War on Peace: The End of Diplomacy and the Decline of American Influence

by Ronan Farrow

  95 “Humanitarian aid siphoned”: Author interview with Alan Kronstadt, 18 August 2016.

  96 gushed to reporters: “U.S., Pakistan Seek to Build Trust With Talks.” NPR, 25 March 2010, www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125153658.

  96 had been stalled: Landler, Mark. “Afghanistan and Pakistan Sign a Trade Deal, Representing a Thaw in Relations.” New York Times, 18 July 2010, www.nytimes.com/2010/07/19/world/asia/19diplo.html.

  96 India began to signal its willingness: Raman, Sunil. “Why India Wants to Enter Af-Pak Trade and Transit Agreement.” Swarajya, 7 January 2016, https://swarajyamag.com/world/why-india-wants-to-enter-af-pak-trade-and-transit-agreement.

  96 water policy: “Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces U.S. Members of Three Working Groups Under the U.S.-Afghanistan-Pakistan Trilateral.” USDA, No. 0529.09, 26 October 2009, webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:zX-i8OahGE8J:www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdamobile%3Fcontentid%3D2009/10/0529.xml+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us.

  97 Drought could trigger: Qiu, Jane. “Stressed Indus River Threatens Pakistan’s Water Supplies.” Nature, 29 June 2016, www.nature.com/news/stressed-indus-river-threatens-pakistan-s-water-supplies-1.20180.

  97 shrinking glaciers: Mandhana, Niharika. “Water Wars: Why India and Pakistan are Squaring Off Over Their Rivers.” Time, 16 April 2012, content.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2111601,00.html.

  97 whether he was kidding: Woodward, Bob. Obama’s Wars. Kindle Ed., Simon & Schuster, 2011, p. 210.

  97 Indus Waters Treaty: Kugelman, Michael. “Why the India-Pakistan War Over Water Is So Dangerous.” Foreign Policy, 30 September 2016, http://foreignpolicy.com/2016/09/30/why-the-india-pakistan-war-over-water-is-so-dangerous-indus-waters-treaty.

  98 “ ‘This thing is really working’ ”: Author interview with General David Petraeus, in person at his offices in New York City, 25 May 2016.

  12: A-ROD

  99 choosing his words carefully: Ahmed, Rashid. Pakistan on the Brink. New York: Penguin, 2013. p. 114.

  100 Steiner lip-syncing: “Steiner Stirbt den Bollywood-Tod.” Spiegel TV, 25 April 2015, www.spiegel.de/video/indien-botschafter-michael-steiner-bollywood-video-video-1572700.html.

  100 Taliban websites: Reuter, Christopher, Schmitz, Gregor Peter, and Stark, Holger. “How German Diplomats Opened Channel to Taliban.” Spiegel, 10 January 2012, www.spiegel.de/international/world/talking-to-the-enemy-how-german-diplomats-opened-channel-to-taliban-a-808068-2.html.

  100 triple agent: “How a Triple Agent Duped the CIA.” Daily Beast, 20 June 2011, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/06/20/cia-base-attack-in-afghanistan-how-a-triple-agent-duped.

  100 traditional German castles: Ahmed, Rashid. Pakistan on the Brink. New York: Penguin, 2013, p. 114.

  101 Harry’s Tap Room: Clinton, Hillary. Hard Choices. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2014, loc 2747. Kindle.

  101 “Remember this moment”: Clinton, Hillary. Hard Choices. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2014, loc.2729. Kindle.

  102 love of the Yankees: Gordon, Meryl. “Ambassador A-List.” New York, http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/people/features/1748/index3.html.

  102 “If this thing works”: Nasr, Vali. “The Inside Story of how the White House Diplomacy Let Diplomacy Fail in Afghanistan.” Foreign Policy, 4 March 2013, http://foreignpolicy.com/2013/03/04/the-inside-story-of-how-the-white-house-let-diplomacy-fail-in-afghanistan.

  103 “are not reconcilable”: “White Paper of the Interagency Policy Group’s Report on U.S. Policy toward Afghanistan and Pakistan.” United States Government, Office of the White House, 2009, edocs.nps.edu/govpubs/wh/2009/Afghanistan_Pakistan_White_Paper.pdf.

