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Christine Fair Guest
Christine Fair

Georgetown University

Assistant Professor in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University's Center for Peace and Security Studies and visiting fellow at the Lahore University of Management Sciences; author of The Madrassah Challenge: Militancy and Religious Education in Pakistan; former senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation, studying South Asia; former senior research associate at the United States Institute of Peace, a government-funded Washington, DC-based research institute

FROM Christine Fair

Obama's Unfinished Business: Afghanistan
Press Play with Madeleine Brand

Obama's Unfinished Business: Afghanistan President Obama is entering his last year in office. All week, we’ve been discussing his unfinished business. Today: Afghanistan. With U.S. forces being drawn down, the Taliban has been resurgent. The group holds more territory now than it has at any time since it was ousted from power in 2001. The Islamic State group is also gaining a foothold. Yesterday, seven people were killed in an Islamic State attack in the city of Jalalabad. The U.S. has concluded that Afghan forces are not ready to hold the country against insurgents, so American troops will remain. President Obama announced last October that we would maintain between 5,000 and 10,000 troops in Afghanistan through the end of his time in office. We examine the situation.

9 MIN, 1 SEC Jan 14, 2016

America's Longest War Is Going to Continue
To the Point

America's Longest War Is Going to Continue With NATO troops pulling out of Afghanistan, attacks by the Taliban are increasing, and American soldiers will stay until the end of next year. The White House was divided, but President Obama approved an expanded mission, which will also include jets, bombers and drones. Newly elected President Ashraf Ghani wants the American presence, but he’s been unable to form a government. Yesterday he fired the entire cabinet. The Taliban is taking advantage of political instability. Today, police officers and others were killed in several incidents across the country.

35 MIN, 48 SEC Dec 01, 2014

Al Qaeda Targets India
Press Play with Madeleine Brand

Al Qaeda Targets India Al Qaeda is looking for new recruits. Not to be upstaged by that other Islamic jihadi group, ISIS, Al Qaeda’s leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, put out a video last night announcing a new branch of the terrorist organization in India.

10 MIN, 43 SEC Sep 04, 2014

Pakistan Negotiates with the Taliban
To the Point

Pakistan Negotiates with the Taliban The Obama Administration's drone strikes in Pakistan have been on hold at the request of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.  He wants negotiations with the Taliban, who've killed thousands of Pakistanis since 2007. Today, the first formal meeting was called the beginning of a "journey for peace." Christine Fair is assistant professor at Georgetown University's Center for Peace and Security Studies.

7 MIN, 39 SEC Feb 06, 2014

What's the Plan for Afghanistan?
Which Way, L.A.?

What's the Plan for Afghanistan? America's war in Afghanistan has been in the news this week with reports about the pace of withdrawal and the number of US troops who will stay in that country after 2014. The Pentagon and the Obama White House agree in some ways, but not in others. What are America's goals -- beyond troop withdrawal by 2014? What's the future of a country embroiled in violence for the past 30 years?

25 MIN, 1 SEC Nov 28, 2012

What's the Plan for Afghanistan?
To the Point

What's the Plan for Afghanistan? America's longest war is winding down, but it's not over yet, and there are as many unresolved issues as there are parties involved. The White House and the Pentagon haven't agreed on the pace of troop withdrawal or how many US soldiers should stay after 2014. Talks with the Karzai regime and the Taliban raise more questions than answers about security and corruption. Will a wildly inflated economy collapse when foreign troops and contractors are gone? Will democracy, free expression and human rights have a future?

36 MIN, 15 SEC Nov 28, 2012

Developing Threats to US and NATO Plans in Afghanistan
Which Way, L.A.?

Developing Threats to US and NATO Plans in Afghanistan In Washington yesterday, President Obama and Prime Minister Cameron promised to stay the course in Afghanistan. Today, Afghan President Karzai told US Defense Secretary Panetta he wants NATO to end its combat mission next year instead of 2014. He also said that troops now deployed in the countryside should be garrisoned only in large bases.

25 MIN, 35 SEC Mar 15, 2012

Developing Threats to US and NATO Plans in Afghanistan
To the Point

Developing Threats to US and NATO Plans in Afghanistan There were two major setbacks today for US efforts to wage war and negotiate peace in Afghanistan. President Karzai said NATO troops should leave the countryside and return to large bases, ending their combat mission next year instead of 2014, and the Taliban suspended conversations with the United States.  The troop movement will put security for civilian developers in the hands of Afghan forces, with private aid companies already in fear for their safety . Many are already so worried they have plans to pull out, with the prospect of suing the US Agency for International Development for material breach of contract. We hear about growing threats to the scenario outlined by President Obama and Prime Minister Cameron this week in Washington.

43 MIN, 34 SEC Mar 15, 2012

In Afghanistan, Is the Endgame Beginning?
Which Way, L.A.?

In Afghanistan, Is the Endgame Beginning? In what has been the deadliest part of Afghanistan for American forces there are " signs of change ," as another season of fighting gets under way. That's according to Rajiv Chandrasekaran, senior correspondent and associate editor of the Washington Post, just back from the region. Meanwhile, two-thirds of Americans tell pollsters this country's longest war is no longer worth fighting, at the cost of many casualties and billions of dollars. We look at the shaky start of the so-called "endgame" in Afghanistan.

