U.S. official resigns over war in Afghanistan

Hoh was "recruited as a Defense Department civilian in Iraq."

That line makes me think that Mr. Hoh had strong Republican ties and his "resignation" is part of Cheney's current strategy to undermine the Obama administration. It would be no surprise to hear that Mr. Hoh will soon be a commentator on FOX.

Over the past 8 years we heard nothing about evaluating the situation in Afghanistan. Now waiting a couple of months is cause for protest from the Cheney choir. It might be worth considering what might be best for the people in Afghanistan if we pull out quickly. Bush delivered them to the Taliban. Perhaps Obama is working for something better; that's worth taking the time to achieve.

we don't fight wars like wwll anymore and that is the problem..ever see pictures of Berlin after wwII ..it was reduced to rubble it was rebuilt but not during the war like Iraq..a reporter was following soldiers down a street taking cover like e troops were doing and out of no where comes a lady carrying loaves of bread on a tray balanced on head ...she waved and smiled as she walked by the troops and the cameraman like nothing was going on...this is not how to fight a war

Hello America, War is never waged to actually make us safer, it is waged to make the rich richer under the guise of providing increased safety for Americans. Matt Hoh, realized this fact belatedly, and as a result of still having intact moral fiber (which is amazing considering that he spent so many years working for our government). His departure from the federal government can be equated to a victim of domestic violence actually successfully escaping the cycle, in other words it is uncommon, especially when the victimizer keeps approaching a likely dissenter with appealing reasons to stay.

Hats off to Matt Hoh, a true hero. Here in the US, if the media wasn't so busy telling us how screwed up other countries are, we might come to the conclusion that our own homeland was by far in worse shape. I am with Matt; no more service to or cooperation with our government until they can really straighten up and fly straight.

Nice to know that as a "marine" Mr. Hoh is still down with indiscriminate "whacking" of bad guys but at least he's intelligent enough to know that it is utter suicide to put our troops in the middle of a foreign civil war.

As in Bush / Cheney's illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq our troops have become targets for both sides of the local factions and none of which wanted us there in the first place. Any motivation or good that could have come from invading Afghanistan has long since been lost. Certainly longer ago than Obama's taking over as commander and chief.

The Obama administration needs to carefully plan the best / safest and quickest exit strategy for Afghanistan. Best thing to is get the hell out of both Iraq and Afghanistan and the sooner the better.

Hoh is absolutely 100% correct and the illegal invasion of Afghanistan will keep our troops there forever unless we get them out.  The military operation (NOT a "WAR") in Afghanistan cannot succeed just as Atilla's invasion failed and the Russian's gave up after nine years. There is a never-ending supply of Saudi, Pakistani, Iranian, Iraqi, Syrian and Lebonese "Freedom Fighters" who hate America and will fight until death to rid their region of American troops. Look at history and you will see that these kinds of exercises are perpetrated by our government to keep the Pentagon "IN PRACTICE" and to justify the billion upon billions they receive in tax payer dollars each year.

I served with Matt from 2002 to 2003 in Okinawa. He isn't prone to flights of fancy or acting dramatic. I would trust his assessment of the situation in Afghanistan. I believe he is also resigning because recommendations to the State Department from the area Foreign Service office are being ignored by the military leaders and the administration. Matt doesn't suffer fools lightly, and as the military and government is slow to change and shift paradigms, he is probably tired of giving advice to leaders that do not heed it. I would resign too if all my advice and counsel was ignored.

I served for 22 years in the Navy before retiring a couple of years ago.  This guy exemplifies honor and integrity - he basically chose career suicide over an administration bribe for a better job because "it was the right thing to do."

I am proud of him - and we should listen to what he has to say.

"Paul Kahn
genafan201: In case you just woke up from a 7-year long coma, the war against terror going on in Afghanistan has been, since it's start, led by NATO, not the US. The strategy being empolyed, such as it is now, as it applies to US Forces, has been devised by the current Administration, not the Bush Administration. You might want to check the fact-line on this war before you start putting things at other people's feet!

As for Mr. Hoh resigning, at least someone sees that the Emperor is indeed not wearing any clothes! Mr. Hoh should have been offered the job of Secretary of State to replace the other idiot currently filling the position."

I think it is you who needs to check the facts of this "war". Bush took us to Afghanstan because he said that that Gov.(at the time it was the taliban)was housing the people responsible for 9/11 along with it's leader(bin-laden), all of the U.S. was behind it(going in to afghanistan), NATO had nothing to do with it, as a matter of fact, Bush even took the lead on it. The next thing we knew, he(the previous President)with his party firmly behind him, made a connection between Iraq(saddam)and Afghanistan(the taliban),which we now know to be untrue. This current administration made a campaign promise to get us out of Iraq, which is underway, and send more troops to Afghanistan, which is in the process, it's a matter of numbers. If the General in charge ask for more troops, I have no doubt he will get them.

The reasons Mr. Hoh have for resighning are good ones, as his boss stated, very few will say otherwise. Trying to blame others for somebody else mistake is, well just not honest. On another note, I like the way his boss and all involved handled the situation, there were no name calling or labelling. They handled it like true professionals.

