Along the same lines, Mr. Hampson, you mentioned that we should play a leadership role in Afghanistan and you talked about forming a brain trust. That assumes from the outset that there is a recognized common objective for Afghanistan. It implies a stage when the past is left in the past in order to pursue a specific objective. In my opinion, at the moment, the objective in Afghanistan is far from clear.
On February 23rd, 2009. See this statement in context.