| The Last Mission: Richard Holbrooke’s Plan to Avoid the Mistakes of Vietnam in Afghanistan
Packer, George
New Yorker, September 28, 2009, v85, #30, pp39-54
This article discusses the efforts of Richard Holbrooke, special representative of the Department of State of U.S. president Barak Obama to Afghanistan and Pakistan. An experienced, ambitious, aggressive, talented and loyal diplomat, Holbrooke joined the foreign service at age 21 and served in Vietnam. He negotiated the Bosnia settlement in 1995. He is quoted saying that the impediments to success in Afghanistan are Taliban sanctuary in Pakistan, civilian casualties and corruption. The articles concludes: "Holbrooke must know that there will be no American victory in this war; he can only try to forestall potential disaster. But if he considers success unlikely, or even questions the premise of the war, he has kept it to himself. [...] He said, 'I still believe in the possibility of the United States, with all its will and all its strength, and I don't just mean military, persevering against any challenge. I still believe in that.'"
George Packer is a staff writer at The New Yorker.
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A6/05-09. Posted December 1, 2009
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