Osama Bin Ladin isn't even wanted by the FBI for 911, when asked why, the FBI spokesperson said they didn't have enough evidence. Look up FBI's most wanted posters, you'll see he's wanted for everything else but not 911.

Who can blame this guy for walking away. When you have a Commander and Chief who has gone AWOL it's hard to continue. Obama is either AWOL or he has gone ROAD. Someone need to tell that asswipe he can't vote present when he is living in the Whitehouse.

Matthew Hoh is one of the few people that is telling us what many in the Military Industrial Complex do not want us to know- that these wars are a sham and immoral. When will the public wake up and say "enough is enough"? We spend billions over there and what do we gain-NOTHING. The Soviets are laughing at us and selling weapons to the Taliban. Money we send over is being used to pay people off. You couldn't make up a better strategy to destroy this country-not with weapons or physically destroying buildings, but economically. Don't count on the media to do anything-they are cowards as are our elected officials who live in a bubble of personal security and who are black mailed into supporting this big lie.

I actually worked with this piece of excrement in Tikrit. He was a selfless promoter, backstabber, over-rated brown-noser. Believe me, there were plenty of brown-nosers to go around in Tikrit and the Green Zone at that time, but this guy had everybody snowed. All he did is go around and talk smack about everybody else, myself included, and leave them out to dry while whining the whole time. All he would do is complain and not get to the real roots of the issue.

Why people were impressed with this guy, who I (and others) almost broke in half, I will never know, but he is still up to his old games and is still snowing the brass.

Foreign civil war? This guy have already forgotten what started the war in Afghanistan: the 9/11. And because of people like this guy and a "commander in chief" like hussein obama, for sure, the USA is heading straight toward defeat in Afghanistan.

Who will bet that to please the nobel price committee and what he naively call those who see him as a "peace maker" around he - hussein - will not send the 40000 additional needed to halt the islamofascists in Aghanisatan ??

For his selfish and sick desire to please he will endanger the national security.Who bet ?

And for this official who said: "GIs are dying for a foreign civil war" and all those who unfortunately believe like him, I say: No, this war is not a civil war nor a foreign one. It is a war for the freedom of USA and also for the rest of world.

It is a war against the arrogance of a single religion who want to subdue the whole earth to its dark rules by sword and fire. Afghanistan is far from being the unique objective of these people.

They have said no to freedom and liberty and yes to tyranny and they are striving to spread all over the world. And they battling today for this goal. Therefore, will the free world seat down, peacefully; and wait these sad people to rule the world ??

Everyday you are counting: one GI dead yesterday, two GIs today. How can you go to war and do not want to loose soldier at the battle field? How can? This is simply a cowardfull behaviour who says to the taleban: kill one or two and they run away. How many talebans the GIs kill everyday in Afghanistan but they are still coming with unshaken determination to win. You should draw lessons from the talebans. Otherwise you will loose the war. I hear peolpe saying: Nobody has ever won war in Afghanistan. It is not true. The true is that until now afghan fighters have never encounter "foreign fighters" so full of determination to win as them. The very day the face such fierce soldiers they will loose. Be these soldiers.

They keep fighting for their sharia, you too keep fighting for your freedom and liberty. Until victory. No place for losers and cowards.

And if a soldier is not ready to dye at war than let him go back to private sector where he will earn money without risk, peacefully drink his beer and have sex with his wife at night. And leave the duty for others to protect his freedom to drink beer which is prohibited by sharia law.

No. People. what is going on in Afghanistan is not a civil war nor a foreign war. It is a war to protect human freedom. And if there is a war who deserve to be fought today it is that war. The war in Afghanistan. Go ahead GIs, do not give up. You are doing a VERY GOOD AND USEFUL JOB for the humanity. Do not listen to those imbeciles who want to discourage you. Go ahead guys!

The trouble is, and no one will say it, is that our merely existence on the same Earth is what fuels insurgency of radical Islams, as well as hatred of mainstream Muslims.

If we didn't have a physical presence in Afghanistan, or if the Iraq debacle never happened, the putrid hate and scummy mentalitiy rampant across the Islamic world would still cause insurgency. It was only a matter of time that something like 9/11 occurred.

When the bottomless pit is open, and the diabolical crap emerges, its stupid not to believe the Islamic world is its ticket to meet its mission of all the hatred, love of death, killing, revenge and destruction.

C'mon, show us in the Koran where being in cahoots with Satan or being absorbed with things of him is wrong? Oh right, that false religion was made from Satan, as it denied Christ (and also hated the legitimacy of the Jewish religion prior to Christ), and thus doe not glorify the One, True God, but mocks Him (therefore honoring Satan).

The problem with the truth is often nobody want to hear it. This man has spoken it, now who wants to listen?

As a Viet Nam Vet, I hear and understand this man's warning. Unfortunately, Washington is blind and unwilling to listen. Wrong War....Wrong President.....Wrong Allies. Remember the old saying, "Two Wrongs don't make it Right". Well neither will three.

Those bastards came over here on a beautiful summer day, and unleashed hell fire, and destruction, could have cared less about civilian colateral, our kids and teachers in the classroom, mothers strolling their young ones in the park, or hard working people striving to support their loved ones.

