A fly cannot go in unless it stops somewhere; therefore weapons, fuel, food, money will not go to Afghanistan unless the neighbors of Afghanistan are working, are cooperating, either being themselves the origin or the transit.
Lakhdar Brahimi

Afghanistan is a land-locked country.
Lakhdar Brahimi

At times one feels that what is being said in the West is that the fact that you are a Muslim predisposes you to this blind, stupid terrorism.
Lakhdar Brahimi

Be modest, be respectful of others, try to understand.
Lakhdar Brahimi

But I knew that what had happened was an eye-opener not only to the United States but also to Pakistan, who realized that after what has happened on the 11th of September, it was simply impossible to continue to play those games in Afghanistan.
Lakhdar Brahimi

But you are absolutely right that when the international community decides to help in a meaningful manner a country like Afghanistan, then coordination between the various actors that are involved in these processes is very, very difficult indeed.
Lakhdar Brahimi

But you've got to understand what the other guy is about, even if at the end of the process you decide that there is no ground with this man or woman except to fight them.
Lakhdar Brahimi

However, it does seem now that the international community, more importantly the powers that have influence, and, even more importantly, Afghanistan's neighbors realize that it is high time that they work together, and not against one another.
Lakhdar Brahimi

I think a failed state is the responsibility of the people who have made that state fail, and those are generally the people of that country.
Lakhdar Brahimi

If you are talking about terrorism, you need to sit down and understand what is making these people put dynamite around their waists and blow themselves up.
Lakhdar Brahimi


In Rwanda that genocide happened because the international community and the Security Council refused to give, again, another 5000 troops which would have cost, I don't know, maybe fifty, a hundred, million dollars.
Lakhdar Brahimi

In the globalized world that is ours, maybe we are moving towards a global village, but that global village brings in a lot of different people, a lot of different ideas, lots of different backgrounds, lots of different aspirations.
Lakhdar Brahimi

Iraq is a country that has been invaded. It's not a failing state that you want to help. It's a country that was functioning good or bad, with a horrible dictator, but you have invaded.
Lakhdar Brahimi

It also seems that the Afghans themselves want to avail themselves of this opportunity and all recognize that the UN is uniquely qualified to help bring them together.
Lakhdar Brahimi

Of course the UN brings in a lot of moral authority.
Lakhdar Brahimi

People now realize that globalization is not only for the multi-nationals and the circulation of money.
Lakhdar Brahimi

Probably I understand very much the people who rise against injustice.
Lakhdar Brahimi

Several million people inside and outside Afghanistan are destitute and desperately in need of help.
Lakhdar Brahimi

So, the international community are all the countries that are important: the United States definitely everywhere; the European Union because it is very important, and also, they do show a great deal of international responsibility; and then the local players.
Lakhdar Brahimi

Somebody was asking me the other day - President Bush is now talking about freedom for the Arab world. I say, well, that's great. I was talking about that fifty years ago.
Lakhdar Brahimi