Iraq and Afghanistan: Force and Diplomacy

Making News

Fed's Latest Move to East Credit Crisis ()

Yesterday, Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke called for a stimulus package from Congress. Today, the Fed announced that $500 billion will go the money-market mutual-fund industry, the latest effort to get credit flowing again. Peter Coy is economics editor for BusinessWeek magazine.

Guests:

• Peter Coy: Economics Editor, BusinessWeek

Main Topic

War and Diplomacy in Iraq and Afghanistan ()

Violence is down in Iraq, but it's up in Afghanistan, with American soldiers and diplomats caught in between. After months of painstaking negotiations, the US and Iraq appeared to have reached a deal last week on extending the presence of American forces beyond the end of this year. That's when the UN mandate runs out.  But now, Iraq's cabinet is demanding changes in what's called the Status of Forces Agreement.  In Afghanistan, allied leaders say more troops are needed, against an insurgency fueled in part by the presence of foreign forces. Can the Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds in Iraq resolve their competing political interests and agree on terms for US withdrawal? Will the US and NATO have to sit down with the Taliban to avoid mistakes made in Afghanistan by the former Soviet Union?  

Guests:

• Tina Susman: Baghdad Bureau Chief, Los Angeles Times, @tinasusman
• Laith Kubba: Spokesman, former Iraqi Prime Minister al-Jaafari
• Shawn Brimley: Fellow, Center for a New American Security
• John Burns: Chief Foreign Correspondent, New York Times
• Barney Rubin: Director of Studies, New York University's Center on International Cooperation

Links:

• Susman's article on trust as missing element in Iraq recovery
• Brimley's paper on shaping the Iraq inheritance
• Burns' conversation with Russian ambassador on the battle for Afghanistan
• Rubin's 'The Fragmentation of Afghanistan'
• Rubin-Rashid (Foreign Affairs) article on ending the chaos in Afghanistan, Pakistan

Reporter's Notebook

Early Voting Draws Big Crowds in Key States ()

Two weeks before the November election, early voting is under way all across the country and it's already providing signs of a record turnout. But it won't be easy. Many states allow early voting, and long lines began forming yesterday in Florida and other key states. In Fayetteville, North Carolina, early voters were heckled on Sunday. Chris Kromm is Executive Director of the Institute for Southern Studies in Durham.

Guests:

• Chris Kromm: Executive Director, Institute for Southern Studies, @chriskromm

Links:

• YouTube video of early voters being heckled