy and renewing a feeling in most people's hearts that the future will be better than our past.

And, I do not mean to ignore the dead at the other side of this war. The numbers have become so large--120, 96, 47--that it is almost impossible to imagine. One can only be reminded of our own devastating 9/11.

 

[absarahmedkhan]

Matthew Hoh, a former Foreign Service officer and former Marine Corps captain who last month became the first U.S. official known to resign in protest over the Afghan war, was online Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 1 p.m. ET to discuss the reasons why he thought the war "wasn't worth the fight."

Medina, N.Y.: I can appreciate that you have seen first-hand the problems we face in Afghanistan but I wonder and worry about what is going to happen in Pakistan if we leave?

Matthew Hoh: I feel that our two goals in that region should be the defeat of al-Qaeda and the stabilization of Pakistan (because of its possession of nuclear weapons and because of its history/relationship with India). By no means am I a Pakistan expert, but I do know we need to dedicate resources (personnel and money-but not troops) to ensure Pakistan's government remains successful. I don't know if this means we toughen our stance with Pakistan (to the point we threaten our lack of support) or whether we provide support in total with no strings attached. Regardless, 60,000 troops in Afghanistan, does not stabilize Pakistan. If anything, evidence suggests our presence in Afghanistan has destabilized Pakistan.


The Question Answers Session can be read from here

Matthew Hoh: Foreign Service official resigns in protest over Afghan war - washingtonpost.com