Former Marine Officer Resigns over Afghanistan

[eagleseven]

washingtonpost.com

When Matthew Hoh joined the Foreign Service early this year, he was exactly the kind of smart civil-military hybrid the administration was looking for to help expand its development efforts in Afghanistan.

A former Marine Corps captain with combat experience in Iraq, Hoh had also 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.

But last month, in a move that has sent ripples all the way to the White House, Hoh, 36, became 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."

It would seem that our morale in Afghanistan is at an all-time low.

What do you think of Matthew How's argument that we've lost our purpose in Afghanistan?

 

[SFC Ollie]

He has a point. When we went into Afghanistan we knew why we were there, We had been attacked and the responsible people were in the country living the good life. We went in to take them out and refused to allow the Taliban (who supported them) to stop us.

But today we have lost sight of that mission, Many believe that UBL is dead. We have the master planner of the 9-11-01 attacks at Gitmo. And no one has updated the mission in 8 years.

Why are we still there? I sure as hell don't know. And this current Administration is more lost than I am.

 

[Chris]

It is time to leave Afghanistan.

We can't occupy it forever.

 

[rdean]

We had important reasons for turning away from Bin Laden and going into Iraq. We needed to turn Iraq into a religious theocracy. The women needed to be returned to the Dark Ages and the Christian population had swelled so it needed to be "pruned". They couldn't do those accomplishments without Republican support. Apparently, we have "won" in Iraq.

http://www.usmessageboard.com/iraq/...-iraq-is-this-what-our-soldiers-died-for.html

Now it's time to send tens of thousands of troops in Afghanistan to have the same type of success with had in Iraq. If all the Republicans who supported the war in Iraq had enlisted, both wars would have been over 6 years ago.

 

[Si modo]

We had important reasons for turning away from Bin Laden and going into Iraq. We needed to turn Iraq into a religious theocracy. The women needed to be returned to the Dark Ages and the Christian population had swelled so it needed to be "pruned". They couldn't do those accomplishments without Republican support. Apparently, we have "won" in Iraq.

http://www.usmessageboard.com/iraq/...-iraq-is-this-what-our-soldiers-died-for.html

Now it's time to send tens of thousands of troops in Afghanistan to have the same type of success with had in Iraq. If all the Republicans who supported the war in Iraq had enlisted, both wars would have been over 6 years ago.

The thread is on Afghanistan. Focus. Even Chris was able to focus.

 

[JakeStarkey]

si modo, don deflect. Are you able to offer something on Afghanistan? Carry on.

 

[rdean]

si modo, don deflect. Are you able to offer something on Afghanistan? Carry on.

I did. If all the Republicans who supported Bush enlisted, both wars would have been over 6 years ago.

 

[Chris]

We had important reasons for turning away from Bin Laden and going into Iraq. We needed to turn Iraq into a religious theocracy. The women needed to be returned to the Dark Ages and the Christian population had swelled so it needed to be "pruned". They couldn't do those accomplishments without Republican support. Apparently, we have "won" in Iraq.

http://www.usmessageboard.com/iraq/...-iraq-is-this-what-our-soldiers-died-for.html

Now it's time to send tens of thousands of troops in Afghanistan to have the same type of success with had in Iraq. If all the Republicans who supported the war in Iraq had enlisted, both wars would have been over 6 years ago.

The thread is on Afghanistan. Focus. Even Chris was able to focus.

But apparently you aren't.

 

[Si modo]

We had important reasons for turning away from Bin Laden and going into Iraq. We needed to turn Iraq into a religious theocracy. The women needed to be returned to the Dark Ages and the Christian population had swelled so it needed to be "pruned". They couldn't do those accomplishments without Republican support. Apparently, we have "won" in Iraq.

http://www.usmessageboard.com/iraq/...-iraq-is-this-what-our-soldiers-died-for.html

Now it's time to send tens of thousands of troops in Afghanistan to have the same type of success with had in Iraq. If all the Republicans who supported the war in Iraq had enlisted, both wars would have been over 6 years ago.

The thread is on Afghanistan. Focus. Even Chris was able to focus.

But apparently you aren't.

Aren't what?

 

[Yurt]

si modo, don deflect. Are you able to offer something on Afghanistan? Carry on.

I did. If all the Republicans who supported Bush enlisted, both wars would have been over 6 years ago.

right.....no democrats wanted the wars.....

 

[JakeStarkey]

Democrats, centrists, and all good Americans wanted the wars fought in the right way, but Bush could never understand that his desire was not the right way.

 

[xsited1]

washingtonpost.com

...

