Lecture at UMaine

On Monday March 22, 2010 The School of Policy & Political Affairs presented a lecture by Matthew P. Hoh entitled “The Necessity for a Political Solution to the War in Afghanistan.” Hoh is a former Marine and State Department official who had served two tours of duty in Iraq and resigned from his post in Afghanistan, citing protest to the current military strategy in Afghanistan. The lecture he presented, instead of being an emotional “call to action” about the current situation, played out as calm and meticulous telling of his ideas and opinions on the current situation in Afghanistan and what needs to be done to change the situation for the better.

The lecture was started by Hoh establishing several initial points about the current situation in Afghanistan. Hoh stated that he felt the military action that began in Afghanistan after the September 11 Terrorist attacks were justified, however there are several misconceptions that people have about what is occurring militarily in the country. First is that the US presence in Afghanistan is occurring simultaneously to a Civil War that has been occurring non stop for the past 35 years. Next is that the Afghans fighting American troops in Afghanistan are not fighting because they view America as an enemy, they are opposing an American military presence because they feel that we are an occupying force adversely affecting their country. And finally is that the Afghan government is so corrupt that in its current state it is still unfit and unable to run the country.

He had three solutions to immediately begin to fix what problems exist for the military in Afghanistan. First would be to announce a ceasefire; this would stop the cycle of violence in the country and help to dispel the notion of the United States as an occupying force. Next would be to unite the divide between the opposing groups in the country and try to prevent the ongoing conflicts between warring ethnic groups. Finally and most importantly would be to reform the current government and have a tribal based government where every group would be heard and not just the groups in the majority.

However despite the frankness and seriousness of the discussion Hoh was very open about his feelings for the current military situation in America. He thanked those in attendance who had participated in the Maine Troop Greeter program, and stated that one of his best memories from his military service was from landing in Bangor after a deployment in Iraq and being greeted by so many caring people.

What statement stood out the most from the talk was during the question and answer potion of the lecture where Hoh was asked what caused his resignation from the state department he stated “I could not longer tell the Mothers and Wives of soldiers dying over there the reason that there child or spouse died in good conscious.”