RAND
Senior policy analyst at RAND and author of Tell Me How This Ends: General David Petraeus and the Search for a Way out of Iraq and One Hundred Victories: Special Ops and the Future of American Warfare; former contributing editor at US News and World Report and author-in-residence at the Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies
Can the US and Pakistan Mend an Uneasy Alliance Pakistan is crucial to US interests, with a growing nuclear arsenal and a strategic location, but ties to anti-American terrorists and political unrest have strained relations. After 60% of the voters braved deadly violence, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's party won big enough to raise hopes for stability. Yesterday at the White House, he called for an end to American drone strikes, but leaked CIA files detail how deeply Pakistan’s military has been involved in drone strikes — even helping to choose targets hundreds of times. The files also describe "tense meetings" with US officials accusing Pakistan’s intelligence service of ties to militant groups that attacked American forces. What's the state of Sharif's credibility? Does either country trust the other? Can diplomatic and economic relations be improved?
Iraq Troop Surge Ends Secretary of Defense Robert Gates says we are at the endgame in Iraq, but the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs says we might not be winning in Afghanistan. As General David Petraeus completes his tour of duty in Iraq, has the war reached a turning point? Has the surge worked? Will Afghanistan once again become the top priority in the Bush Administration's war on terror? Will the next president be offered a new set of military options for Iraq and Afghanistan? How will Petraeus' priorities change when he leaves Iraq and takes over Centcom with responsibility for the entire region?
Iraq Troop Surge Ends Secretary of Defense Robert Gates says we are at the endgame in Iraq, but the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs says we might not be winning in Afghanistan. As General David Petraeus completes his tour of duty in Iraq, has the war reached a turning point? Has the surge worked? Will Afghanistan once again become the top priority in the Bush Administration's war on terror? Will the next president be offered a new set of military options for Iraq and Afghanistan? How will Petraeus' priorities change when he leaves Iraq and takes over Centcom with responsibility for the entire region?
Venezuela spirals into economic and political chaos Venezuela, a country whose potential for prosperity is unmatched, finds itself on the verge of civil war. What sustains the repressive government? With time running out, guest host León Krauze looks at what the international community can do to pull the country from the edge of collapse.
Ex-FBI Director Comey tells his side of the story Today, former FBI Director James Comey came close to calling the President who fired him a liar. The White House denied the claim and called it insulting, but Republican Senators did not challenge Comey’s truthfulness. Many questions remain: did the President try to obstruct a federal investigation? Later, we’ll go behind the “velvet rope” for a look at 5-Star health care for the richest Americans.
What is Trump's plan for Middle East peace? On his first foreign tour, President Trump has promised "peace" between Israel and the Palestinians. Are there any details for re-starting talks that have been stalled for the past three years?
Who's to blame for the opioid crisis? Some of the lawyers who took on Big Tobacco are now going after Big Pharma. It’s all about the deadly epidemic of opioid use. Are the drug companies to blame? What about the users? Later, on today’s Talking Point: making sense of Britain’s upset election.