this war, of course, at that point we understood to be a lie, we understood there were no weapons of mass destruction. there were no ties to apply to, etc, but also to this war was a colossal era for american foreign policy. that what we had done was catastrophic notches for the rocky people, but for the entire region in the repercussions, we're going to be something that the united states is going to have to deal with for years and years to come. so you look at it from that, that policy perspective of what we did and what resulted from that cause. so many fires cause so much instability, that you almost have to look at it and say ma'am, was planned. because how could anyone be so incompetent? but i think as both you and i john know, yes, that in competency certain that in competency certainly does exist in those on full display in the iraq war. i think one of the things that we think your landry is that even though you disagree with it, you take part because you think you can do some good. you think that you can be

a moral agent, that you will retain your own moral agency. the reality is that in something like war, you compare to that leviathan to that force of nature. and so you become subsumed by it and you become an agent of the war. so whatever, however you think you're going to do good, how are you thinking your own bubble in your own spaces? you will do well that you will, you will not harm others that you will have a white hat on. the reality is, this is by taking part in the war. you're wearing a black hat. oh, you're absolutely right, matt. you were in the middle of a promising career in diplomacy and national security when you were assigned to afghanistan, but you took exception to us policy. there in a big way and you resign from government. what was happening at the time that led you to that decision? i love personally. i was, i was again, like i said before, intellectually morally broke and then i, i think that's the best way to describe it. i had just lied to myself for so long about these wars gone on with the war as betraying all kinds of principles and

values that i held in that is the essence of more injury that you transgress that. well, you're your core foundations of who you are and whether those be the call or more all or historical or what have you. under paintings, you've transgressed those and it, and it's a darkness that uh, it is hard to describe unless you had experience it. and what i planed to people i want to point out to people is go back to high school, go back to macbeth, m recall lady macbeth. and having the blood on her hands and how she can get that blood off her hands. and she didn't even do the killing right, she but she was involved with it and that guilt consumes her and ultimately destroys her. and i think when people reference an understanding the in the largest human sense, the largest and his larger idea of regret, deal shame and how powerful those things are. taking part in the wars continue in july. and then getting to ask a lie to myself about what i was doing and then getting to afghanistan and,

and say, thinking okay, maybe this will be different than our rock main purpose. maybe this and ministration will have some objective in terms of actually like bringing about stability, bringing about some end to the suffering, the asking, and people doing something that actually promotes american security rather than continuing to jeopardize it by have by, you know, conducting these occupations. and so seeing that the obama ministration was no different than the bush administration, seeing that the escalation of that war, which was a massive escalation of the war member when brock obama comes in the office. there's about 3035000 american troops in afghanistan about equivalent number of contractors and about 15000 nato troops. by 18 months later there is a quarter 1000000 man, western army composed of us troops, nato troops, and contractors, and that scan to stand. so as a mass of escalation of the war, seeing that, that was just going to fuel the insurgency, give reason for the taliban, allow them to have that credibility as

a national liberation army, which most asking wouldn't agree with. but when you put a gun to their head and say, hey, you pick the foreigners or pick the taliban, unfortunately may ports afghanistan, they choose a talbot. so seeing all this, understanding it, but then realizing that it was not at all different than our rock right? knowing where i was, uh, that was uh at my point where i said i have to leave this and i did and resigned in protest. and, you know, since then have gone to work with a lot of great people, including yourself, with tremendous professionals, people who love their country and who speak out against the wars against the machinations of, of a foreign policy a cobble, basically that's dictated by mega mania and read right, and we do this because we love our congress since that has committed for so long. what was the fallout like for you when you made your decision? you you resigned and then went public with your objection to us policy,

