Holbrooke to crack heads in South Asia?

If this is a trial balloon, I say two thumbs up: President -elect Barack Obama is seriously considering giving former ambassador Richard Holbrooke a key role in handling diplomacy in south Asia, a move that would put one of America’s most prominent international troubleshooters in the middle of trying to resolve the thorny and interrelated ...

If this is a trial balloon, I say two thumbs up:

If this is a trial balloon, I say two thumbs up:

President -elect Barack Obama is seriously considering giving former ambassador Richard Holbrooke a key role in handling diplomacy in south Asia, a move that would put one of America’s most prominent international troubleshooters in the middle of trying to resolve the thorny and interrelated problems surrounding India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, according to several sources familiar with the transition.

Holbrooke, it must be noted, has been more or less auditioning for this job. Best known for his role in brokering the Dayton Accords that ended the war in Bosnia, he has in recent years been establishing himself as an authority on Afghanistan and South Asia.

So what has he been saying? Fortunately for us journalists, he’s left a long paper trail.

He supports democracy in Pakistan. He thinks the war in Afghanistan "will eventually become the longest in American history." He’s a fierce critic of spray eradication of poppy crops. He called recently in Foreign Affairs for a regional diplomatic strategy toward Afghanistan involving Iran, China, India, and Russia. He wants tough conditions on aid to Hamid Karzai’s government, which he views as weak. He says the national police are "Afghanistan’s most corrupt institution." 

Aside from his generally on-point analysis of the situation, Holbrooke would bring a lot of other qualities to the job. He has experience working with NATO in the Balkans. He’s not afraid to stand up to warlords or bust through bureaucratic roadblacks in Washington. He wouldn’t shrink from delivering harsh truths to leaders in Kabul and Islamabad. He’d have the relentless drive needed to keep the Obama administration focused, knows how to get attention in the press and on Capitol Hill, and has a good feel for how to use domestic politics to his advantage. Frankly, it’s hard to think of anyone better suited for this mission.

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