MSNBC's Joe Scarborough: Richard Holbrooke Told Me Afghanistan Was A Losing Proposition

WASHINGTON -- Before his death, Richard Holbrooke admitted that Afghanistan is a war that cannot be won, MSNBC host Joe Scarborough revealed Monday.

"Afghanistan is so depressing to me because I've yet to talk to a foreign policy expert, including Richard Holbrooke -- off the record -- that didn't know this was a losing proposition," said Scarborough. "And it seems like the president is just buying time because he doesn't want the Republicans to call him weak on defense."

The comments came during a discussion with Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), who admitted that when U.S. troops leave Afghanistan, the country will still be developing.

"You know, we're not going to stay there until this is a peaceful, civilized, developed country," said Durbin. "It's the kind of thing that's not within our grasp or control. We can't send in enough soldiers to do it. And many of us believe that that July deadline is critically important."

When asked by Scarborough whether he will hold Obama to his promise, Durbin simply replied, "The president gave his word, and I believe he should stand by it."

Scarborough has been vocal in his opposition to the war in Afghanistan, even though he initially supported the U.S. invasion. He has said that he is "very concerned about the Republican party being the party of endless war," and has praised conservative pundit Ann Coulter for her criticism of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan.

"It's distressing to me to see how this war continues," he said on his MSNBC show Monday. "It goes on and on. We've been fighting it for almost a decade; 2011 got pushed to 2014. We had a NATO conference where administration officials said, don't worry about the 2014 deadline, it's going to be pushed beyond that. When are you and other progressives in the Senate going to start pushing back on the administration, on the generals, and say enough is enough -- we can't waste $2 billion a week on a war without end?"

WATCH:

Scarborough's revelation about Holbrooke's views is likely to renew debate over the veteran diplomat's last words and thoughts on the conflict. Initially, The Washington Post reported that, according to family members, Holbrooke's last words were, "You've got to stop this war in Afghanistan." The Obama administration, however, said that according to aides who were in the room, the comments were part of a conversation Holbrooke had with his doctor, before going into surgery.

Comments

[BartRoberts]

05:32 PM on 12/23/2010

Pity Holbrooke didn't just come out and tell the truth to the whole damn world. But that would require that he have some integrity, and a man in a hurry to get ahead, like Holbrooke, never speaks truth to power but instead tells his superiors whatever they want to hear.

Ya' know why we respect Julian Assange? Because he tells the truth. Contrast him with one of the "best and the brightest" [said dripping with sarcasm], i.e. Holbrooke, and it's obvious why the world needs real heros like Assange.

[roninroshi]

10:02 PM on 12/20/2010

http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2010/12/2010122091133873729.html

[birddogs]

08:47 PM on 12/20/2010

So Richard Holbrooke wasn't just bantering with the surgeons. Richard Holbrooke has spent a lot of time on the Afghan/Pakistan situation, all the praise that has been directed at his knowledge of both the area and the war has to count for something.

[rotorhead1871]

08:18 PM on 12/20/2010

its not about "winning a war", the war is the occupation, which we will be winning for another generation. we are there to cause change, not win a war..how juvenile....!!! we are going to bring afgee along economically and get them going as far as basic business. materials, infrastructure, education will be our quest. we will be there a long time, most people reading this post will be dead before we leave....

[mamababa]

07:51 PM on 12/20/2010

It'd be nice if America doubled down and stayed in Afghanistan for at least another decade.

[rotorhead1871]

08:10 PM on 12/20/2010

we will be there another generation, it will take that long to establish permanent change. and that is what we want to do.

[paulys]

09:07 PM on 12/20/2010

won't happen -- we'll leave without that being accomplished simply because we can't
afford to be there any longer than we have been. Saner minds will eventually prevail

[jamalinko]

10:42 AM on 01/26/2011

Thanks for your patience and sorry for the inconvenience!
Best regards, Mary, CEO of youtube converter

[CHARLESTHETENTH]

07:20 PM on 12/20/2010

That's all well and good but when are these Journalists going to walk the walk and not talk the talk...in plain english if it's to hot get out of the kitchen...in other words hold the White House accountable with these revelations and make it stick...The News media is the only voice of influence we have...no single blog or series of blogs can compete...Use the power of the Press to bash the Afghan policy and the White House "in your face" so to speak. Without this type of strong reaction to this War and its seen to be believed untimate failure it will continue. Politicians and Military alike are taking this Country down and many American lives with it...when do we say enough is enough....NOW IS THE TIME !!

