PROFILE
FROM Matt Waldman
America's Prospects in Afghanistan At the Pensacola Naval Air Station in Florida today, President Obama upbeat about progress in Iraq and Afghanistan, but acknowledged signs of trouble. We hear from reporters on the ground and in Washington, where Middle East Commanding General David Petraeus fainted during a Senate hearing .
US Strategy in Afghanistan: Is Karzai a True Believer? President Obama told US troops in Florida today that the war in Afghanistan is going well but, in Afghanistan itself, there are signs of trouble. As the struggle for Kandahar faces delay, former aides say President Karzai has lost confidence in the US and NATO, and wants to deal with the Taliban. Pakistan's support for the Afghan Taliban is reportedly even deeper than known before. The discovery of vast mineral resources could be good news or bad. We hear from reporters on the ground and in Washington, where Middle East Commanding General David Petraeus fainted during a Senate hearing .
The Forgotten War in Afghanistan Six years after driving the Taliban from power, the Bush Administration faces the prospect of failure in Afghanistan. Levels of violence are higher than ever. Although major combat will decline during winter, suicide bombings and roadside explosions will likely continue. As winter sets in, and major combat declines, both the US and NATO are "reviewing their missions." What about corruption in local government and flagging support from the nations of Europe? We talk to a colonel who has learned the Pushtunwali —the Pushtun tribal code of honor, and whose Task Force Fury troops are building roads, schools and clinics six south-eastern provinces.
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