of course and you were, you were hailed as a hero. what was it like for you on your former colleague, colleagues, did you get any support? and i got a lot of support actually i had a tremendous amount of support from my, my state department colleagues at the time province with the state department in afghanistan. and my colleagues who were in the other more touring provinces. okay. i understand, well, agree with medium bassett or, and we actually had a deputy ambassador in cobble as well. they agree with me. the deputy ambassador said to me, when i was resigned and you know, i've, i have children that are military age and i would not allow them to serve here in afghanistan. this was not worth it. you know, they had bad bachelor ichenberry. agree with me about that are holbrook who is the president special representative for afghanistan. pakistan said he agree with me. you know, they gave, they gave the president my resignation letter in the present and read it and, you know, mean, so there was the, in, among my colleagues from the marine corps, including uh, you know, men who were in afghanistan. nothing but support where i receive, pushed back from,

was from the senior levels of the pentagon leadership and the senior levels of the state department leadership. um, yeah, i could tell you that one of the things the pentagon did through central command, which general data patrice has been charged with the time they hire as cheated communications firm to discredit me. you know, and this is, you know, so when you have a whistle blower, someone who's speaking out against, you know, the established authority that establishes authority, uses all the resources, it has to clash them. so as i was speaking out, and i was getting a lot of media attention, i was getting on cnn. and i was being interviewed by, you know, big newspapers and so on, so forth. the siege of communication firm hire, but you're not betray us, would bad mouth me. and then they've got to the point where they would say things such as, look, if you're a type of journalist, your type of media organization that wants to work with someone like mount, how we don't think you're the type of organization that we want to work with. so basically, uh too many, and i had this happen where producers, booker tankers,

would show me these documents, where the pentagon was, say, to the media organizations, you cannot talk with this guy who opposes the war. or you can go on helicopter rides, with our generals. next time you come out, the understand we're speaking with state and defense department was the blower. matt ho about his decision to resign from the us government in protest of the wars in iraq and afghanistan. we're gonna take a short break. stay tuned for more of our conversation. we'll be right back. 2 2 2 a, a, a, the, the

i, the, the, let's see, the, with the temporary charities 3 degree higher already from the neighboring down woods. you know, right? because the other townships having chucked up the trees, but in tucker in the name of development. and he's our 1st to become a capital like a single. we are all going for our lives issue then just covering all the greens we've gone. so when you distract nature, it takes every range of the

welcome back to the whistle, blowers. i'm john kerry onto were speaking with whistle blower, matt ho about his decision to resign from government service in protest of the rock and afghanistan wars that thanks again for being with us. hey, thanks john for help me with you. glad to have you. matt. you've paid a higher price for your experience, and most whistle blowers have besides the professional fall out for resigning your position. you suffered personally, you've spoken very publicly about p d. s. d, about depression and moral injury. for example. those are 3 things that i was also diagnosed with in the past. tell us about your experience and how you dealt with these challenges and they really are difficult challenges. they are, they are. and i, of course, i have to say, you know, my, my, uh, the punishment was nothing compared to yours and you went to prison for speaking the truth. so uh, humbled to have you say that to me think, why does the, the,

you know, so you do, you have post traumatic stress disorder? you have dramatic brain injury and more on injury, i can tell you the, the traumatic brain injury, which comes from explosive related blast. and this is something people becoming more familiar with, basically because of the body armor, vehicle armor we had in the rock and ask them wars we survive, things walked away from explosions that in any previous were, would have killed us. and this is why you see such as very high numbers of, of, of, of brain injuries, things and my command to on a 8 month deployment, 78 month deployment would have 10 explosions, hit their vehicles, you know, and they would walk away. we dust ourselves off and then similar but different to what the football players and boxers and rugby players go through. there is a brain injury that develops overtime as of late and see to it. so from me, the symptoms of my brain injury didn't really manifest until around 20142015 or so

