Matthew Hoh, A former Marine Corps captain stationed in the Zabul province in Afghanistan tendered his resignation to the US Ambassador Nancy Powel, becoming the first U.S. official known to resign in protest over the Afghan war, which he had come to believe simply fueled the insurgency.
“I have lost understanding of and confidence in the strategic purposes of the United States’ presence in Afghanistan,” he wrote Sept. 10 in a four-page letter to the department’s head of personnel. “I have doubts and reservations about our current strategy and planned future strategy, but my resignation is based not upon how we are pursuing this war, but why and to what end.”
If honest, our stated strategy of securing Afghanistan to prevent Al-Qaeda resurgence or regrouping would require us to additionally invade and occupy western Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen, etc. Our presence in Afghanistan has only increased destabilization and insurgency in Pakistan where we rightly fear a toppled or weakened Pakistani government may loose control of its nuclear weapons. However again to follow the logic of our stated goals we should garrison Pakistan, not Afghanistan. More so, the September 11th attacks, as well as the Madrid and London bombings, were primarily planned and organized in Western Europe; a point that highlights the threat is not one tied to traditional geographic or political boundaries. Finally, if our concern is for a failed state crippled by corruption and poverty and under assault from criminal and drug lords, then if we bear our military and financial contributions to Afghanistan, we must reevaluate and increase our commitment to and involvement in Mexico
I believe Matt has hit the nail on the head and Washington is at the moment reeling in an attempt to disaster manage this crisis. The above quoted text from his resignation letter quite interestingly sums up the huge American War of Terror fiasco. The aimless strategy in Afghanistan combined with the chaotic situation in Pakistan only will add to the our woes more importantly and naturally make matters worse for the the Americans. Many may ask, if this is a deliberate attempt to weaken the Islamic states or a truly unorganized mess
Comments
10 responses to “US official, Resigns in Protest questioning the American agenda in Afghanistan (& Pakistan)”
Finally someone calculated the human cost and catastrophe awaiting Human's of Asia.
I wish there were more politicians like Mathew.
It only takes to be a human and a heart to understand human suffering.
Hats off to you sir and your courage.
Peace shall prevail and we owe it to people like you.
Best of luck ,Mathew this is a small step but the right one.
@farrah shah!
do not underestimate a super power.
this small step is nothing compare to the lightening pace of US towards global agenda….
http://ejang.jang.com.pk/10-28-2009/pic.asp?picna…
baby farah got emotional…The guy quit on difference in opinion on strategy….
He didn't quit to save Human lives….
There is a difference among the people who are running this war…
Some of them believe that their own casualties are because they have to follow *Politically-Good-Looking* rules in order to avoid bad-press-coverage. They want an open, AS-YOU-LIKE Permission for their forces.
So please dig out the details before you start to embrace some one.
He didn’t quit to save Human lives [One of other 180 million beggers]
==================
Dear Friends,
The one who really quit to save lives:
Former US CIA Agent – Philip Burnett Franklin Agee (July 19, 1935 – January 7, 2008)
I had read his book in early 90s it was really shocking:
Inside the Company: CIA Diary (Hardcover) by Philip Agee (Author) – The book is about Political Operations by CIA to counter USSR in Latin America [Read sabotaging elected govt.]
Details:
Barack Obama, US Policies & Fragile Democracy in Pakistan
http://chagataikhan.blogspot.com/2009/05/barack-o…
Saddam Hussein: A Hero of Islam – VI
http://chagataikhan.blogspot.com/2008/10/saddam-h…
Good for Afghan but not good news for Pakistan
what will happen to Pakistan if US decides to call it a day and goes home from Afghanistan
the failure of america in afghanistan was observed precisely and in more detail by david rhode of newyork times.who was kidnapped by taliban.
his story was published in newyork times revealing some interesting information about taliban and failure of war against terror.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/18/world/asia/18ho…
Good for Afghan but not good news for Pakistan
what will happen to Pakistan if US decides to call it a day and goes home from Afghanistan
____________________________________________
that is the nightmare of all liberal pakis.
@One of other 180 million beggers
Dear
Whatever the reason of his quitting …I do not question it.
In the bigger picture he supports my view and in the end it saves life.
So I am NEITHER a BABY and NOR EMOTIONAL.It is only that I am not concentrating on my sore thumb only but on the larger picture.
there is a price which Mathew will pay …..he is an Army official ,questioning its own institution.
I think it takes an outstanding courage to challenege the whole foreign policy and military .
he needs our support ,and I do appreciate his courage.
I do not think that USA is misunderstanding the situation.
USA supports caos in the World.
It never shy away from using even Nuclear bombs or bullets to create this caos.
The subverted Democracy of Karzai and Zardari is exactly the sort of Democracy USA supports.
It does not want stability or peace any where.
Shamefully all US Presidents even while dropping Nuclear bombs,invading Iraq or Afghanistan have done so in the name of Peace .
——USA itself is the biggest Terrorist State ,which kills people because of terminology and stories made in Washington and publicised via propoganda around the world.
———-
All the MASS GRAVES in the past century arround the world were dug because of USA and UNITED NATIONS.
SHAME & SHAME & SHAME