I start this morning with a release by the Washington Post and written by Karen DeYoung entitled U.S. official resigns over war in Afghanistan. The importance of this article is relative to the issue of the pending decision by the WhiteHouse to send more troops as requested by General McCrystal.
Matthew Hoh is a former Marine Corps captain with combat experience in Iraq, and had served in uniform at the Pentagon, and as a civilian in Iraq and at the State Department. By July, he was the senior U.S. civilian in Zabul province, a Taliban hotbed. Last month he became the first U.S. official to resign in protest over our involvement in Afghanistan. He stated that Afghanistan's problems were a civil war brought on by insurgency.
He stated that 'I have lost understanding of and confidence in the strategic purposes of the United States' presence in Afghanistan,'. 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.'
Matthew Hoh is a former Marine Corps captain with combat experience in Iraq, and had served in uniform at the Pentagon, and as a civilian in Iraq and at the State Department. By July, he was the senior U.S. civilian in Zabul province, a Taliban hotbed. Last month he became the first U.S. official to resign in protest over our involvement in Afghanistan. He stated that Afghanistan's problems were a civil war brought on by insurgency.
He stated that 'I have lost understanding of and confidence in the strategic purposes of the United States' presence in Afghanistan,'. 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.'
I offer this article because it may certainly add fuel to the decision making process going on in the Obama Administration. Like it or not, the latest polls show 51% of adults against our involvement, a gain of 10% since March.
Certainly good news for an administration which appears to be backing down."
James
ReplyDeleteSince you are as old as I am, you remember World War II. When I entered ANA in 1954, World War II was still a fresh memory of millions of people in the United States and the rest of the world. Many men and women who served in our Armed Forces and that of our allies during that
war were still young then.
My point is: Look at all of the little wars we have been in since then. What have they gained us to include these two disastrous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan we are in now? For what? In World War II we were fighting the really evil and dangerous, and very well organized etc. etc.Armed Forces of Germany and Japan, and on huge fronts with millions of people commanded by five star admirals and generals. What in the hell has happened to our greatness? Now we have four star generals and admirals commanding much less people, and fighting futile wars in places that are smaller than many U.S. counties. What in the hell is wrong with us? I would say that we now have nothing but a bunch of stupid leaders in both of our political parties. What's the solution to all of this?
Come on all you guys from ANA class of 1957 (and others) and start giving James your opinons about everything under the sun. Before you know it, many of us old farts will be dead, and we won't be able to express our opinions anymore.
ReplyDelete