Holbrooke’s Last Words: ‘Stop War In Afghanistan’

[Areesh]

America can't step back now from war in AF, until Taliban are not destroyed. too late for that.

In that case it is not up to us...

 

[Solomon2]

It could be that he was just passing on the message to anybody he could - his doctor. The nationality had nothing to do with it.

No. Holbrooke's last words were reported by his family. A senior diplomat is always on duty - and his family too, when they have long experience.

Holbrooke did not deal wish wishful thinking or comfortable falsehoods. He had his grasp on all the facts, from the dirt on the ground with suffering families to military intelligence officers to heads of state. And nobody disagrees that he was always a powerful advocate of his convictions.

Holbrooke knew. He knew that Pakistan is primarily responsible for Afghanistan continuing to suffer war today. And he had the confidence that Pakistanis can stop it, if only they desire and are motivated to do so.

Re-writing his words (substituting "we" for "you"), or trying to muddle their emphasis or re-direct their focus, is an empty exercise with this man. He was convinced that the primary responsibility now is on Pakistani shoulders. And Holbrooke's unavoidable implication is that if Afghanistan fails, the moral onus for its sufferings is upon Pakistan as well - both its government and its people.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

No. Holbrooke's last words were reported by his family. A senior diplomat is always on duty - and his family too, when they have long experience.

Holbrooke did not deal wish wishful thinking or comfortable falsehoods. He had his grasp on all the facts, from the dirt on the ground with suffering families to military intelligence officers to heads of state. And nobody disagrees that he was always a powerful advocate of his convictions.

Holbrooke knew. He knew that Pakistan is primarily responsible for Afghanistan continuing to suffer war today. And he had the confidence that Pakistanis can stop it, if only they desire and are motivated to do so.

Re-writing his words (substituting "we" for "you"), or trying to muddle their emphasis or re-direct their focus, is an empty exercise with this man. He was convinced that the primary responsibility now is on Pakistani shoulders. And Holbrooke's unavoidable implication is that if Afghanistan fails, the moral onus for its sufferings is upon Pakistan as well - both its government and its people.

And what does the 'clarification' posted by Ras suggest?

Okay...this is the context. There is doubt even if the doctor was a Pakistani to begin with

The Context of Ambassador Richard Holbrooke's final words - Political Punch


The Context of Ambassador Richard Holbrooke's final words - Political Punch

"There was a, you know, lengthy exchange with Ambassador Holbrooke and the medical team, probably reflecting Richard's relentless pursuit of the policy that he had helped to craft and was charged by the president and the secretary with carrying out," Crowley said.

"At one point the medical team said: You've got to relax. And Richard said: I can't relax; I've got -- I'm worried about Afghanistan and Pakistan. And then after some additional exchanges, you know, the medical team finally -- finally said: Tell you what; we'll try to fix this challenge while you're undergoing surgery. And he said: Yeah, see if you can take care of that, including ending the war," he said.

A senior administration official also cautions against reporting that the comments were directed towards a doctor because he was of Pakistani descent. In fact, the official said the doctor may have been Indian or Egyptian, though we're told there were multiple doctors of South Asian descent in the room.

 

[Solomon2]

And what does the 'clarification' posted by Ras suggest?

Not much. I have more faith in the interpretation from his family than a verbatim report - or a report approved by a State Department spokesman. Unlike Holbrooke, they still feel they have to deal with (as in, be nice to) Pakistani officials.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Not much. I have more faith in the interpretation from his family than a verbatim report - or a report approved by a State Department spokesman. Unlike Holbrooke, they still feel they have to deal with (as in, be nice to) Pakistani officials.

The report from Political Punch is far more detailed and quotes Holbrooke's comments and their context in more detail than a one liner from 'his family'.

As pointed out in the report, 'multiple people in the room have given the same account.'

Nor do the detailed quotes from multiple sources negate what the family said - the difference is that the quotes attributed to the family left out everything else and focused on on small snippet tied in to the alleged identity of one of the surgeons.

The quotes posted by Ras are in fact quite clear that Holbrooke was in no way suggesting anything like what you are implying, but I understand that you have a need to cling on to any distortions and half truths that bash Pakistan.

Unfortunately for you, your distortions and half-truths are pretty clearly exposed with the details of Holbrooks comments being released.

 

[Bharat Muslim]

I think this guy was a very focussed and dedicated man. Very focussed and dedicated to his country and his assignment. Surely US lost a very capable diplomat. May God bless his soul and may be finally find peace in the tranquil world.

To the topic, I think that it is best till we wait for some offical US reaction on this for anything. There have been too many fake news planted all over recently. On top of it, a Pakistani surgeon bit has been thrown in. I think let us just wait.

But he was racist.

 

[Rafi]

We have interests in Afghanistan - if they are met, we can use our good offices to end the war, but the Pakistani state will never give up our interests, for the Americans or anyone else.

