Matthew Ho: State Dept. Official Who Resigned Over Afghanistan Policy On Rachel Maddow (VIDEO)
Matthew Hoh lays out the reasons for his resignation and why a continued US presence fuels insurgency.
Thursday November 5, 2009 12:33 a.m.
Matthew Hoh is the first known US official to resign over the strategy of the Afghanistan conflict. In his resignation letter Mr. Hoh said "I have lost understanding of and confidence in the strategic purposes of the United States' presence in Afghanistan... To put it simply: I fail to see the value or worth in the continued U.S. casualties or expenditures of resources in support of the Afghan government in what is, truly, a 35-yeard old civil war." (See the full resignation letter here).
Mr Hoh sits down with Rachel to discuss the potential for political reconciliation and why we may be stuck in the same situation 4 to 5 years from now with no end to the Afghan's civil war in sight.
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Wanted to let you know that Ft Hood is a Post, not a Base. Army--Post; Air Force and Navy--Base.
I'm posting under a different name out of respect for my family and brother killed in Iraq who may not agree with me. I don't claim to know everything about these wars. I have always said since my brother was killed that I will support not the policy in Iraq, but the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. I believe from what I know and have heard from the soldiers returning from these wars that it's time to bring our troops home. I've heard their stories, seen the bright and warm eyes of soldiers who had never been deployed come home after and the light and warmth in those eyes has turned to coldness. We supposedly went to take the fight to the enemy. We did that. The whole thing about 9/11 was that men came into our country, many of them illegally, and brutally killed over 3000 American citizens...people who simply go about their lives, trying to exist in the world. Wisdom and strategy would dictate that we protect our borders...keep people like that out of our country. We have taken little to no action in that area. Why are we fighting abroad and ignoring our borders and letting more and more people stroll into America and not having a clue as to their intentions. The objective to take the war to those who perpetrated the act of 9/11 has been accomplished. There is not a leader in the middle east that doesn't fear losing their wealth and riches and comfort by supporting those who would enter our country with ill intent. The philosophy is called "sword of democeles." It's a deterrent to go in and show the enemy that you have a bigger sword and will pay if you harm us. That mission was accomplished once Saddam was hung. It's time to bring our troops home and place them at the borders of this great country. They can't hurt us if they can't get in. Many of our National Guard troops have been sent overseas. It's called "National GUARD" for a reason. To stand guard....to protect.
I think Mr. Hoh has hit the salient points here. Most importantly, are we actually helping or are we causing as much bad as good. My gut feeling is that while we no doubt do some good here and there, we are still seen as just another invader to much of the rural population. While the urban areas may see us in a more favorable light, the rural Afghans just see us propping up a government of questionable scruples.
We should be honest and admit that America may talk a lot about wanting to see Democracy flourish in the region, we really seem to prefer strong, sometimes dictatorial, central governments. They are much easier to work with than a Democracy. Democracies are, by their very nature, less stable and they don't lend themselves to outside intervention. We like governments where we can deal with a single, or small number of powerful people who we can then pressure to do what we want. It's not pretty, but it's the truth.
- Erik
http://eaprince.blogspot.com/
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