RE: Tom Targos' comment - Tom, I myself am not a vet, however, many of my family members are and I take a particular interest in studying past wars of our country as well as those of other countries. I salute your willingness to step up, to answer a higher calling, to have such commitment. Unfortunately, it appears that you have been primed and indoctrinated (as one would only expect) in relation to why we are in the middle east - or why we have an interventionist foreign policy in general.
Quite simply put, it is all about the money. Sums of money are at stake - so large that you, nor I, nor anyone reading this page can dare fathom - and the government has made a habit, past and present, of creating reasons for going to war... making scenarios that will rally the troops - in this case, our public - behind their perverse ulterior motive.
While you may have drank the kool-aid, it's not too late to do your homework and learn the truth - that sadly our state-controlled, mainstream government propagandists masquerading as news agencies like to call conspiracy theory - and upon learning these truths, go forth and spread the word. It is of dire importance that people know the truth. Blind nationalism - practically identical to the kind we witness today in the U.S.A. is poison.
It's too bad that the Department of Education has done an absolutely terrific job of dumbing-down the population to the point where they have absolutely no knowledge of history - in particular, that of World War II. The German's during Hitler's reign believed they were correct too. From their view, they were the good guys. No one ever thinks about that.
"What experience and history teach is this -- that people and governments never have learned anything from history or acted on principles deduced from it.” G.W.F. Hegel
Glenn - 14 years ago
I suspect that Mr. Hoh, like many others see more money in a book deal than being totally honest. Did he go into the villages and talk with the women? If he did, knowing the plight of the women, were they truthful? Is the Taliban going to leave them alone after we leave? I would like to see his response, but I will not buy his book to find his answers.
Adam Smith - 14 years ago
I think it is remarkable to have this message receiving public attention prior to any declarations by the president regarding troop numbers, even if only to put more pressure on the president to fully justify his actions. It is hard not to draw comparisons between Soviet and U.S. occupations of Afghanistan, but on the other hand (1) many more positive social outcomes can be seen as a result of the current occupation than the previous and (2) it is perhaps not fair to peg all Afghanis as valley dwellers who reject the international community.
Tom Targos - 14 years ago
Like Mathew Hoh, I am a former Foreign Service Officer and I too resigned from the State Department after serving 5 months in Kandahar, Afghanistan (July 2008 - November 2008) as the State Department officer at the Provincial Reconstruction Team. I served in Afghanistan after a two year stint as the Refugee Program Coordinator in Colombia.
NOTE: I resigned for a very different reason - to help care for an ailing parent.
I have no qualms with Mr. Hoh's choice to resign due to political differences with the Department - that is his right to do so. I do however question his rationale and I believe Melissa Block's question about "being in Afghanistan 5 months a sufficient amount" was right on target. In my 5 months in Kandahar, I can honestly say that I could NOT make such a judgement.
I but I must admit that I knew why we were in Afghanistan - to try to finish a job, live up to a promise made (to Afghans) after the Taliban and Al Queda were pushed out. Instead our nation went to Iraq and left the job (improving security, governance and development) undone. Local residents told me that after the 2001/2002 invasion and the the Taliban was pushed out and almost nothing was done (the lack of reconstruction and dysfunctional governance bears this out). By the time coalition forces started reconstruction efforts (really when the Canadians replaced the Americans in Kandahar in 2005) the Taliban had already returned and started reasserting themselves by threatening locals if they cooperated with Westerners.
While I cannot agree with Mr. Hoh's assessment, frankly, I am not sure what the US should do next in Afghanistan. Perhaps we will decide to what the Canadians did - set a timeline for ending combat presence (2011) and at the same time commit to specific, measurable benchmarks (improvements in security, governance and development) that will be accomplished by that date.
PS - If I had the chance I would return to Afghanistan -specifically back to Kandahar to work again with the Canadian forces and civilians - they knew their purpose for being there. Despite numerous setbacks (and over 120 casualties), they push ahead work closely with Kandaharis to understand their needs and do their best to commit to the promises that have been made to the residents.
So sorry for being long-winded - I have never written a letter like this before. It is a nice break from my endless job search.
Thanks for listening.
Tom Targos
As a foreign service officer, I know that it is ultimately the American people's choice whether we stay or not Afghanistan now, job will be left undone
I am glad that the President is taking his time
Mary Jakubowski - 14 years ago
Mr. Hoh is absolutely right. No one wants to be occupied by any foreign power. When brothers fight among themselves they will find a way to solve their differences, and the stranger is always a loser. So why do we continue sending our young men and women to be killed? Bring them all home.
