Holbrooke not welcome in India

ajtr

Tihar Jail
Banned
Joined
Oct 2, 2009
Messages
12,038
Likes
723
Holbrooke not welcome in India

NEW DELHI: New Delhi’s doors, it appears, will not open anytime soon for Richard Holbrooke, US special envoy for Af-Pak. He has been frozen out of India yet again, after his recent statement that Indians weren’t really targetted in the February 26 attacks in Kabul.

It was a callous remark that was so blatantly aimed at pleasing Pakistanis that the Indian foreign office was forced to make an official complaint about it. Particularly, since it was evident from the beginning that the attack was intended to get India out of Afghanistan, and by Pakistan-supported terror groups. So when Holbrooke announced on March 20 that he would “definitely be going to India soon”, he got the familiar cold shoulder from the MEA. Holbrooke was supposed to travel to Kabul and Delhi in the coming days, stopping by in Brussels.

In the last year, Holbrooke has found that after such public displays of determination to visit India, his travel plans invariably dry up. In fact, after two such freeze-offs, Holbrooke stopped trying in 2009. It was in early 2010 that the MEA decided to let him come to India.

His visit, when it did happen, went off rather well, with Holbrooke getting face-time with everyone in the leadership, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

But his remarks after the February 26 attack on guesthouses in Kabul mainly used by Indians brought back the Indian distaste for the special envoy. Speaking to reporters in Washington soon after the attack, Holbrooke held forth, “I don’t accept the fact that this was an attack on an Indian facility... There were foreigners, non-Indian foreigners hurt. It was a soft target. Let’s not jump to conclusions.”

He added, “I understand why everyone in Pakistan and everyone in India always focus on the other. But please, let’s not draw a conclusion for which there’s no proof.” He rendered a qualified apology later.
 

Yusuf

GUARDIAN
Super Mod
Joined
Mar 24, 2009
Messages
24,324
Likes
11,757
Country flag
He has to learn not to be a big mouth and shoot himself in the foot. The problem is that he is spending too much time in pakistan and is becoming brainwashed. These pakistanis have some talent in brainwashing. They get people to blow themselves up and then get some people to deny the reasons for the blow up.
 

Daredevil

On Vacation!
Super Mod
Joined
Apr 5, 2009
Messages
11,615
Likes
5,772
He has to learn not to be a big mouth and shoot himself in the foot. The problem is that he is spending too much time in pakistan and is becoming brainwashed. These pakistanis have some talent in brainwashing. They get people to blow themselves up and then get some people to deny the reasons for the blow up.
LOL Yusuf. This guy and his harebrained ideas should be kept at an arms length. He brings nothing to the table as far as India is considered. Accepting him in India will hyphenate India with Af-Pak.
 

Yusuf

GUARDIAN
Super Mod
Joined
Mar 24, 2009
Messages
24,324
Likes
11,757
Country flag
Its good that india has let it known that he is not welcome here. I don't think there can be a future reconciliation with holbrooke as envoy. Off course he is free to come as a tourist and visit the Taj. And I mean Taj Mahal in Agra and not the hotel in mumbai. Lest he gets attacked there as he may well say the mumbai attacks too were targeting foreigners and not indians.
 

Soham

DFI TEAM
Senior Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2009
Messages
1,972
Likes
91
Country flag
The source of such immature hasty statements deserves no better than to be shut off.

This is clearly indicative of Washington's desperation to wrap up the screwed up WOT somehow and get the hell out of there which can only be done with a jolly Pakistan on their side. And the level of appeasement is clear from Pakistan's Christmas wishlists and stupid American statements like these.
Its a hopeless pursuit ; knowing that the Taliban will be unstoppable once the US/NATO army fly back. It seems that we've got the message pretty clearly as well, looking at our reluctant embrace of the Bear's hug.

Next we know, they'll be feeding BS about Kashmir.
 
Joined
Feb 16, 2009
Messages
29,798
Likes
48,277
Country flag
Another Obama pick, all these politicians can't seem to do anything right but he was a good double talker so that always makes for a good politician, his involvement in 26/11 maybe the reason nothing was done and he is also useless when it comes to extraditing headley.
 
Last edited:

S.A.T.A

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 28, 2009
Messages
2,569
Likes
1,560
There is no pointing blaming Holbrooke,he is merely the agent of his govt and he says what his govt wants him to say.Americans are mostly convinced that Bin laden is dead and hence want to exit Afghanistan,but with honor and reputations intact.The ideal scenario would be the coming Iraq style withdrawal.America has to but mollycoddle Pakistan if it does not want to remain engaged in Afghanistan into the foreseeable future.All of Holbrooke's statements must be studied in this context.On India's part its urgent that Indian detach itself from America's Afghan bandwagon and forge new policy.Out past policy in tandem with US served its purpose and we gained a lot,but the new changing realities beckon us to tread a different path.Northern Alliance led regime in Kabul is going nowhere,however they will need our support now more than ever.
 

bengalraider

DFI Technocrat
Ambassador
Joined
Oct 10, 2009
Messages
3,779
Likes
2,666
Country flag
I agree with what S.A.T.A has to say the recent american policy statements have all been geared to making a foundation for a graceful exit from Afghanistan. the american public simply does not have the stomach for a war that's any more prolonged than it has already become and with no end in sight to boot, the Pakistanis know this hence the 56 point wishlist, the attempt to please the Americans by the staged arrest of mullah baradar(by some accounts no shots were fired and it was as if the entire arrest was pre rehearsed), and the repeated claims of massive gains in the war against the TTP.make no mistake the moment the Americans begin a withdrawal is the moment the Taliban begin to consolidate in southern Afghanistan. Many Afghan warlords shall simply change sides in such a situation and complicate the situation even more. Indian needs to rebuild a military alliance against the Taliban with the NA at it's base time is running out for us to lay the framework on which a new nemesis for the taleban may rise.
 
Joined
Feb 16, 2009
Messages
29,798
Likes
48,277
Country flag
when USA proposed the Good and Bad taliban theory, i wonder if they were thinking about the Northern alliance anywhere in that equation??
 

Latest Replies

Global Defence

New threads

Articles

Top