In September 2009, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke sat down for an interview with PBS for a Frontline documentary titled “Obama’s War.” Holbrooke discussed Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Obama administration’s approach to diplomacy in the region. His answers, viewed in hindsight, reveal just how much America’s diplomatic efforts in Afghanistan have been undermined since last year. In particular, the announced July 2011 timetable for beginning troop withdrawals has clearly hampered America’s diplomacy in the region – especially when it comes to Pakistan.   

Holbrooke was specifically asked about Jalaluddin Haqqani, the longtime compatriot of the Taliban and al Qaeda who, along with his son Siraj, is responsible for some of the most deadly attacks in Afghanistan. The Haqqanis’ headquarters is in northern Pakistan and they are major players in the Afghan insurgency.