Unwinnable War?

" Our focus now on Afghanistan. This was another bloody day in the war there. It makes October the deadliest month for US forces since the war began eight years ago. Eight years ago. The US military reports eight more American troops were killed today in a series of bomb attack that officials are calling complex. The southern Afghanistan attacks came just one day after fourteen Americans were killed in two separate helicopter -- So as the president tries to decide whether to send more troops in Afghanistan. The violence escalates. 55 of our troops have been killed in this month alone. The previous -- occurred in August when 51 soldiers died during the first round of the Afghanistan presidential elections. And more troops as more troops -- key American diplomat in the war in Afghanistan. Says it is not worth the fight. He quit his job in protest he reportedly is the first US official to resign over the direction of the eight year old war since it began. His name is Matthew hope he's a former marine corps captain served in Iraq and at the State Department. Since July he'd been serving as the senior US civilian in the turbulent Kabul Province. He sent a letter of resignation it went in August but we just found out about it because it was just published in the Washington Post newspaper today. It in it whole wrote I have doubts and reservations about our current strategy and plan future strategy but my resignation. Is based not upon how we are pursuing the war but why. And to what -- He goes on to say that the war is simply fueling the insurgency. Joining us now Robert Young Pelton author of licensed to kill hired guns in the war on terror. He also wrote the world's most dangerous places in this live -- this on the phone serve. The White House says it's taking this resignation very seriously."

" Yes it is interesting to me I mean I respect his opinion and he should have won but. If you remember this guy resigned on the -- And in the crystal just came out with his assessment on August -- it was somehow within ten days -- is that that the war wasn't worth fighting. And our commander over there hasn't even figured out what his strategy going forward is so I find that -- Second volume makes them very intelligent observations about the situation in Afghanistan. But he also makes a major mistakes and historical comparison. If -- So I don't know I'd say yes let's read that was -- about it but I don't think -- resignation of the major load anything."

" He says I failed to see the value or the worth. I'm concerned US casualties -- expenditures of resources in support of the Afghan government. In what is truly a 35 year old civil war isn't it true. That we have in essence parachuted ourselves into a civil war and we find ourselves with lacking direction lacking strategy and lacking resources."

" Might disagree with that I mean he was stationed -- bubble province which is the -- Back of backwater in Afghanistan and outlook don't look the same under your nose at the years ago but if you go to cobble -- would -- an extraordinary difference. Him there. Yes -- correct when he says that we parachute into the civil war this northern alliance was fighting you know the elephant that we want to. Very quick -- about -- the week. -- there as a very late for the quick thinking very creative energetic person is not fighting -- Position war it also. I think his comments are only valid in contact I mean of -- resignation. And giving crystals and -- of the -- the way forward."

" What is the goal in Afghanistan. Our goal right now is to bring security to the Afghan people -- that the government can build -- so. -- a democratic functioning. If there's never been -- a democratic government in Afghanistan there's never been a time. When more than 15% of the people. Believe -- believe that a nationalized government they they believe themselves as ethnic groups they they they fight amongst each other. In tribes -- less than 10% of them can read they still regularly murder women. I mean who in the world think -- gonna come up with a democratic society that governs itself in in a national --"

" You're out literature -- but you gotta remember the idealism of American you know Afghanistan may be the fourth of fifth poorest country on earth. But our goal is to take it from there. Slightly upwards -- not gonna make it European democracy but we're trying to take -- out of the arcade."

" How do you take people with 10% -- literacy rate out of the dark ages who probably think we're gonna do that I haven't seen. Anything that suggests that we have a strategy to make that happen maybe that's a goal but. I mean is it realistic and I think that's one of the things that this this diplomat was asking is this realistic."

" Yes we -- because. There -- the long term agenda which is to educate not only one generation but possibly this generations that people have equal right people of literacy and and as these political agenda which is only eighteen months before -- result an eight month. That's because it's required for -- successful political activity on this -- on -- I think that's what he should have really addressed is that if we're gonna do this but do it right if it's just messing around with this this that that get out of."

" It it is fair to say on on some levels that part of the reason that we had such success in the in the end in Iraq was that we started paying off the right people -- and makes it started -- Internet because we've just gotten a lightning -- dispatch from the White House because the president's plane just landed to the telling us what the president said on the plane. US defense spending bill authorizes paying the Taliban who renounce the insurgency. This is according to senator Levin now does that make sense."

" Well -- when you wanna win a war you do full court press to do everything you have to do to win that war. Now kind of stuck in a gray area where the sort of fighting -- and the sort of rebuilding the country that the very uncomfortable place the."

" But it's not it won't be the first time we've had to pay off people in that region and and -- it if it works it won't be the first time it's worked either."

" Well just call it your mark on steroids to. It's it's not unusual."

" Well Robert Young -- it's always good to talk to thank you but --"