in VOA Special English.This week, President Obamareleased a progress reporton the Afghan war,now in its tenth year.The five-page summaryof the Afghanistanand Pakistan Annual Review says"there are notableoperational gains."For example, the presidentwelcomed major Pakistani offensivesin the tribal areas.But he said progresshas not come fast enough.BARACK OBAMA: "So we will continueto insist to Pakistani leadersthat terrorist safe havenswithin their bordersmust be dealt with."Afghan Interior MinisterRehman Malik dismissedcriticism of his country.REHMAN MALIK: "If you seethe statistics in termsof the casualties and injuries,it is Pakistan which has sufferedthe most in the world.We have done a lot.We are suffering in termsof our economy and obviously it isaffecting our common manin the country."Most suspected American missilestrikes in Pakistan have taken placein North Waziristan.The United States believesthe Haqqani network ofthe Afghan Talibanhas established bases there.The American ambassadorin Islamabad said Friday thatthe United States has been talkingclosely with Pakistanabout launching an offensivein North Waziristan.But Ambassador Cameron Munter saysPakistani forces are stretchedtoo thin to launch it now.President Obama saidthe review showsthat the United Statesand its partners are "on track"to reach their goals.He said the goal is notto defeat every single threatto Afghan security.BARACK OBAMA: "We are focusedon disrupting, dismantlingand defeating al-Qaidain Afghanistan and Pakistan,and preventing its capacityto threaten America andour allies in the future."The Taliban said the reviewwas propaganda designedto create "baseless hope."The United States currentlyhas about one hundred thousandtroops in Afghanistan.The plan is for American troopsto begin leaving in Julyand for Afghans to controltheir own securityby the end of twenty-fourteen.Mr. Obama said for "security gainsto be sustained over time,there is an urgent needfor political andeconomic progress in Afghanistan."A new survey by the Washington Postand ABC News found thatsixty percent of Americans nowthink the war is not worth fighting.On Monday, the presidentlost his special representativefor Afghanistan and Pakistan,appointed in January of last year.Richard Holbrooke diedat the age of sixty-nine.Last Friday he suffered a torn aorta,a large artery thatcarries blood from the heart to the body.President Obama calledRichard Holbrooke "one of the giantsof American foreign policy."Anthony Dworkin is an analystfor the European Councilon Foreign Relations.ANTHONY DWORKIN: "He made enemiesbut he also got things doneand in that sense he wasa very effective negotiator."Mr. Holbrooke beganas a foreign service officerin Vietnam in nineteen sixty-two.He may be remembered mostfor negotiating the peace dealsthat ended the warsin the former Yugoslavia.Those deals includedthe nineteen ninety-fivepeace agreement for Bosnia.The talks took placeat an Air Force base nearthe American city of Dayton, Ohio.Haris Silajdzic, a memberof Bosnia's three-member presidency,took part in those talksand praised Richard Holbrooke'sdiplomatic skill.HARIS SILAJDZIC: "The world has losta very able diplomat.We need good people all over the worldto prevent wars and to make peace.He was one of the best."Mr. Holbrooke's deputy,Frank Ruggiero,is now acting in his place.And that's IN THE NEWSin VOA Special English.