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| India-Pakistan |
| Holbrooke not welcome in India |
| 2010-03-27 |
| 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. |
| Posted by:john frum |
| #7 Israel, you see what to do. Thank you, President Obama -- another thing that as far as I know has never happened to a previous American envoy. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2010-03-27 15:40 |
| #6 Currently he is in the Hillary camp, so it can be assumed that he will sabotage Obama without hesitation. Holbrooke is in the Holbrooke camp. Always. He is the smartest man in any Admin, just ask him. He would turn on Hillary in a second if it furthered him. He always wanted to be SOS |
| Posted by: Frank G 2010-03-27 11:47 |
| #5 An Indian acquaintance of mine that works for the U.N. was in the guest house across the street from the one hit. He says there is no way that Indians were not the target. As the article states, the guest houses in this area are housing almost exclusively Indians. Holbrooke needs to fall down some stairs or something. |
| Posted by: Secret Asian Man 2010-03-27 11:34 |
| #4 I would never for a moment assume that Holbrooke wasn't aware of what he was doing. Even in his early 20s, he was under the wing of some ruthless individuals, such as Robert Komer, who created the Vietnam-era Phoenix Program and Strategic Hamlet Program. Currently he is in the Hillary camp, so it can be assumed that he will sabotage Obama without hesitation. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2010-03-27 09:49 |
| #3 Smart India. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2010-03-27 09:12 |
| #2 No. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2010-03-27 03:02 |
| #1 Is there anyone in the State Department that can play this game? |
| Posted by: SteveS 2010-03-27 00:29 |