In Iraq, New Policies or More of the Same?
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As the troop "surge" in Baghdad gets mixed reviews, Iraq's political leaders are still immobilized by sectarian differences. Will the President's new leadership team make a difference? Also, renewed violence in Gaza and, on Reporter's Notebook, a shattering anti-climax for one of television’s most successful series. We hear the last of The Sopranos.
Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
Making News
New Clashes in Gaza ()
In Gaza, eight Palestinians were killed today, and twenty-five more were wounded in factional fighting. The dead included two people thrown off rooftops. Avi Issacharoff, who reports for the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz, says the violence constitutes a sort of civil war between Fatah and Hamas.
Guests:
- Avi Issacharoff: Correspondent, Ha'aretz, @issacharoff
Main Topic
In Iraq, New Policies or More of the Same? ()
President Bush is shaking up his leadership team, creating new uncertainty in Washington and on the battlegrounds of Iraq. He's nominating Navy Admiral Michael Mullen to replace Peter Pace as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Senate's about to confirm Army General Douglas Lute to replace Steven Hadley in overseeing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Baghdad "surge" is getting mixed reviews, and Iraq's political leaders are still immobilized by sectarian differences. Yet, despite increased calls to bring the troops home, the Pentagon and the White House are talking about a commitment that could last for decades. We hear about top-level changes and what they could mean on the ground. Is the US arming both sides of a developing civil war?
Guests:
- Peter Spiegel: Pentagon Correspondent for the Los Angeles Times, @SpiegelPeter
- Steven Simon: Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations
- Ali Allawi: Former Iraqi Minister of Trade, Defense and Finance
- Peter Galbraith: Senior Diplomatic Fellow, Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
Links:
- New York Times article on US arming Sunnis to battle al Qaeda allies
- Spiegel's article on Gates' choice to head Joint Chiefs
- After the Surge: The Case for US Military Disengagement from Iraq
- The Occupation of Iraq: Winning the War, Losing the Peace
- The End of Iraq: How American Incompetence Created a War without End
Reporter's Notebook
Did My Cable Go Out during 'The Sopranos' Finale? ()
Last night, millions of Americans thought there
was trouble with their TV reception. But then the credits rolled on an
anti-climax that has now taken its place in entertainment history. After 86 episodes including plenty of
murderous violence, millions of viewers expected a dramatic ending to The
Sopranos. As the Soprano family sat down
for dinner at a family restaurant, nothing happened. Professor Robert Thompson founding director
of the Center for the Study of Popular Television.
Guests:
- Robert Thompson: Professor of Popular Culture at Syracuse University
Links:
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