Mathew hoh in centre disgusted with US strategy steps down from his post

Matthew Hoh a US official who was one of the important civilian representative for US in Afghanistan resigned from his post and also handed over his contract for further posts. He is the First US political representative who protested against the system and has stepped down from his post.

In a letter Matthew said that he “lost understanding of, and confidence in, the strategic purposes of the United States’ presence in Afghanistan”. He continued “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’s resignation comes in an answer to the suffering faceed by US forcews in Afghanistan whose effects were dealiest this month. The attacks and Matthews resignation will put some pressure on Obama but the decision is yet to come out. Washington Post reported though the resignation has “sent ripples all the way to the White House” the decision is not yet released.

The White House spokesman Ian Kelly, said that Matthew’s departure will not affect the US views on the war and they will not change the course of the US government. He said “We take his point of view very seriously but we continue to believe that we are on track to achieving the goal that the president has set before us. That is … improving Afghan governance, providing security, infrastructure, jobs – basically, giving the Afghan people an alternative to the very negative vision of the Taliban and al-Qaeda”.

The Washington post said that the US government is now concerned about Matthew who they believe could become a eminent voice against US’s involvement in Afghanistan, they even tried to convince him to stay in his place. Matthew a Iraq veteran and a former Marine Corps captain turned down a senior staff-level job at the US embassy in Kabul. He has now resigned from his one-year contract position as a political officer in Kabul.

He was called to meet a US special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke who said in an interview that “We took his letter very seriously, because he was a good officer”. But Matthew said to Washington on his resignation will be final and that is that. He said “I’m not some peace-nik, pot-smoking hippie who wants everyone to be in love”.

Rosiland Jordan of Al Jazeera said that “There is already support coming from liberal quarters [in the US] for what Matthew Hoh wrote in his resignation letter, which indicated that, in his view, the US has the wrong perception of who the enemy is inside Afghanistan”. His letter is also available at Al-Jazeera in a pdf format.

His letter brings US in comparison with the Soviet Union’s occupation of Afghanistan and the humiliating withdrawal in 1989.

He stated that “Like the Soviets, we continue to secure and bolster a failing state, while encouraging an ideology and system of government unknown and unwanted by its people, We want to have some kind of governance there, and we have some obligation for it not to be a bloodbath”. He concluded saying “But you have to draw the line somewhere, and say this is their problem to solve.

Matthew has appealed Obama to pull out the troops immediately before the blood bath get more bloodier.