  103 “taboo word”: The Diplomat. Dir. David Holbrooke. HBO Documentary Films, 2015, 1:19:40.

  104 “on board”: Chandrasekaran, Rajiv. Little America: The War Within the War for Afghanistan. New York: Vintage, loc. 3599. Kindle.

  104 a violent reminder: Marquez, Miguel. “Holbrooke Gets Very Close Look at Afghan War.” ABC News, 21 June 2010, http://abcnews.go.com/WN/Afghanistan/ambassador-holbrookes-plane-attacked-marja-afghanistan/story?id=10973713.

  105 “not another email”: Hastings, Michael. “The Runaway General.” Rolling Stone, 22 June 2010, http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/the-runaway-general-20100622.

  105 “if we just tried a little harder”: Author interview with General David Petraeus, in person at his offices in New York City, 25 May 2016.

  106 “Not now”: Chandrasekaran, Rajiv. Little America: The War Within the War for Afghanistan. New York: Vintage, loc. 3610. Kindle.

  106 dead-ended: Chandrasekaran, Rajiv. Little America: The War Within the War for Afghanistan. Kindle Ed., New York: Vintage, loc. 3554. Kindle.

  107 “We don’t outsource our foreign policy”: Chandrasekaran, Rajiv. Little America: The War Within the War for Afghanistan. New York: Vintage, loc. 3569. Kindle.

  107 “constant uphill struggle”: The Diplomat. Dir. David Holbrooke. HBO Documentary Films, 2015, 1:20:00.

  108 had the president’s trust: Chandrasekaran, Rajiv. Little America: The War Within the War for Afghanistan. New York: Vintage, loc. 3515. Kindle.

  108 plan his exit strategy: Chandrasekaran, Rajiv. Little America: The War Within the War for Afghanistan. New York: Vintage, loc. 3515. Kindle.

  108 “White House aides told me”: Author interview with Hillary Clinton, 20 November 2017.

  109 “confident edging on arrogance”: The Diplomat. Dir. David Holbrooke. HBO Documentary Films, 2015, 1:29:00.

  109 A frequent fixture: Schulman, Daniel. “State Department Launches Afghanistan Leak Probe.” Mother Jones, 27 January 2010, http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2010/01/state-department-launches-afghan-leak-probe.

  109 not a leaker: Landler, Mark. Alter Egos: Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and the Twilight Struggle Over American Power. New York: Random House, 2016, loc. 1746. Kindle.

  109 he did like talking to reporters: “State Department Launches Afghan Leak Probe.” Mother Jones, January 2010, www.motherjones.com/politics/2010/01/state-department-launches-afghan-leak-probe.

  110 replete with pictures: Packer, George. “The Last Mission.” New Yorker, 28 September 2009, http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2009/09/28/the-last-mission.

  110 “you shouldn’t be making”: Conversation with Kati Marton, 13 April 2017.

  110 “Obviously Richard strayed”: Clinton, Hillary. “PACKER ARTICLE.” Message to Cheryl Mills. 16 September 2009. Email released by WikiLeaks, https://wikileaks.org/clinton-emails/emailid/15835.

  110 “You don’t understand”: Hirsch, Michael. “Richard Holbrooke’s Decline and Fall, as Told in Clinton Emails.” Politico, 1 July 2015, www.politico.com/story/2015/07/richard-holbrookes-hillary-clinton-emails-119649.

  13: PROMISE ME YOU’LL END THE WAR

  112 “I think I’ve got it”: Hirsch, Michael. “Richard Holbrooke’s Decline and Fall, as Told in Clinton Emails.” Politico, 1 July 2015, www.politico.com/story/2015/07/richard-holbrookes-hillary-clinton-emails-119649.

  113 “I still believe”: “SUBJECT: AT THE CROSSROADS.” Memo from Richard Holbrooke to Hillary Clinton, 10 September 2010.

  114 only India: Wright, Tom. “No Pakistan on President Obama’s India Trip.” Wall Street Journal, 21 October 2010, https://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2010/10/21/no-pakistan-on-president-obama%E2%80%99s-india-trip.

