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Holbrooke on Success in Afghanistan: ‘We’ll Know It When We See It’

At a filled-to-capacity event with most of the interagency team run by Ambassador Richard Holbrooke to manage the deteriorating security and political

Jul 31, 2020
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At a filled-to-capacity event with most of the interagency team run by Ambassador Richard Holbrooke to manage the deteriorating security and political conditions in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Obama administration’s special envoy to the two states addressed a burning question: what will U.S. interests require success to look like in Afghanistan? John Podesta, the president of the Center for American Progress, asked Holbrooke if American interests can be satisfied by integration of former Taliban fighters, a “weak state” and discrete military strikes against al-Qaeda targets in Pakistan.”
“The military struggle with U.S. troops is not an open-ended event, but our civilian assistance will continue,” Holbrooke said. Stressing the interagency coordination represented by the ten officials flanking Holbrooke on the panel at Washington’s St. Regis Hotel, Holbrooke said that while the United States had to be “clear about what our national interests are,” ultimately, success would require taking a “Supreme Court test” — “We’ll know it when we see it.”
(The reference is to a famous line attributed to Justice Potter Stewartabout identifying pornography.)
Paolo Reyna

Paolo Reyna

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Paolo Reyna is a writer and storyteller with a wide range of interests. He graduated from New York University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Media Studies. Paolo enjoys writing about celebrity culture, gaming, visual arts, and events. He has a keen eye for trends in popular culture and an enthusiasm for exploring new ideas. Paolo's writing aims to inform and entertain while providing fresh perspectives on the topics that interest him most. In his free time, he loves to travel, watch films, read books, and socialize with friends.
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