Afghanistan: War and Peace in the Graveyard of Empires

Making News

Insurers Suddenly Push Back Hard Against Health Reform Bill ()

After months of collaboration with the Obama White House, the insurance industry is now warning that a crucial version of healthcare reform might push premiums too high. It’s the Senate Finance Committee bill, championed by Max Baucus and scheduled for a vote tomorrow. Jeffrey Young covers healthcare for The Hill.

Guests:

• Jeffrey Young: Healthcare Reporter, The Hill, @jeffreyyoung_hc

Main Topic

War and Peace in the Graveyard of Empires ()

Last week, President Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize, as he concluded a series of strategy sessions on the eight-year old war in Afghanistan. Efforts to defeat the Taliban, create a credible government and help the civilian population are failing. The countryside is so dangerous that aid workers can't leave the capital city to advise farmers on growing crops. General Stanley McChrystal wants to add 40,000 troops to the 68,000 already there, to fight the Taliban and to establish effective civilian government. It could take decades to control corruption, establish a justice system and prop up the economy at the cost of billions of American dollars and thousands of lives. What are the alternatives? What are America's goals? We look at the options.

Guests:

• Peter Baker: White House Correspondent, New York Times
• Thomas Ricks: Senior Fellow, Center for a New American Security
• Christine Fair: Assistant Professor, Georgetown University's Center for Peace and Security Studies, @CChristineFair
• Selig Harrison: Director of the Asia Program, Center for International Policy

Links:

• New York Times article on unmet goals in Afghanistan
• Kissinger's (Newsweek) article on Afghanistan deployments and diplomacy
• Baker's article on elusiveness of victory in Afghanistan
• Harrison's (Boston Globe) op-ed on overcoming our failed strategy in Afghanistan

Reporter's Notebook

Increased Dementia Risk Seen for NFL Players ()

The National Football League has long denied that retired players are subject to Alzheimer's or other memory-related diseases. But a study commissioned by the NFL itself reports otherwise. What will that mean not just for the pros but for high-school and college players who often suffer concussions? One neurosurgeon calls it “a game changer,” according to the New York Times in an article by Alan Schwarz.  

Guests:

• Alan Schwarz: Reporter, New York Times, @alanschwarz