[johnsonc20]

07:18 PM on 12/20/2010

Watch the Republican candidate for President in 2012 (Mitt Romney - he's flexible enough) come out with a secret plan to end the war, a la Richard Nixon circa 1968. The Republicans are in a prime position to present the Democrats as war mongers. Ironic, no?

[FMAinMass]

07:10 PM on 12/20/2010

It is time to make the politicians afraid of us - the people again. The country is run by the corporate "globalists" who do not care about us - the citizens - at all. In our name those in power do great harm - against our will. We MUST make our voices heard. We must organize ourselves and make it clear, very clear, that we will NOT tolerate the arrogant abuse of power any longer. We must vote these people out and we must vote people in who will stand up to the corporate money and wall street profiteers who will eventually destroy this country by their flagrant greed. We must find our voice. We must. Before it's too late.

[Pennsylvanianne]

07:18 PM on 12/20/2010

If it were the '60's and '70's, people would be in the streets, demonstrating. But then we had the draft, and now we don't, so people don't care unless their family member is deployed. FMAinMass is right. We have to start making some noise our "leaders" can hear!

[roninroshi]

10:04 PM on 12/20/2010

FMAinMass...right on! f/f

[john frodo]

07:07 PM on 12/20/2010

While all our elected officials are still playing the Great Game, the real game of RIsk where the worlds resources are divided up. They only look at the people as a good way or a bad way to develop them. To know them is to look at the coal industry in America or any first world country, these are disposable people serving the greater good. Everybody join together and say, I am not going to inhale any more toxic stuff to make wall street look good.

[tech7]

06:51 PM on 12/20/2010

Be nice to
America or we will bring democracy to your country.

[nellieh]

06:51 PM on 12/20/2010

You wouldn't have to be a Richard Holbrooke to realize Afghanistan was a lost cause immediately after the Bush administration decided to invade Iraq. The Russians spent years there and they lived right next door! If they couldn't win a military war in Afghanistan why do our military and political leaders think we can? Egos. Those making the decisions have nothing to lose. They will get enormous "contributions" from the military industrial complex to keep supplying and inventing weapons and none of their kin are on the front lines. Perfect!

[tech7]

06:47 PM on 12/20/2010

Must keep the war machines going, it's about money, I mean "Terrorist"

[tech7]

06:46 PM on 12/20/2010

It's losing to America and the slave taxpayers, not to the weapons and ordinance manufactur­es. The war machine must keep going at any price, even if it means killing innocent people. Remember its about "terrorist­" .These military leaders are bought and paid for. Life is cheap to them.

[johndpieper]

06:30 PM on 12/20/2010

ammsamm, I saw your comment before it was deleted. Your point is well taken. You are correct. Last night I posted a comment saying that I've been gone for a few days because of my job. Anytime I'm overseas, my crew and I get the same questions as soon as people see that we are an air crew from an American airline. It's the same questions over, and over, and over again. As soon as we get into the crew van to the hotel, we are asked. When we check in at the hotel, we are asked. We are even asked as we are eating in the restaurants, or shopping on the economy. People want to know WHY we are allowing the ultra conservatives run this country and the wars in the Middle East. They also as questions about whether the "tea party" people are real. It has long been apparent to me that the rest of the world is not only laughing at us, but losing what little respect we used to enjoy on the world stage. This isn't about austerity, and the economic woes of foreign countries compared to the United States'. This about perpetual wars on a "boogey man", and ultraconservatives taking this country backwards on social issues.

Forgive me if it seems like I'm minimizing your point. I am not. I am just saying that it has LONG been apparent to me that the rest of the world is laughing at us. Who wouldn't?

[monroele]

06:16 PM on 12/20/2010

Alll these unwinnable wars. The war in Iraq, in Afghanistan, on terrorism and on drugs.Is it the definition of stupidity or insanity if you do the same thing over and over again and expect different results? Can we have a plebiscite and find out how many people want to continue these wars?
If the people of this country want to continue these wars I will found another country to live in.