. and, but i could tell you as the billeting is, that was as painful as that was and manifested through just just terrible migraines that would last as long as 18 hours of stream fatigue. i. cognitive dysfunction where i couldn't use a computer, i, you know, as bad as that was, that was nothing compared to the moral injury. that was nothing compared to that regret back deal. that shame. you know, his years i went wanting to slowly try and do it throughout the whole all, but also to always having a plan in place and coming close to carrying out that plan a number of times to kill myself. is that how to do with the guilt, the regret, the shame, to take important things in iraq that you know to this day, i won't speak about bad. so there are, there are us that have always been with warriors of every conflict. going back, we noticed, like a shakespeare wrote about this,

the greeks and the romans wrote about this home or our rights about this in the lead means this idea that there is a moral components, a war devastation of ruinous aspect to the soul that comes from war is something that is not on known is something that should be surprising, surprised nobody. and that exist in every generation that goes to war regardless of how good or bad the war is. possibly it's. there's more of extent to this say in a war like a rock or vietnam, where you don't understand the purposes where there are so many allies behind the war. that aids quote bad war. but certainly when we know that in the good moore's united states has had and put good quotes. right. but the civil war world war 2, the veterans from those wars carried moral injury with them at all levels where they were killing themselves at high high rates. similar to save veterans,

so this is not anything that is new or unique to my generation. our generation of combat veterans is something that has always been with combat veterans as a consequence of war. this invisible wound because more does kill your soul to catch you 2 things, no matter how you justify it, is simply on justifiable and look, i think the best way understand is, is that if killing came naturally to human beings, the united states army, united states, marine corps would not spend millions and millions of dollars training recruits to kill. you know, if you're a young man, you joined the marine corps. are you going into the infantry? i should say woman now, because we spend 13 weeks and recruit training, then you'll go to advanced infantry training, which i believe now is about 10 weeks long. then you will go to your unit and you will spend the rest of your time on your contract. but the marine corps training kill because that's what they have to do to condition you to get to the point where you can go across the planet and kill a stranger in their homeland. the problem is when you come back,

you're not dream washer condition. so when you come back, that conditioning wears off, and that's where the moral injury start to study. and as you have to then rectify, you have to deal with what you took part in that. what that means to who you believe yourself to be as a person, this is without transportation comes in met. you do a great deal of work now with groups like veterans for peace, veterans, veteran intelligence professionals for sanity world beyond war. some of the more important piece groups here in the united states. what kind of reception have you had among former colleagues in government regarding the work that you're doing now toward piece you know, it's, it's really well accepted with the exception of those who have gone into the military industrial complex. the people who've gone to work for defense, contractors, weapons manufacturers. and even then among them there is a what they do when they will often cite the golden handcuffs, right?

they will say, i got 3 kids were going to college soon. and what, what, you know, what, what else could i do? you know, i came out of the marine corps, i came out the navy and came out of the army. you know, what was i supposed to do? this was, this was an opportunity for me to continue to provide for my family to the golden hancocks are very real. but i generally um, you know, and it's hard to for me to, to think of a time where somebody has told me off. because i'm now a peacenik or whatever. so it's rare that that happens. and usually it comes with somebody who's still attached to the military. they're still in the pentagon, they're there, they've got a, a, an eagle or stars on their shoulders, you know, or they work for the defense industry. so i think most people, and we know there's a tolling, we know that the majority of veterans of the rock and ask em worst, think those words were a mistake, think they should not even slot a higher percentage. veterans think that into the general population and general population by ward my wide margin, believes that so you can see see that those of us who went there and saw and

experienced it to pardon it. and i think a lot of people don't speak out because there is a shame there is regret. but there's also too much of a false patriotism, a jingoism that exists in this country that does not allow for descent. that does not allow for patriarch uh, descent, you know, you go to a football game, you go to a hockey game and you know that the spectacle, the, the jingle isn't that exist there. but it makes people feel as if they can't question. and i think that's a lot of what we do with our work. you know, i work with an organization called eisenhower media network. and that's a lot of what we try and do is try an edge to people about war trying to show that there are people who took part, who are military veterans who believe that we should be conducting war making throughout the globe, stopping around with 800000800 base is around the world. you know that we should have some restraint and we should be investing in our country as opposed to

conducting military ventures across the globe. i think you're absolutely right. more recently you were a candidate for office as the green parties nominated for the united states senate from the state of north carolina in 2020. the democrats worked hard to keep you off the ballot. you were a threat to them apparently, but you went to court and you one, tell us about that experience. what was it that the democrats were so afraid of? to see there is an entitlement that both of the major political parties possess that they feel as they own the process. and they've gone to great lengths over the decades to ensure that. and we see that width about access laws that make it very difficult for independent or 3rd party candidates to get onto the ballot as well as gerrymandering. yeah. which makes it so that way, you know, and you see this where the parties were clued pro public. i just had a great story about jim cliburn, the, the venerated democratic congressman from south carolina to colluded with the