What do you think of Matthew How's argument that we've lost our purpose in Afghanistan?

Obama seems to be trying to find a reason to get out of Afghanistan. He knows that if he doesn't provide enough troops to stabilize the country, there will be even more chaos, more American troops will die, and the polls will show that a large majority of Americans will want to leave. Then Obama will announce America is leaving with a wonderful speech and massive coverage by the MSM. It's all politics now. I just hope Obama makes a decision soon before too many more troops die.

 

[Si modo]

....

Obama seems to be trying to find a reason to get out of Afghanistan. He knows that if he doesn't provide enough troops to stabilize the country, there will be even more chaos, more American troops will die, and the polls will show that a large majority of Americans will want to leave. Then Obama will announce America is leaving with a wonderful speech and massive coverage by the MSM. It's all politics now. I just hope Obama makes a decision soon before too many more troops die.

At this point, his lack of any action at all must be calculated. Let enough in harms way die while he feeds the public his bullshit 'I'm thinking' excuse, so that he can pull out because so many are mad at the deaths.

He doesn't give a shit about the military and never will. He will sacrifice them and now they know that. Pig.

 

[JakeStarkey]

washingtonpost.com

...

What do you think of Matthew How's argument that we've lost our purpose in Afghanistan?

Obama seems to be trying to find a reason to get out of Afghanistan. He knows that if he doesn't provide enough troops to stabilize the country, there will be even more chaos, more American troops will die, and the polls will show that a large majority of Americans will want to leave. Then Obama will announce America is leaving with a wonderful speech and massive coverage by the MSM. It's all politics now. I just hope Obama makes a decision soon before too many more troops die.

That makes a lot of sense. The U.S. lost the war in Afghanistan when it diverted necessary resources into Iraq. The truly sad realization that both wars were "winnable" if General Shenseki's recommendations were followed.

 

[Polk]

washingtonpost.com

...

What do you think of Matthew How's argument that we've lost our purpose in Afghanistan?

Obama seems to be trying to find a reason to get out of Afghanistan. He knows that if he doesn't provide enough troops to stabilize the country, there will be even more chaos, more American troops will die, and the polls will show that a large majority of Americans will want to leave. Then Obama will announce America is leaving with a wonderful speech and massive coverage by the MSM. It's all politics now. I just hope Obama makes a decision soon before too many more troops die.

Surge one didn't work. Surge two didn't either. What makes you think the third one will be a charm?

 

[Si modo]

Obama seems to be trying to find a reason to get out of Afghanistan. He knows that if he doesn't provide enough troops to stabilize the country, there will be even more chaos, more American troops will die, and the polls will show that a large majority of Americans will want to leave. Then Obama will announce America is leaving with a wonderful speech and massive coverage by the MSM. It's all politics now. I just hope Obama makes a decision soon before too many more troops die.

Surge one didn't work. ....

Yes, it did. Yet, the thread is about Afghanistan and the military seeing BHO for the hack that he is as CiC.

 

[Polk]

Obama seems to be trying to find a reason to get out of Afghanistan. He knows that if he doesn't provide enough troops to stabilize the country, there will be even more chaos, more American troops will die, and the polls will show that a large majority of Americans will want to leave. Then Obama will announce America is leaving with a wonderful speech and massive coverage by the MSM. It's all politics now. I just hope Obama makes a decision soon before too many more troops die.

Surge one didn't work. ....

Yes, it did. Yet, the thread is about Afghanistan and the military seeing BHO for the hack that he is as CiC.

Referring to the two surges in Afghanistan already. Try to keep up.

 

[Si modo]

Surge one didn't work. ....

Yes, it did. Yet, the thread is about Afghanistan and the military seeing BHO for the hack that he is as CiC.

Referring to the two surges in Afghanistan already. Try to keep up.

Focus, Polk, on the topic. I know it's hard for morons to do, though.

 

[Polk]

Yes, it did. Yet, the thread is about Afghanistan and the military seeing BHO for the hack that he is as CiC.

Referring to the two surges in Afghanistan already. Try to keep up.

Focus, Polk, on the topic. I know it's hard for morons to do, though.

I am focused on the topic. You're the one that wasn't aware we have already increased troop levels in Afghanistan twice in the past 18 months.

 

[Si modo]

Referring to the two surges in Afghanistan already. Try to keep up.

Focus, Polk, on the topic. I know it's hard for morons to do, though.

I am focused on the topic. You're the one that wasn't aware we have already increased troop levels in Afghanistan twice in the past 18 months.

Source?