  117 “The best we can achieve”: “SUBJECT: AT THE CROSSROADS.” Memo from Richard Holbrooke to Hillary Clinton, 10 September 2010.

  118 “always hoping”: The Diplomat. Dir. David Holbrooke. HBO Documentary Films, 2015, 1:33:00.

  120 “Finally the president”: The Diplomat. Dir. David Holbrooke. HBO Documentary Films, 2015, 1:34:00.

  120 looked flushed: Landler, Mark. Alter Egos: Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and the Twilight Struggle Over American Power. New York: Random House, 2016, loc. 1768. Kindle.

  120 her own internist: The Diplomat. Dir. David Holbrooke. HBO Documentary Films, 2015, 1:
35:00; Clinton, Hillary. Hard Choices. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2014, loc. 2779; Alter, Jonathan. “Richard Holbrooke’s Lonely Mission.” Newsweek, 16 January 2011, www.newsweek.com/richard-holbrookes-lonely-mission-67057; and Roig-Franzia, Manuel. “Searching for Richard Holbrooke.” Washington Post, 20 October 2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/searching-for-richard-holbrooke/2015/10/20/84d62ee4-7747-11e5-b9c1-f03c48c96ac2_story.html?utm_term=.da8936547d62.

  121 “You have to promise”: Landler, Mark. Alter Egos: Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and the Twilight Struggle Over American Power. New York: Random House, 2016, loc. 1781. Kindle.

  121 Holbrooke was joking: Chandrasekaran, Rajiv and DeYoung, Karen. “Holbrooke’s War Remark Called Banter, Not Entreaty.” Washington Post, 15 December 2010, www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/14/AR2010121407701.html.

  122 merge it with a Holbrooke tribute event: “Holiday Reception.” US Department of State, 13 December 2010, https://video.state.gov/detail/videos/category/video/709543962001/?autoStart=true.

  124 when she got the call: Mills, Cheryl. “FW: Harper’s Bazaar: ‘Hillary Clinton: Myth and Reality.” Message to Hillary Clinton. 17 February 2017. Email released by WikiLeaks, No. C05777693, 7 January 2016, https://wikileaks.org/clinton-emails/Clinton_Email_January_7_Release/C05777693.pdf.

  125 “that December”: Author interview with Hillary Clinton, 20 November 2017.

  14: THE WHEELS COME OFF THE BUS

  127 “he wouldn’t stand out”: McKelvey, Tara. “The CIA’s Last-Minute Osama bin Laden Drama.” Daily Beast, 9 May 2011, www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/05/10/raymond-davis-the-cias-last-minute-osama-bin-laden-drama.html.

  127 casualty of an American dream: Conrad, Jim. “The Walls Come Down at Powell Valley High.” WCYB, 21 May 2014, www.wcyb.com/news/virginia/the-walls-come-down-at-powell-valley-high_20160524074842261/14089434.

  127 “peaceful and confident”: Walsh, Declan. “A C.I.A. Spy, a Hail of Bullets, Three Killed, and a U.S.-Pakistan Diplomatic Row.” Guardian (Manchester), 20 February 2011, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/feb/20/cia-agent-lahore-civilian-deaths and Mazzetti, Mark. The Way of the Knife: The CIA, a Secret Army, and a War at the Ends of the Earth. New York: Penguin, 2014, p. 2.

  127 Minutes later: Yasif, Rana. “Raymond Davis Case: The Forgotten Victim.” Express Tribune, 18 March 2011, https://tribune.com.pk/story/134313/the-forgotten-victim.

  128 “not subject”: Tapper, Jake and Ferran, Lee. “President Barack Obama: Pakistan Should Honor Immunity for ‘Our Diplomat.’ ” ABC News, 15 February 2011, abcnews.go.com/Blotter/raymond-davis-case-president-barack-obama-urges-pakistan/story?id=12922282.

  128 “he’s not one of ours”: Mazzetti, Mark. The Way of the Knife: The CIA, a Secret Army, and a War at the Ends of the Earth. New York: Penguin, 2014, p. 264.

