The strategic review contains a clear and unambiguous message. Afghanistan and Pakistan are integrally related. You cannot deal with Afghanistan if the situation in Pakistan is what it is today.
Holbrooke emphasizes the interconnectedness of Afghanistan and Pakistan in strategic discussions.
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Why are we in Afghanistan? The short, simple answer is: 9/11, direct threats to our national security interests.
We have ended poppy eradication, a radical change, because all we were doing by eradicating poppy seeds--poppy crops--was driving farmers--poor farmers--into the hands of the Taliban.
I share your astonishment that so little was done on this in the past, and I want to commend you and Senator Webb for continuing to push.
The western part of Pakistan, the lawless areas, are the epicenter of the issues that threaten our country.