National War College
Professor of National Security Strategy at the National War College; retired Army colonel and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Stability Operations (2001-2004)
PROFILE
Joseph Collins
Guest
FROM Joseph Collins
Which Way, L.A.?
What's Next in Afghanistan? When President Obama's 33,000-troop surge in Afghanistan ended a week early, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta made the announcement during a trip to New Zealand. In today's speech to the UN , the President mentioned Afghanistan only once, when he told the General Assembly that the war in Afghanistan will end on schedule in 2014. What did he leave out? We talk about a war that could get a lot more complicated before it's finally over.
To the Point
What's Next in Afghanistan? When America's 33,000- troop "surge" in Afghanistan ended a week before President Obama's deadline this coming Sunday, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta made the announcement during a trip to New Zealand. In today's speech to the UN , the President mentioned Afghanistan only once. Sixty-eight thousand American soldiers are scheduled to stay in Afghanistan until 2014. What did hundreds of lives and tens of billions of dollars accomplish over the past two years? Soldiers, diplomats, and other observers don't agree. It's unclear if it's safe for remaining coalition troops to train Afghan security forces, or if the Taliban are just waiting for final US withdrawal. What's likely to happen between now and then? Does America have the political will to make good on its promise to maintain Afghanistan's integrity long after that?
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To the Point
What happens when America retreats from the world? Is President Trump taking his "America First" agenda to extremes, withdrawing the country from the international stage on trade and climate change, distancing America from its traditional allies across the Atlantic and even threatening to physically isolate the country through the building of a wall along its southern border? León Krauze guest hosts.
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.
To the Point
Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe? There's much being made about the Trump administration's possible ties with Russia. But the bottom line is Russia's effort to influence American democracy. Do the President and his aides care enough to take action before voters go back to the polls?
To the Point
Will the Senate write a healthcare bill in secret? While Democrats and Republicans argue White House relations with Russia, another question is being decided behind closed doors: who gets help buying health insurance and who doesn't? We hear how the pros and cons are being shrouded in secrecy.