Ambassador Pickering briefs Congress on Afghanistan

Rep. Johnson hosts former UN Ambassador to discuss negotiating peace in Afghanistan

Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Thomas R. Pickering joined U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson (GA-4) on Capitol Hill Friday, April 15 to discuss the path to a political settlement of the war in Afghanistan.

Ambassador Pickering discussed findings of The Century Foundation's Afghanistan Task Force, which he co-chaired.

Photo above: Congressman Hank Johnson, left, played host April 15 to Ambassador Thomas Pickering, center, and Ambassador James Dobbins, former Special Envoy to Afghanistan, for a hearing on securing the peace in Afghanistan.

Ambassador James Dobbins, former Special Envoy to Afghanistan; Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Chairman, House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations; Rep. Mike Coffman (R-CO), House Armed Services Committee also participated in the briefing.

In a report released March 23, 2011, “Afghanistan: Negotiating Peace,” the Task Force found that “after 30 years of war neither side today can expect soon to vanquish the other militarily. This growing sense of stalemate opens the way to a political phase to conclude the conflict.” The report continued, “The best moment to start a political process toward settlement and reconciliation is now.”

Johnson, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said, “Whether we are bleeding-heart pacifists, the most hawkish of hawks, or Tea Partiers, we agree we need to resolve the conflict in Afghanistan and bring our troops home as soon as possible. Ambassador Pickering is one of the most eminent diplomats of our time, and his views on the path to a political settlement need to be heard.”

During his career at the State Department, Ambassador Pickering served as ambassador to India, Israel, El Salvador, Nigeria, Jordan, and the United Nations. From 1997-1999, he served as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs.

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