"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.'"Read more, including his letter of resignation,here.UPDATE: The lead story in the NYT (10/28/09) in which the U.S. military seems to be taking after the U.S. CIA makes you wonder if we aren't fighting ourselves in other places besides Washington. "Brother ofAfghan Leadersis said to be on CIA payroll," and he runs the drug business, etc. Anyone remember the Diem brothers? And Madame Nhu!http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/28/world/asia/28intel.html?_r=1&hpUpdate 2: And the story of those who went before: "Transcripts of Defeat"http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/29/opinion/29sebestyen.html?_r=1&ref=opinion

Margaret O’Brien Steinfels is a former editor of Commonweal. 

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