The USA must be thankful to Richard Holbrooke for his marvelous final words. He said, 'Stop this war in Afghanistan moments before he died. Now it depends upon the US policy makers whether they take these words as a useful piece of advice or as a serious warning regarding the future of USA in Afghanistan. Richard Holbrooke could have said much more truthful things if he had a few more moments to breathe. Some of the US policy makers might take his words for granted but later or sooner, one day they will have to act upon them. The USA had stepped in Afghanistan with a belief that Afghanistan would not be much different from Iraq and it would be a plain sailing. Though in the beginning it seemed that the USA would very easily target its decided aims and objectives but gradually it came to the surface that it is almost next to impossible to enslave a nation which has been brought up and nurtured in the lap of rigid and rugged mountains. The people of Afghanistan proved themselves as unwavering and resolute as the sky high mountains castled around them. The US think tanks might have proposed the same strategy in Afghanistan which was successfully adopted in Iraq during the reign of President Saddam but they unfortunately neglected some of the ground realities which were altogether different from those in Iraq. The most important fact which did not let the American strategy succeed in Afghanistan is the neighbourhood surrounding Afghanistan. Pakistan and Afghanistan are though apparently two different states but they have so close cultural, traditional and above all the religious relations that sometimes the line dividing these two countries seems disappearing. People living across the Pak-Afghan borders mostly belong to the same origin following the same tribal values. They get united against their enemies and for their friends. The whole of Afghan nation feels aggrieved when the NATO aircrafts or the US drones target the peaceful inhabitants residing on either side of the Pak-Afghan border. This was not the situation in Iraq. Another important factor which did not let the US forces succeed in Afghanistan is the exemplary sincerity and devoutness of the Afghan people to the religion. They are never ready or willing to embrace anyone whom they take as the enemy of Islam. Moreover the true passion of Jihad never lets them keep silent when they see anyone involved in any activity against their religion. Although the US planners have always tried their best to defame the Jehadist elements with the help of the western media and most of the time with the intelligence agencies like CIA, Mossad and the Raw but still they have not succeeded. The Jehadis are continuously getting stronger and stronger in spite of the full use of vigor and force against them by the NATO and the US forces. Richard Holbrooke was certainly very well-aware of all these realities and wanted a quick safe exit from Afghanistan. If acted upon, his golden words can change the whole warlike scenario into a peaceful and calm landscape. PROFESSOR ALI SUKHANVER, Multan, December 16.