That is what the yanks and everyone else have to realise, and some sort of negotiations will have to take place to end the war.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

Posts related to Mullen's visit moved to the relevant thread.

 

[Bharat Muslim]

Holbrooke’s Last Words: ‘Stop War In Afghanistan’


WASHINGTON, Dec 14, 2010 (AFP) - Richard Holbrooke, the late US special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, had some stark final words as he was sedated and going in for surgery, the Washington Post reported Tuesday.

"You've got to stop this war in Afghanistan," Holbrooke told his Pakistani surgeon, the Post reported, citing unnamed family members.

Holbrooke, one of the most experienced US diplomats, died Monday as the administration of President Barack Obama reviews its strategy in Afghanistan. He was 69.

Holbrooke fell ill at work on Friday, was rushed to a Washington hospital and underwent what the Post described as a 21-hour operation to repair his aorta.

Working along with US military planners in Afghanistan, Holbrooke oversaw a tripling in the number of civilians in the war-ravaged country under a year-old plan to boost the country's agriculture, economy and civilian institutions.

The annual administration review on Afghan policy is due to discuss what progress has been made since Obama last year deployed 30,000 extra forces there to try to turn the tide of the war and prepare to start the US troop withdrawal in July 2011.

I really doubt if the news of this man's death is true or if it is all American fabrication.

 

[Solomon2]

I understand that you have a need to cling on to any distortions and half truths that bash Pakistan.

I would be quick to smash statements if I knew they unjustly bashed Pakistan. I guess that you need to do what you are doing now to avoid evaluating Pakistan's guilt in Afghanistan's troubles.

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

I would be quick to smash statements if I knew they unjustly bashed Pakistan. I guess that you need to do what you are doing now to avoid evaluating Pakistan's guilt in Afghanistan's troubles.

Lets stick with what Holbrooke said, which is nothing along the lines of what you are arguing, solely on the basis of a snippet of his complete comments and the alleged identity of one of his surgeons, attributed to his family - who were likely stressed out, worried and distracted in any case given his medical condition.

 

[Solomon2]

Lets stick with what Holbrooke said -

The wonder is, why is the U.S. officially still catering to Pakistani sensibilities, rather than making public the hard truths as Holbrooke's family wished? The only answer I can think of is that it is Pakistan in the driver's seat of the U.S.-Pakistan relationship, not the other way 'round as popularized by Pakistan's media and some of its politicians.

 

[AstanoshKhan]

Quite amazing, what a silent departure. Just heard of his demise in the morning and funnily just read in news that Taliban claiming the responsibility as well. Didn’t know what to think, but to say that the war has to end in such condition, really makes no sense at all.

Though I don’t have anything positive to say about his work as special envoy to South Asia, as any other Pakistani who understands the value of a human life I say RIP and I wish his family all the best.

The Taliban sure are tough to beat. The Americans should invest in anti-depressants from now on. lol

“and if you see the criminals with their heads down in shame saying Oh Allah we have seen and listened so please let us go back so that we can do good actions, we surely have believed now”

Alas at that point it will be too late.

 

[AstanoshKhan]

The Taliban issued a statement later in the day claiming credit for Holbrooke’s death, saying that the failing war had done serious harm to Holbrooke’s health.

They likened it to the failing health of a number of Soviet leaders near the end of their failed occcupation of Afghanistan.

The statement did not mention his final words, however.

Checkpoint Washington - Taliban blames Holbrooke death on war 'failures'

---------- Post added at 09:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:08 PM ----------

The Taliban issued a statement later in the day claiming credit for Holbrooke’s death, saying that the failing war had done serious harm to Holbrooke’s health.

They likened it to the failing health of a number of Soviet leaders near the end of their failed occcupation of Afghanistan.

The statement did not mention his final words, however.

Checkpoint Washington - Taliban blames Holbrooke death on war 'failures'

 

[AgNoStiC MuSliM]

The wonder is, why is the U.S. officially still catering to Pakistani sensibilities, rather than making public the hard truths as Holbrooke's family wished? The only answer I can think of is that it is Pakistan in the driver's seat of the U.S.-Pakistan relationship, not the other way 'round as popularized by Pakistan's media and some of its politicians.

No, the wonder is how you still continue to cling to a half-arsed analysis vilifying Pakistan based on a snippet of Holbrooke's comments, comments that have clearly been shown to be out of context in the light of Hollbrooke's detailed comments, from multiple sources present in the room, that are now public.

As for your suggestion that the US administration is lying and concocted the detailed Holbrooke comments, what evidence do you have to support that, and are you also then willing to believe that the US has lied about 911 and when criticizing Pakistan?

Or is it just when the arguments don't fit your bias and agenda that the 'US is lying'?