Skip navigation
CODEPINK
    • ACTION ALERT: Check out our activities for the Week of April 12, 2021
    • ACTION ALERT: CODEPINK in the News Round-Up: April 2021
  • Codepink Store
  • Donate
  • Get Involved
  • Act Now
    Action Calendar Congress Toolkit Action Alerts Follow CODEPINK Volunteer: Be a Peacemaker CODEPINK Store Donate to CODEPINK Recommended Movies Recommended Books
  • Issues & Campaigns
  • Pink Updates (current)
    Last Week at CODEPINK Action Alerts PINK Tank ~ Blog CODEPINK Webinars Press Releases In the News Blogs from Iran Local Peace Economy Daily
  • About
    Founders & Staff What is CODEPINK Jobs and Internships Our Allies CODEPINK Advisory Board Contact Us
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Email
  • WhatsApp
  1. HOME
  2. PINK TANK ~ BLOG

Rachel Maddow on Afghanistan, July 15

Posted by CODEPINK Staff


U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke: We're in Afghanistan because it really matters. We're in Afghanistan because if we fail in Afghanistan, it will have a direct, immediate danger to us. It will increase al-Qaeda's worldwide reach. They will come back with the Taliban in all likelihood, and they will gain a worldwide success which will be very dangerous for our national security interests. So we have to be clear. The American public needs to be clear on why we're in Afghanistan. This is not Vietnam, a war which I participated in as a State Department civilian in the lower Mekong Delta when I entered the government. This is not the Balkans. It's not Iraq. This is quite different, and this one relates directly to our safety at home.

RM: But we tried to do counterinsurgency in Vietnam, too, pretty explicitly. ... When you look back at those efforts, all those years ago, do you really have confidence that a foreign country can help create a state somewhere else, that we really can stand up an Afghan government?

Holbrooke: I think we can if we do it right. . . . The fundamental difference is the one you and I just already mentioned. It matters to our homeland security. Vietnam did not, although at the time, the administrations in power did say it did, but they were wrong. ... It's a process which is not easy, and you only embark on it if you decide that it is absolutely critical for the U.S. national interests, which it is.

Read Rachel's analysis on her blog: http://bit.ly/MaddowAfghanistan

Continue Reading

Biden’s Appeasement of Hawks and Neocons Is Crippling His Diplomacy

The Dirty Campaign Underlying Ecuador’s “Free and Fair” Election

Hunting in Yemen

BlackRock: Put Human Rights on Your Shareholder Meeting Agenda

Show all posts

Be the first to comment


Sign in with

Facebook Twitter


Or sign in with email

    or Create an account


    Create an account

      or Sign in with email
      Please check your e-mail for a link to activate your account.
      CODEPINK - Women for Peace
      seach
      • ACT NOW
      • ACTION CALENDAR
      • CONGRESS TOOLKIT
      • ACTION ALERTS
      • FOLLOW CODEPINK
      • VOLUNTEER: BE A PEACEMAKER
      • CODEPINK STORE
      • DONATE TO CODEPINK
      • RECOMMENDED MOVIES
      • RECOMMENDED BOOKS
      • ISSUES & CAMPAIGNS
      • DIVEST FROM THE WAR MACHINE
      • PALESTINE
      • ACCOUNTABILITY: EXPOSING WAR CRIMES
      • IRAN
      • SAUDI ARABIA
      • PRESIDENT FOR PEACE
      • LATIN AMERICA
      • THE PEACE COLLECTIVE
      • THE FEMINIST FOREIGN POLICY PROJECT
      • PINK UPDATES
      • LAST WEEK AT CODEPINK
      • ACTION ALERTS
      • PINK TANK ~ BLOG
      • CODEPINK WEBINARS
      • PRESS RELEASES
      • IN THE NEWS
      • BLOGS FROM IRAN
      • LOCAL PEACE ECONOMY DAILY
      • ABOUT
      • FOUNDERS & STAFF
      • WHAT IS CODEPINK
      • JOBS AND INTERNSHIPS
      • OUR ALLIES
      • CODEPINK ADVISORY BOARD
      • CONTACT US
      © 2021 CODEPINK | All Rights Reserved | Created by Code Nation on NationBuilder