  128 “If we have to play”: Author phone interview with Leon Panetta, 6 May 2016.

  129 “Hey, where are you”: Author phone interview with Mohsin Kamal, 14 November 2016.

  129 “a most unpredictable man”: Author phone interview with Mohsin Kamal, 14 November 2016.

  130 No American: Author phone interview with Mohsin Kamal, 14 November 2016.

  130 pulling dozens of its undercover operatives out: Mazzetti, Mark. The Way of the Knife: The CIA, a Secret Army, and a War at the Ends of the Earth. New York: Penguin, 2014, p. 276.

  130 “The wheels just came off”: Author interview with General David Petraeus, in person at his offices in New York City, 25 May 2016.

  130 Clinton canceled: DeYoung, Karen and Brulliard, Karin. “U.S.-Pakistan Relations Strained Further With Case of Jailed Diplomat.” Washington Post, 8 February 2011, www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/07/AR2011020705790.html.

  131 leaving behind: Schmidle, Nicholas. “Getting Bin Laden.” New Yorker, 8 August 2011, www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/08/08/getting-bin-laden and Meyers, Steven Lee and Bumiller, Elisabeth. “Obama Calls World ‘Safer’ After Pakistan Raid.” New York Times, 2 May 2011, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/03/world/asia/osama-bin-laden-dead.html.

  131 the Pakistanis were incompetent: “U.S.-Pakistani Relations After the bin Laden Raid.” Stratfor, 2 May 2011, https://www.stratfor.com/analysis/us-pakistani-relations-after-bin-laden-raid.

  131 “We are still talking”: Brulliard, Karin and DeYoung, Karen. “Pakistani Military, Government Warn U.S. Against Future Raids.” Washington Post, 6 May 2011, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/pakistan-questions-legality-of-us-operation-that-killed-bin-laden/2011/05/05/AFM2l0wF_story.html?tid=a_inl&utm_term=.9dce5bb83301.

  131 not accepted: Brulliard, Karin and Hussain, Shaiq. “Pakistani Spy Chief Offers to Resign.” Washington Post, 13 May 2011, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2011/05/12/AFdoRh1G_story.html?utm_term=.e556f2485d1a.

  131 “People just don’t understand”: Author interview with General David Petraeus, in person at his offices in New York City, 25 May 2016.

  132 “politics took over”: Author phone interview with Leon Panetta, 06 May 2016.

  132 how to get tougher: Brulliard, Karin and DeYoung, Karen. “Pakistani Military, Government Warn U.S. Against Future Raids.” Washington Post, 6 May 2011, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/pakistan-questions-legality-of-us-operation-that-killed-bin-laden/2011/05/05/AFM2l0wF_story.html?tid=a_inl&utm_term=.9dce5bb83301.

  132 “pulled the veil back”: Author interview with General Michael Hayden, in person at his offices in Washington, DC, 17 May 2017.

  132 tipping off al-Qaeda fighters: Crilly, Rob. “Pakistan Accused of Tipping Off al-Qaeda Fighters Ahead of Raids.” Telegraph (UK), 12 June 2011, www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/al-qaeda/8571134/Pakistan-accused-of-tipping-off-al-Qaeda-fighters-ahead-of-raids.html.

  133 “he was pissed”: Author phone interview with Leon Panetta, 6 May 2016.

  133 “as a veritable arm”: Barnes, Julian, Rosenberg, Matthew, and Entous, Adam. “U.S. Accuses Pakistan of Militant Ties.” Wall Street Journal, 23 September 2011, https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424053111904563904576586760263338104.

  133 recriminations: DeYoung, Karin and Partlow, Joshua. “Afghans Saw Commando Unit Was Attacked Before Airstrike Was Called on Pakistan.” Washington Post, 28 November 2011, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/afghans-say-unit-was-attacked-before-airstrike/2011/11/28/gIQAX6ZY5N_story.html?hpid=z1&utm_term=.f70a1c3d2b3a.

  133 GLOCs: Coleman, Jasmine. “Pakistan Halts NATO Supplies After Attack Leaves Soldiers Dead.” Guardian (Manchester), 26 November 2011, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/nov/26/pakistan-halts-nato-supplies-attack.