We absolutely can NOT afford to leave in a position of weakness. Show any crack in the armor, and the sword will find its entry. Then following in short order, we will soon find ourselves waging the battles of Nantucket and Montauk.

If there were ever a time for Shock and Awe, now is the time. Enter the coordinates at the point of the most resistance and de@!$%#ingploy.

In the future, be VERY careful who is COMMISSIONED into the United States Marine Corps. WAR is not for the ill prepared, nor the weak of stomach. WAR IS WAR!!!

FRONT NOTE: The military is not to be manned nor lead by those with homosexual personality disorder. ASK, TELL THE TRUTH, and BAN that should be the policy, period.

What a mess. Bush steps in but doesn't finish the job. Now we are basically the Russians, who ended up leaving after years of fighting as an occupier, which eventually bankrupted the USSR. Another Vietnam, proping up a corrupt govt. in the middle of another civil war. Do we leave and let them get stronger again? Do we stay with no end in sight? McCrystal indicated on tv a week ago that it could take up to 14YEARS to win this battle against an insurgency. Maybe instead of adopting a Marshall Doctrine, where we rebuild each country we go to war with, maybe we should bomb those countries that attack us into the stone age, and leave them that way.

Game over for the U.S. in the middle east. Owing to our hubris ("bring it on") we have once again gotten our butt kicked by sticking our nose in where it doesn't belong.

Don't worry Commander and Chief, your shameful predecessor had absolutely no idea what he was doing either and now he is a new man just like you will be in a few years. I think you should tell your security chiefs that you are tired of being a gutless wonder and tell the suit wearing leader of our Lord's Resistance Army (twice removed) to resign. Give him a watch that isn't digital because he should not be playing Ranger in front of Congress. Tell the other ones that you do not want to be America's Himmler, by completely removing yourself from reality and allowing US citizens to be processed on Hayden's perverted edge, to maintain the thinnest level of safety for our troops already in a war zone without much of a strategy. Finally, maybe you should have a mature conversation with America and explain the down side of absolute security from the thing that is least likely to happen to them already and show them how they are putting the Taliban (and Dick Cheney) in an absolute position of power that is pissing away everything we have ever stood for. Like six sigma, trying to go beyond a level of safety that is 99.999 for every US citizen will utterly disintegrate our organization, but in this case it is in lives, treasure, and the very meaning of our rights and how we the people choose to live because only the government can take away your freedom and not OBL.

There is no peace for those who start a war in the middle east. Watching these Muslims is like watching a dog chase his tail: they have no idea what they will do when they catch it. Practically every Muslim country is a cluster ----.

As has been stated before, the most effective method of dealing with these crazy idiots is to leave them alone and they will kill each other...not become embroiled in the mess with them.

How many times must we learn this? How many young soldiers must die before the fat politicians can understand this simple lesson?

If Congress and the president want war, let them go fight. It will be a good riddance.

This is what God has told us about Muslims, the descendents of Ishmael and Esau:

Genesis 16:7-12, NIV

"Now the Angel of the LORD found her by a spring of water in the wilderness, by the spring on the way to Shur. 8 And He said, "Hagar, Sarai's maid, where have you come from, and where are you going?"
She said, "I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai."
9 The Angel of the LORD said to her, "Return to your mistress, and submit yourself under her hand." 10 Then the Angel of the LORD said to her, "I will multiply your descendants exceedingly, so that they shall not be counted for multitude." 11 And the Angel of the LORD said to her:

" Behold, you are with child,
And you shall bear a son.
You shall call his name Ishmael,
Because the LORD has heard your affliction.

12 He shall be a wild man;
His hand shall be against every man,
And every man's hand against him.
And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren."

So, what are we doing, trying to test the word of God? It has already been tested and found to be infallible.

Mr. Hoh's reasons are simple. He's tired of watching Americans die for a people who don't appreciate it. Bin Laden lives in a cave and periodically produces a video tape. He is no longer a serious threat. Other terrorists will take his place ad-infinitum, there are new ones born every day. We should get out of Afghanistan, and focus on keeping the next generations of terrorists from attacks such as 911.

My highest respect has always been for the Marines, this one included.

We have enough problems in America ! We are beginning to look like a third world Third world ; 17 million Americans are unemployed however 8 million immigrants are working can someone tell me when is this going to be controlled. The death of an American worker

We can focus our anti terrorist effort on any on 1 or 2 countries we feel like. It still won't solve the insurgent/terrorist problem.

We could nuke Afghanistan, and all we'd do was create millions of more people who'd like to kill us. We'd never know which countries would be harboring our next attackers.

You can't take the fight into a terrorists backyard, because the backyard can change at the drop of a hat. You never know who is who, and insurgents can always point fingers at rivals for US reward money.

The best thing we could do, is make it near impossible for them to enter our country(militarized borders), and monitor all shipments entering our seaports/airports/land routes.

In this day and age, we should be able to control our airspace well enough to prevent another 9/11 style attack

Our military could actually be defending the US and wouldn't be getting bombed or gunned down far from home.