Matthew Hoh

When I was in Afghanistan, I often heard a Pashtun saying attributed to the Afghan Taliban strategy for war with the United States: “They have the watches, but we have the time”. I do not know the provenance of this saying and I do not know if the saying exists in other Muslim or Asian … Continue reading “They Have the Watches, We Have the Time; US and Iran Hardliners Still Want War”

“America deserves a Commander-in-Chief who knows what that sacrifice means and who will honor the sacred promise we make to our veterans.” ~ Pete Buttigieg January 6, 2020 #CIAPete has been trending on social media this past month as stories and commentaries have emerged telling and retelling Pete Buttigieg’s role as a naval intelligence officer in Afghanistan, his duties in … Continue reading “Men Who Live With the Illusion of Danger: Pete Buttigieg and the US Military”

If it is true the United States killed Iranian Quds Forces Commander General Qassam Soleimani in Iraq yesterday, unverified by the Iranians as I write this, then there is no hyperbole or exaggeration too great to encapsulate what may befall tens of millions of families. The equivalent of the killing of General Soleimani would be … Continue reading “The Killing of General Soleimani: Hail Mars! Hail Pluto!”

I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can…Its brutality, its futility, its stupidity. ~ Dwight Eisenhower. For the first time in decades, passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) has been delayed due to disagreements between Democrats and Republicans. The disagreements at the center of the delay in Congress are, as usual, … Continue reading “The Effects and Consequences of Congress’ Endless Permissions for War”

In 2001 and in 2002 Congress passed authorizations for war. While not declarations of war, these mandates, each titled an Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) provided the legal framework for attacks against al-Qaeda in 2001 and in 2002 for the Iraq War. Both AUMFs are still in effect today. As Congress considers its … Continue reading “Repeal the Nearly Two-Decade-Old War Authorizations”

It has been more than nine years since I resigned in protest over the escalation of the Afghan War from my position as a Political Officer with the US State Department in Afghanistan. It had been my third time to war, along with several years of working in positions effecting war policy in Washington, DC … Continue reading “Time for Peace in Afghanistan and an End to the Lies”

There has never been progress by the U.S. military in Afghanistan, unless you are asking the US military contractors or the Afghan drug barons, of whom an extremely large share are our allies in the Afghan government, militias and security forces, there has only been suffering and destruction. American politicians, pundits and generals will speak … Continue reading “Trump’s Turn To Lie About Afghanistan”