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Richard Holbrooke, everyone’s favorite envoy they love to hate to love, has an almost Biden-esque talent for saying things that make people angry. His most recent comment, that “Taliban is woven into the fabric of Pashtun society on both sides of the border with Pakistan and almost every Pashtun family has someone involved with the movement,” has, naturally, sparked anger from Pashtun families who do not have Taliban amongst their ranks (and that’s most Pashtun families, to be honest).

In response, Hazrat Sebghatullah Mojaddadi, Head of Meshrano Jirga (or upper house of the Afghan parliament), issued the following statement:

Mesharano Jirgs vehemently denounces the recent statement of Richart Holbrook, who had said in a gathering on 05 March 2010, that “there is a Talib in each Pashtun family. This kind of statement is considered to be unrealistic and baseless, and it is a major obstacle for strengthening peace and reconciliation in the country.

At the present time, Afghanistan is combating international terrorism alongside of international community, and has endured tremendous sacrifices for peace and stability both in the region and the world. The U.S. Special Representative should make efforts under the circumstance towards bringing national unity in the country, because terrorism is the common enemy and it should not be attributed specifically to a tribe or nation.

Mishrano Jirga as an independent body and representing the Afghan people in the Parliament, demands Mr. Holbrook to make every effort for strengthening the cooperation, extended by the United States and international community, with the people of Afghanistan, and should exercise caution in this sensitive environment of the country.

It’s kind of weird how the Obama administration has such a reliable knack for angering the government it claims to hope to want to help.