AAPL stock: $199.92 ( -0.59 ) |
| Tips and Deals ---- 'Friendly' Political Ranting |
You are currently viewing the 'Friendly' Political Ranting forum
| Read Hoh's resignation letter (Afghanistan occupation) Date: November 01, 2009 11:44PM |
[www.huffingtonpost.com]
WASHINGTON — A former Marine who fought in Iraq, joined the State Department after leaving the military and was a diplomat in a Taliban stronghold in Afghanistan has become the first U.S. official to resign in protest of the Afghan war, the Washington Post reported early Tuesday.
Matthew Hoh said he believes the war is simply fueling the insurgency.
"I have lost understanding of and confidence in the strategic purposes of the United States' presence in Afghanistan," Hoh wrote in his resignation letter, dated Sept. 10 but published early Tuesday. "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."
Richard Holbrooke, the administration's special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, told the Post he disagreed that the war "wasn't worth the fight," but did agree with much of Hoh's analysis.
Scribd link:
[www.scribd.com]
ABC news link:
[abcnews.go.com]
"I feel that our strategies in Afghanistan are not pursing goals that are worthy of sacrificing our young men and women or spending the billions we're doing there," Hoh said. "I believe that the people we are fighting there are fighting us because we are occupying them -- not for any ideological reasons, not because of any links to al Qaeda, not because of any fundamental hatred toward the West. The only reason they're fighting us is because we are occupying them."
Hoh spent six years in Iraq, where he served as a Marine Corps captain and then worked as a civilian for the Department of Defense.
[twitter.com]
WASHINGTON — A former Marine who fought in Iraq, joined the State Department after leaving the military and was a diplomat in a Taliban stronghold in Afghanistan has become the first U.S. official to resign in protest of the Afghan war, the Washington Post reported early Tuesday.
Matthew Hoh said he believes the war is simply fueling the insurgency.
"I have lost understanding of and confidence in the strategic purposes of the United States' presence in Afghanistan," Hoh wrote in his resignation letter, dated Sept. 10 but published early Tuesday. "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."
Richard Holbrooke, the administration's special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, told the Post he disagreed that the war "wasn't worth the fight," but did agree with much of Hoh's analysis.
Scribd link:
[www.scribd.com]
ABC news link:
[abcnews.go.com]
"I feel that our strategies in Afghanistan are not pursing goals that are worthy of sacrificing our young men and women or spending the billions we're doing there," Hoh said. "I believe that the people we are fighting there are fighting us because we are occupying them -- not for any ideological reasons, not because of any links to al Qaeda, not because of any fundamental hatred toward the West. The only reason they're fighting us is because we are occupying them."
Hoh spent six years in Iraq, where he served as a Marine Corps captain and then worked as a civilian for the Department of Defense.
[twitter.com]
| Re: Read Hoh's resignation letter (Afghanistan occupation) Date: November 02, 2009 01:05PM |
I listened to him as well. His experiences and observations on the situation in Afghanistan make it obvious that there is no simple solution, such as sending 40k more troops. I would imagine that's why the administration is taking their time coming to a decision on strategy.
Mac-A-Matic, your first two sentences seem pretty reasonable; your third just sounds like a ditto-head remark.
[picasaweb.google.com] [www.flickr.com]
Mac-A-Matic, your first two sentences seem pretty reasonable; your third just sounds like a ditto-head remark.
[picasaweb.google.com] [www.flickr.com]
| Re: Read Hoh's resignation letter (Afghanistan occupation) Date: November 02, 2009 05:00PM |
Damn Dirty Hoh!
"Mind your wants, cuz there's someone that wants your mind."
"Mind your wants, cuz there's someone that wants your mind."
| Re: Read Hoh's resignation letter (Afghanistan occupation) Date: November 03, 2009 02:10PM |
Quote
Mac-A-Matic
Quote
Don Kiyoti
Mac-A-Matic, your first two sentences seem pretty reasonable; your third just sounds like a ditto-head remark.
Perhaps the "strategy" for Afghanistan is to withdraw. There is no winning, just as there would be no winning for a force invading the United States. The people will fight us to their death. Perhaps it's the notion that they would rather die on their feet than live on their knees, or just because it's not our place to occupy.
As to your snideness:
Obama and the democrats promised "change" and they haven't delivered despite having complete control of Congress - they can't make anything happen. Regarding Iraq and Afghanistan, we're still there and we're not about to leave anytime soon.
Truth is that we sailed into this shit with Bush and the republicans and democrats approved it all. If calling me a "ditto head" is what makes it easier for you to understand your world, go for it. Label others who don't agree with your myopic point-of-view. I'm neither democrat or republican. I'm an American.
A little sensitive, aren't you?
If my view were myopic, I'd either advocate for sending in thousands and thousands of troops to Afghanistan right away, or withdrawing immediately, since those seem to be the party-line positions. My earlier post in this thread was hardly myopic; instead it acknowledged the hugely complicated nature of the situation in Afghanistan.
[picasaweb.google.com] [www.flickr.com]
| Re: Read Hoh's resignation letter (Afghanistan occupation) Date: November 03, 2009 11:42PM |
LOL @ Obama's "Complete" control of Congress.
that worked pretty well with the Health Care Reform, didn't it?
[twitter.com]
that worked pretty well with the Health Care Reform, didn't it?
[twitter.com]
Sorry, only registered users may post in this forum.