Sentence:  Shultz took little notice of the Soviet view or that of others who said his Middle East mission was a <WSD>fool's errand</WSD>. "You can't be too afraid of failing," said the 67-year-old diplomat. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A foolish undertaking, especially one that is purposeless, fruitless, nonsensical, or certain to fail.