'Why Are We Doing This?'

" He is the first official from the State Department in Afghanistan to resign over US policy there Matthew -- a former marine who fought in Iraq. And became a diplomat in a Taliban stronghold province but he stepped down from his post saying the US is becoming bogged down in a civil war. -- yes serious doubts about our mission in that war torn region. And he joins us now you have raised an awful lot of controversy with your resignation. Did he tell us why you did it."

" First thank them you're -- you bet well. After being -- for five months working in both the eastern part of the country the southern part of the country on -- to our military as well with the Afghan government the Afghan military. I -- I came to realize. Listen to a lot of people that. We are it -- in a civil wars and growing taken once signed the civil war. Additionally the to catch his critiquing that the people were fighting. Fighting is primarily because. Were occupying them they see if they see as an encroaching it's their guys in villages in their fighting -- because of that. And finally the 60000 troops we have their supporting a corrupt and illegitimate government now. Are not doing anything to defeat al- Qaeda -- that should be our priorities to defeat or destruction of al- Qaeda. "

" Well you're not some policy wonk who dropped in from your ivory tower you were a marine captain served in Iraq you were part of the surge force in Iraq right. Yes that's correct as there and there is the proposal to on mount a surge in Afghanistan did it work in Iraq in your opinion and and why wouldn't it work. In Afghanistan."

" Sure it did work in Iraq to a to a certain degree of mean that we don't know what's been happening to three years from now but I can tell you I got there in the spring of Darth fall 2006. It was a complete mess by Tom left in the spring of 07 that come down. But the difference between Iraq and Afghanistan. Are myriad. Our that is not the scene you can't compare it to the terrain the way the population lives the culture. Just for example part of the search what's the population mutual to separate. The insurgents. From the population. Howard in Afghanistan in the south particularly. The insurgents are the populations of -- how you separate something that's actually belongs to itself. Now. Plus two with the terrain. And an -- just outlines communication other features but we didn't that Iraq won't work in Afghanistan. You had a face to face meeting with ambassador Richard Holbrooke he's the guy in charge of US policy in that part of the world. That wasn't able to sway your mind no I know wasn't done had a very good meeting with the ambassador Holbrooke -- by senior members of of our embassy. But you know. -- my my concerns here not the house. I don't want to be general McChrystal I actually agree with some of his assessment. However. I want talk about the life. Why we do this why are we supporting. The Karzai regime with with our young men and women. Why are we speaking of why we have this large force large continued contingent taking -- these daily spending billions of dollars. To do something that's in the end is not been destroyed or defeat al- Qaeda it is not to stabilize the Pakistan government which should be or two cards."

" Well but but the argument is that if you can stabilize that government stabilize that -- Afghanistan create some jobs get an economy going. You're going to have a nation that is resistant to the Taliban you know coming back in and setting up shop. And welcoming in people like Osama bin Laden. "

" I disagree I. That I could set a believer program -- a civil war. The only way you resolve the civil war is either one site that's meets the other one does the two sides as -- fighting each other or this political reconciliation. Right now there's nothing being done to reconcile the two parks the civil war is to continue I really believe that for five years from now. You're still gonna -- we may have militarily defeated Taliban what I believe is possible. But doesn't politically defeat them and furthermore. Eight increasing troops there is only gonna fuelled insurgency because so much is certain C it is based upon. Fighting in occupation in its rightly so because we aren't occupying power."

" Matthew -- who was a former marine captain in just resigned from the State Department in protest of our Afghanistan policy. Matthew takes thank you."