  134 sixty days of supplies: Phone interview with General John Allen, 2 September 2016.

  134 it worked: Martinez, Luis. “Afghanistan War: Closed Pakistan Routes Costing U.S. $100 Million a Month.” ABC News, 13 June 2012, abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/06/afghanistan-war-closed-pakistan-routes-costing-u-s-100-million-a-month.

  134 “spell ‘relief’ ”: Sherman, Wendy. “THANK YOU.” Email to Hillary Clinton, 2 July 2012, released by WikiLeaks, https://wikileaks.org/clinton-emails/emailid/20254 and Clinton, Hillary. “Re; Thanks.” Email to Bill Burns, 3 July 2012, released by WikiLeaks, https://wikileaks.org/clinton-emails/emailid/7553.

  134 “sad state”: Author phone interview with General John Allen, 2 September 2016.

  134 biggest dent: Author interview with Alan Kronstadt, 18 August 2016.

  135 “work together”: Clinton, Hillary. Hard Choices. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2014, loc. 3457-3458. Kindle.

  135 Afghans in the lead: Yusufzai, Mushtaq, Williams, Abigail, Burton, Brinley. “Taliban Begins Secret Peace Talks With U.S., Afghan Officials: Sources.” NBC News, 18 October 2016, www.nbcnews.co

  15: THE MEMO

  137 “would go bad”: Author interview with Husain Haqqani, Hudson Institute Office, Washington, DC, 6 January 2017.

  138 “eliminate hardline elements”: Ijaz, Mansoor. “Time to Take on Pakistan’s Jihadi Spies.” Financial
Times, 10 October 2011, https://www.ft.com/content/5ea9b804-f351-11e0-b11b-00144feab49a and “Confidential Memorandum: Briefing for Adm. Mike Mullen, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff.” 9 May 2011, Washington Post, www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/world/documents/secret-pakistan-memo-to-adm-mike-mullen.html.

  138 to issue visas: “Gilani Granted Controversial Visa-Issuing Powers to Haqqani, Letter Reveals.” GeoTV News, 24 March 2017, https://www.geo.tv/latest/135334-Gilani-granted-controversial-visa-issuing-powers-to-Haqqani-letter-reveals.

  138 not to approve visas: “Hussain Haqqani Renewed Visas to 36 C.I.A. Agents in Pakistan Despite Foreign Office Warning.” Times (Islamabad), 25 March 2017, https://timesofislamabad.com/hussain-haqqani-renewed-visas-to-36-cia-agents-in-pakistan-despite-foreign-office-warning/2017/03/25.

  138 a turncoat: Author interview with Husain Haqqani, Hudson Institute Office, Washington, DC, 6 January 2017.

  139 “completely out of his depth”: Author interview with Husain Haqqani, Hudson Institute Office, Washington, DC, 6 January 2017.

  139 “God gave you”: Ignatius, David. “Mansoor Ijaz, Instigator Behind Pakistan’s ‘Memogate.’ ” Washington Post, 22 January 2012, https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/post/mansoor-ijaz-instigator-behind-pakistans-memogate/2012/01/22/gIQAcRdjJQ_blog.html?utm_term=.a2243babdf37.

  140 similarly colorful: Ignatius, David. “Mansoor Ijaz, Instigator Behind Pakistan’s ‘Memogate.’ ” Washington Post, 22 January 2012, https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/post/mansoor-ijaz-instigator-behind-pakistans-memogate/2012/01/22/gIQAcRdjJQ_blog.html?utm_term=.a2243babdf37 and Bergen, Peter. “What’s Behind the Furor in Pakistan?” CNN, 25 November 2011, www.cnn.com/2011/11/24/opinion/bergen-memogate-pakistan.

  140 named him as the culprit: Nelson, Dean. “Imran Khan Blame by Pakistan U.S. Envoy for Links to Army Plot.” Telegraph (UK), 21 November 2011, www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/8904605/Imran-Khan-blamed-by-Pakistan-US-envoy-for-links-to-army-plot.html.