republican party, to make sure that his seat was protected. he was willing to give the republican some more c and the disenfranchised black voters. as long as he was taken care of it, i think that's what you see there is. there's a greed, there's an entitlement within the party is that also to a desire to protect their donor base. so for us, we got on about we got all the signature that we needed. we far surpassed the number that we needed actually. and then we were hit with allegations of corruption of fraud is they said we turned in thousands of ford signals, but we had to go to court because they have the lawyers, they have the money. they know they, this is what they do. they know how to put in all these obstacles almost as of as soon as we turned in our signatures to get on the ballot, they just went to that. we do next. and we file a lawsuit. we file complaints with the state board of elections. we do a, b, c, d, and try and exhaust up. and fortunately we were able to not be exhausted. we're able to persevere, hold on how to a great attorney who was pro bono. otherwise we wouldn't been able to do it cuz we

couldn't afford to do so. and we were able to stay on the ballot and we won twice. we won in federal court. we won in federal appeals. courtney was a one state court. so it was very serious and in the threat of what i mean i, this was, i was running in the us senate raise one was to try and get bout the goals were to try and get valid access. try trying freaks independent political parties. that was one of the goals, but then the other goal is where to basically, you know, try and get certain issues into the race. medicare for all them rank control, especially as well as ending the war on drugs. because those are things dominate life in north carolina. and so, um, you know, insurance we were never a threat. we, we never would have been a threat. uh, i raise the most amount of money for any non democratic or republican candidate in the country last year, as $1.00 told, and i raised $200000.00. that's nothing, you know, in my race and my senate raise the 2 major candidates, democrat republican. they raised a $100000000.00, so we were never going to be

a threat. but what it was is that we were stepping into their turf. we were, we were broaching on we, we were encroaching on their entitlement. how dare we that type of thing. and so they thought the squash as they also know that they're there, right. and they know they're corrupt and they're afraid of, of anyone saying anything that might insult or hurt their donors, such as advocating rank control or for medicare for all, you know, in, in a major race. i would like to thank our guests bring his experience in whistle blowing and thank you to our viewers for watching. sometimes the most profound sentiments are the simplest. my husband got the once told us to observe good faith and decent harmony with all i appeal for a cessation of hostilities. he said, not because you are too exhausted to fight, but because war is bad and its essence, we will not learn how to live others children. gundy was right. of course, even if we haven't yet learned our lesson. john, curiously, when you've been watching the whistle blowers, thanks again for joining us until next time. 2

2 2 the, [000:00:00;00] the 1834 prance invaded algeria and straight away the french started inhabiting it to strengthen their position. the column is known as the new arts, did the best land from day one, the local population was put into an unequal position and was briefly exploited. this caused them as these goods and the people of l. g area began their long term

bite for independence. in 1954, the banner of freedom was raised by the national liberation front. a guerrilla war against the occupants broke out. the french tried to suppress, to rebuild you and using cruel measures. whole villages were wiped out acts of georgia and executions of civil people, including pregnant women, children, and old people took place more than 2000000 people were born into concentration camps. however, these punitive measures didn't help. cl, jerry and patriots managed to induce france the stars in 1962 heavy and the cords were assigned 40 l. jerry on the bass boards independence. but this was achieved at a colossal price. algeria by rights is considered to be a country of martyrs. according to the calculations of historians, the french colonists are responsible for the depths of one and

a half 1000000 algerians. the more expensive. and i'm here to plan with you whatever you do. you do not watch my new show. seriously. why watch something that's so different. whitelisted of opinions that he won't get anywhere else. welcome to please or do they have the state farm? c, i a weapons, bankers, multi 1000000000 dollar corporations. choose your fax for you. go ahead. i changed and whatever you do, don't my show stay main street because i'm probably going to make you uncomfortable . my show is called stretching time. but again, we don't wanna watch it because it might just change the way

