Holbrooke meets CII chief mentor

September 4th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat Friday met former prime minister Atal Bihari Vaypayee to inquire about his health and discuss the current political situation in the country. A statement issued by the RSS, the ideological mentor of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said Bhagwat met Vajpayee to know about his health and discuss contemporary issues.

August 13th, 2009 WASHINGTON - US special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke says Pakistan Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud's elimination last week was a "very big deal" in terms of security efforts in Pakistan. "The end of Baitullah Mehsud, as we all know, is a very big deal," he said Wednesday, citing reports of "disarray among his people, of other factions manoeuvring" following the apparent death of the Taliban leader in a missile strike.

June 11th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Taliban offences in Pakistan are dramatically changing the attitude of the government and people there, says US special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke. "My impression is that this is enraging the population," he told reporters here Wednesday mentioning the bombing of the Pearl Hotel in Peshawar Tuesday by "some terrorists" as an example.

May 14th, 2009 LAHORE - US Special Envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke has said there are certain benchmarks ready for Pakistan that would go together with the huge aid which the Obama administration is planning to provide. Responding to Senator Robert Menendez question over expanding funding for Pakistan's military, Holbrooke said : "We do have a comprehensive strategy and we do have benchmarks." Citing a US Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, that stated that the Bush administration had not met its national security 'goals' to destroy terrorist havens in Pakistan, Menendez expressed concerns over misuse of billion of dollars in aid, The Daily Times reported.

April 23rd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - US special envoy Richard Holbrooke Thursday telephoned Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari to discuss the ongoing war against terror as America's top military commander continued his meetings with senior military officers here. According to a presidential spokesman, Zardari and Holbrooke, the US special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, also discussed the regional situation and the president's visit to the US next month.

April 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Pointing to India's 'critical role' in the region, the US Wednesday clearly stated that it was not pressuring New Delhi on its ties with Islamabad, even as it sought a greater role for this country in Afghanistan. 'The subject (India-Pakistan ties) did not come up,' Richard Holbrooke, the US special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan said at a joint press conference here with Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, after talks with Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon.

April 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The US Wednesday sought a greater role for India in Afghanistan, at the same time saying it wouldn't pressurise New Delhi on its ties with Pakistan. 'What happens in Afghanistan depends on Pakistan.

April 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - With India a 'vital leader' in the region, the US Wednesday maintained it was not pressuring New Delhi on its ties with Islamabad and would like to see a greater role for this country in Afghanistan, even as it said India had been consulted on President Barrack Obama's new Af-Pak strategy. 'The subject (India-Pakistan ties) did not come up,' Richard Holbrooke, the US special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan said at a joint press conference here with Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, after talks with Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon.

April 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - US President Barack Obama's special envoy Richard Holbrooke has sought Indian involvement and views to support Washington's new regional strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan. "We never really had sufficient talks with India about regional and global strategic issues and that was the missing factor.

April 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - President Barack Obama's Special Envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke, clarified on Wednesday that he would not press India for resuming peace talks with Pakistan. Addressing a joint press briefing in New Delhi with Admiral Mike Mullen, the Chairman of the U.S.

April 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - United States Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke arrived in New Delhi late last night and is expected to brief the Indian leadership about his recent visit to Pakistan and President Obama's new strategy on Afghanistan and Pakistan. Holbrooke is being accompanied by the Chairman of the U.S.

April 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - President Barack Obama's Special Envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke has said that the US could not mediate between Pakistan and India, and that the two neighbouring countries would have to solve their long impending issues between themselves bilaterally. Addressing media persons in Islamabad before emplaning for New Delhi, Holbrooke said: "Washington cannot negotiate between the two countries, they should normalise mutual ties." Terming the November 2006 Mumbai terror attack as 'strategic terrorism', he said the strikes were an attempt to destabilize both countries.

April 8th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India had been kept in the loop while US President Barrack Obama's new Af-Pak strategy on the war against terror was being formulated and would continue to be consulted in future, a top American diplomat said Wednesday. 'We consulted the Indian government very closely,' said Richard Holbrooke, the US special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

March 29th, 2009 NEW DELHI - United States Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke is expected to visit India on April 7 to discuss how India could cooperate in US efforts to end terror threat in those two neighbouring countries. During his visit, Holbrooke will meet Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon and National Security Advisor M.

February 14th, 2009 NEW DELHI - India will press the US to sustain pressure on Pakistan to do more to bring the Mumbai terrorists to justice, when US envoy Richard Holbrooke meets Indian officials Monday. India and the US will also discuss ways of bringing stability to Afghanistan.