26 MIN, 31 SEC Apr 21, 2011

In Afghanistan, Is the Endgame Beginning?
To the Point

In Afghanistan, Is the Endgame Beginning? The draw-down of troops is scheduled to start in July, with a final pullout set for 2014, but another summer of deadly fighting is already under way. In Southern Afghanistan, progress against the Taliban is described as "profound," but has come at the cost of moving troops out of the Northeast. There, the Taliban is resurgent and al Qaeda seems to be too.  The Obama Administration wants peace talks, but the other side may not be at the table. We update combat and diplomacy between the US, the Taliban, Afghanistan and neighboring countries, including Pakistan.

36 MIN, 22 SEC Apr 21, 2011

The Case of Raymond Davis and a Crisis Between Two Uneasy allies; Washington and Islamabad
Which Way, L.A.?

The Case of Raymond Davis and a Crisis Between Two Uneasy allies; Washington and Islamabad Raymond Davis, a CIA agent, sits in a Pakistani jail while the US worries that extraordinary security might not be enough to keep him alive. The US claims Raymond Davis killed two men in self-defense during an attempted robbery. A Pakistani police report says one man was shot in the back. President Obama says he’s entitled to diplomatic immunity. But Pakistan’s President Zardari is under public pressure to hang him for murder. Pakistan claims Davis is being held under extraordinary security. But Pakistan is a country where a security guard recently shot and killed the provincial governor he was supposed to protect. The case raises a host of issues, including: competition between US and Pakistani intelligence agencies; Congressional frustration with foreign aid; and Pakistan’s buildup of its nuclear arsenal.

26 MIN, 56 SEC Feb 23, 2011

The Case of Raymond Davis and a Crisis Between Two Uneasy allies; Washington and Islamabad
To the Point

The Case of Raymond Davis and a Crisis Between Two Uneasy allies; Washington and Islamabad Raymond Davis, a CIA agent, sits in a Pakistani jail while the US worries that extraordinary security might not be enough to keep him alive. The US claims Raymond Davis killed two men in self-defense during an attempted robbery. A Pakistani police report says one man was shot in the back. President Obama says he’s entitled to diplomatic immunity. But Pakistan’s President Zardari is under public pressure to hang him for murder. Pakistan claims Davis is being held under extraordinary security. But Pakistan is a country where a security guard recently shot and killed the provincial governor he was supposed to protect. The case raises a host of issues, including: competition between US and Pakistani intelligence agencies; Congressional frustration with foreign aid; and Pakistan’s buildup of its nuclear arsenal.

36 MIN, 24 SEC Feb 23, 2011

US Plan Would End Combat in Afghanistan by 2014
To the Point

US Plan Would End Combat in Afghanistan by 2014 President Hamid Karzai said yesterday he wants the US military to reduce both the visibility and intensity of its presence in Afghanistan. Today a spokesman said that was not intended as a vote of "no confidence" in General David Petraeus. But at the same time, the Obama Administration is planning to transfer duties to Afghan forces and withdrawing from combat by 2014. We hear more from Peter Baker, White House correspondent for the New York Times , and Professor Christine Fair of Georgetown University.

6 MIN, 43 SEC Nov 15, 2010

Can President Obama Change the Subject?
Which Way, L.A.?

Can President Obama Change the Subject? The Constitution gives the President authority to conduct foreign policy, but the President still needs Congress to appropriate money and the Senate to ratify treaties. New Republican committee chairs in the House take a dim view of foreign aid , climate change, the arms treaty with Russia or reducing troops in Afghanistan. They want to crack down on Iran and lighten up on Israeli settlements. They might give Obama a break on free trade, but will Democrats go along?

Nov 08, 2010

Can President Obama Change the Subject?
To the Point

Can President Obama Change the Subject? Many presidents have diverted attention from domestic defeats by focusing on foreign policy, but that option may not be available to Barack Obama. While the Constitution gives the President authority to conduct foreign policy, he still needs Congress to appropriate money and the Senate to ratify treaties. New Republican committee chairs in the House take a dim view of foreign aid , climate change, the arms treaty with Russia or reducing troops in Afghanistan. They want to crack down on Iran and lighten up on Israeli settlements. They might give Obama a break on free trade, but will Democrats go along? Now, the Fed has outraged the rest of the world by deciding to print money .

36 MIN, 50 SEC Nov 08, 2010

Pakistan Floods Spread Misery, Threaten Regional Security
Which Way, L.A.?

Pakistan Floods Spread Misery, Threaten Regional Security "It is as if a neutron bomb exploded overhead, but instead of killing the people and leaving their houses intact, it piled trees upon the houses and swept away the villages and crops and animals, leaving the people alive.”  That's from an account by Daniyal Mueenuddin, a prize-winning writer who practiced law in New York City but now lives on a farm in Pakistan's southern Punjab. We hear from him and others about the breadth of the disaster.

Aug 23, 2010

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To the Point

The longest US war: Will Trump send more troops to Afghanistan? The Trump White House is divided over the Pentagon's request for more troops in Afghanistan—where the US has been fighting for the past 16 years.  Is there a formula -- either for "victory" or a political settlement?  Is there an end in sight for America's longest war?

51 MIN, 16 SEC May 30, 2017

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To the Point

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To the Point

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51 MIN, 17 SEC Jun 09, 2017

The Trump agenda: where's the beef?
To the Point

The Trump agenda: where's the beef? President Trump says big things are happening. After celebrating a House bill on health care, he doesn’t yet have Senate agreement. With James Comey’s public testimony scheduled tomorrow, the President today tweeted his selection of a new FBI Director. Is the Chief Executive all style and no substance? Later, terror attacks in Iran and conflicting claims about who’s behind them.

51 MIN, 18 SEC Jun 07, 2017

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