the the headlines on off the international and pushing back rushing forces secure front lines and going by us, according to moscow officials above presidents of landscape to its various nato member states looking for more weapons on the unit, the

protester running across the against the government's economic policies. as in place, in spite sufficiently, the heads of movements acknowledged that the current sitting present also in the program protest as lum bonds in new york of palestine condemns us. fives. to build a new embassy on up to 5 territory, you're adopting, we hit the streets of georgia, the american decision to move its embassy contradicts american foreign policy specialist and supporting the embassy and to staff solution the, the, the, the us, he's the one encouraging the vision stays the hold on no filters, i know mainstream distractions. it's your news on ology international is we come to you from this and russian troops continue repelling ukrainian attacks on the front

lines near the city. a lot of trouble schools are known as bach move studies in the don't ex republic. it's all confirmed by the russian ministry of defense. now, that's a show you some russian tanks moving it to come back positions along the front lines very close to them. meantime and neighboring out the new guns for public ukrainian troops from their previous strongholds. as our senior correspondent reports from the the ukrainian soldier pots of the special forces squad, films, and the attempt to the tag on the russian outpost. you run across and stick tight to cover on the left and the cover. we move that way. it doesn't go according to plan russian troops. machine gun opens up to the injured injured. i'm injured the 55 last. so the minutes the anti ukrainian squad is

killed. the speed you epitomizes, you pains disastrous offensive across hundreds of kilometers the scene, but pete's head on attacks against fortified russian positions. the casualties are renewal of us. the men add yeah, the american supplied max pool, which vehicle takes a direct heat, reportedly in that bottle, was your region over the past month? billions and billions of dollars worth of nato weapons and vehicles have but, and the financial stress is telling the conflict. this conflict has no military solution. i do not accept the provision of munition, especially if it is from the reserves of the bulgarian army. because for him, commanders and i have clear responsibilities not to weaken the defense capabilities of demo jaron, all me us new to go to steve amongst native states. well, we're in,

this is on the rise now, but the prospect to have a quick ukrainian victory has been proven fantasy instead of fight. they're starting to say to wait for the key is that acceptable? h needs guns, that money piece, the web and then they should be able to, i'm sure, sure that you in the european union and ukraine, europe should have common values. ukraine and nato should have common values anymore and it cannot be otherwise. it is impossible to strike a balance or support to russia in this war and a lot why? because russia wants to destroy nato and europe, destroying the european union is their aim. do you understand? the lensky is determined to continue as long as the united states and it's made who allies keep sending. um, have you,

they should keep the war going. there are still millions of ukrainian men lift no matter the losses. phone. 321, direct case. it's direct stages, but the question remains to what had a quick military victory who arguably victory a tool for ukraine, is now a decent intent to use every prospect and the more power. and that becomes the hard the it will be to maintain a united need. 2 front more i'd guys do you have a t from new guns region where your time, the crumbling spokesman says it needs to put pressure on target key to release leaders of the notorious as of a tale. and they were a p o. w was held by russia, but now they being released back to you, craig, pest, golf, added the act actually goes against what was agreed upon in a previous prison. a swap between moscow key has an incorrect the resurrection. you

distort say, no credit. return of the is off leaders from turkey, a to ukraine is a direct violation of the terms of the existing agreement is the way to more over and they have in this case both ukrainian side and the just the decision to extradite the is off leaders to zelinski in violation of the agreements is of course directly linked to the failures of the training and counter events over the failures that the troops of the key diversity of my food. now face every day, moment of the enter key itself. and i'm being a member of nato in this way, shows that solidarity with the alliance. the decision comes on, the hills or presidents or landscapes visit, talk to you on friday to make this count about the other one on topic. of course, the conflict in ukraine, cabs, nato membership bid on the black. so let's drain deal with the turkish lead. we thought it was the heart of the black sea green initiative, which delivers any $33000000.00 tons of grain to those in lead. any yeah,