Mary Jakubowski
RE: Tom Targos' comment - Tom, I myself am not a vet, however, many of my family members are and I take a particular interest in studying past wars of our country as well as those of other countries. I salute your willingness to step up, to answer a higher calling, to have such commitment. Unfortunately, it appears that you have been primed and indoctrinated (as one would only expect) in relation to why we are in the middle east - or why we have an interventionist foreign policy in general.
Quite simply put, it is all about the money. Sums of money are at stake - so large that you, nor I, nor anyone reading this page can dare fathom - and the government has made a habit, past and present, of creating reasons for going to war... making scenarios that will rally the troops - in this case, our public - behind their perverse ulterior motive.
While you may have drank the kool-aid, it's not too late to do your homework and learn the truth - that sadly our state-controlled, mainstream government propagandists masquerading as news agencies like to call conspiracy theory - and upon learning these truths, go forth and spread the word. It is of dire importance that people know the truth. Blind nationalism - practically identical to the kind we witness today in the U.S.A. is poison.
It's too bad that the Department of Education has done an absolutely terrific job of dumbing-down the population to the point where they have absolutely no knowledge of history - in particular, that of World War II. The German's during Hitler's reign believed they were correct too. From their view, they were the good guys. No one ever thinks about that.
"What experience and history teach is this -- that people and governments never have learned anything from history or acted on principles deduced from it.” G.W.F. Hegel
I suspect that Mr. Hoh, like many others see more money in a book deal than being totally honest. Did he go into the villages and talk with the women? If he did, knowing the plight of the women, were they truthful? Is the Taliban going to leave them alone after we leave? I would like to see his response, but I will not buy his book to find his answers.
I think it is remarkable to have this message receiving public attention prior to any declarations by the president regarding troop numbers, even if only to put more pressure on the president to fully justify his actions. It is hard not to draw comparisons between Soviet and U.S. occupations of Afghanistan, but on the other hand (1) many more positive social outcomes can be seen as a result of the current occupation than the previous and (2) it is perhaps not fair to peg all Afghanis as valley dwellers who reject the international community.
Like Mathew Hoh, I am a former Foreign Service Officer and I too resigned from the State Department after serving 5 months in Kandahar, Afghanistan (July 2008 - November 2008) as the State Department officer at the Provincial Reconstruction Team. I served in Afghanistan after a two year stint as the Refugee Program Coordinator in Colombia.
NOTE: I resigned for a very different reason - to help care for an ailing parent.
I have no qualms with Mr. Hoh's choice to resign due to political differences with the Department - that is his right to do so. I do however question his rationale and I believe Melissa Block's question about "being in Afghanistan 5 months a sufficient amount" was right on target. In my 5 months in Kandahar, I can honestly say that I could NOT make such a judgement.
I but I must admit that I knew why we were in Afghanistan - to try to finish a job, live up to a promise made (to Afghans) after the Taliban and Al Queda were pushed out. Instead our nation went to Iraq and left the job (improving security, governance and development) undone. Local residents told me that after the 2001/2002 invasion and the the Taliban was pushed out and almost nothing was done (the lack of reconstruction and dysfunctional governance bears this out). By the time coalition forces started reconstruction efforts (really when the Canadians replaced the Americans in Kandahar in 2005) the Taliban had already returned and started reasserting themselves by threatening locals if they cooperated with Westerners.
While I cannot agree with Mr. Hoh's assessment, frankly, I am not sure what the US should do next in Afghanistan. Perhaps we will decide to what the Canadians did - set a timeline for ending combat presence (2011) and at the same time commit to specific, measurable benchmarks (improvements in security, governance and development) that will be accomplished by that date.
PS - If I had the chance I would return to Afghanistan -specifically back to Kandahar to work again with the Canadian forces and civilians - they knew their purpose for being there. Despite numerous setbacks (and over 120 casualties), they push ahead work closely with Kandaharis to understand their needs and do their best to commit to the promises that have been made to the residents.
So sorry for being long-winded - I have never written a letter like this before. It is a nice break from my endless job search.
Thanks for listening.
Tom Targos
As a foreign service officer, I know that it is ultimately the American people's choice whether we stay or not Afghanistan now, job will be left undone
I am glad that the President is taking his time
Mr. Hoh is absolutely right. No one wants to be occupied by any foreign power. When brothers fight among themselves they will find a way to solve their differences, and the stranger is always a loser. So why do we continue sending our young men and women to be killed? Bring them all home.
Mary Jakubowski