Center for International Policy
Senior fellow at the Center for International Policy and Director of the Afghanistan Study Group, former State Department appointee, he resigned in 2009 in protest over the war, the first US official known to do so
War in Afghanistan: Are Pentagon Officials Telling the Truth? Army Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Davis has risked his career by accusing the Pentagon of misleading the public with reports of progress in Afghanistan. After a year of visits to every combat zone — hoping that "rosy official statements" were true, he saw "the absence of success on virtually every level," and reported that the Pentagon is not telling the truth about what it calls "progress in Afghanistan." We speak with Davis and others, including one of the members of Congress whom Davis briefed with classified information. How widely shared is the colonel's conclusion that American soldiers are dying in a war America can't win?
Assassination in Afghanistan Creates a Void A suicide bomber set off explosives concealed in his turban today in one of Kandahar's largest mosques. Hundreds of mourners were paying their respects to Ahmed Wali Karzai, President Hamid Karzai's half-brother, who was assassinated on Tuesday. His death has created a power vacuum in the southern part of Afghanistan, destabilized the central government and threatened American efforts to cope with the Taliban and begin withdrawing troops before the end of the year.
Assassination and Power Politics in Afghanistan A suicide bomber set off explosives concealed in his turban today in one of Kandahar's largest mosques. Hundreds of mourners were paying their respects to Ahmed Wali Karzai, President Hamid Karzai's half-brother, who was assassinated on Tuesday. His death has created a power vacuum in the southern part of Afghanistan, destabilized the central government and threatened American efforts to cope with the Taliban and begin withdrawing troops before the end of the year. How much will the power vacuum in the South weaken the central government? Will the Taliban seize the moment for new offensives? What will it mean for US efforts to negotiate with the Taliban and for the withdrawal of American soldiers by the end of this year? Photo of Ahmed Wali Karzai: ISAF Headquarters Public Affairs Office from Kabul, Afghanistan
The Military and Civilian Challenges in Afghanistan As America's longest war completes its tenth year, President Obama has promised a troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, starting next month. There is heated debate, not just on Capitol Hill but within the Administration, over how many troops should come home and how soon. Should America's "phased withdrawal" from Afghanistan begin next month with 3000 troops or 15,000? Is "counterinsurgency" counterproductive? We look at success, failure and possible change in the President's military and civilian strategies.
The Military and Civilian Challenges in Afghanistan As America's longest war completes its tenth year, President Obama has promised a troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, starting next month. There is heated debate, not just on Capitol Hill but within the Administration , over how many troops should come home and how soon. The cost of keeping 100,000 troops in Afghanistan is $10 billion a month. Since the death of Osama bin Laden, 64 percent of Americans say it's not worth the money. At the same time, the $19 billion spent to prop up the civilian government may create ongoing dependency on the US as well as local corruption. Is General Petraeus' "counterinsurgency" strategy working or not? How many troops should begin the President's "phased withdrawal" next month? What are the political consequences of continuing America's longest war or ending it too soon?
Afghanistan Elections and Rethinking the War Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai has canceled plans to attend this week's UN General Assembly so he can stay home and watch over the process of counting votes from Saturday's parliamentary elections.
Afghanistan Elections and Rethinking the War Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai has canceled plans to attend this week's UN General Assembly so he can stay home and watch over the process of counting votes from Saturday's parliamentary elections. The elections have been all but ignored in this country, but they've raised some familiar questions about the US and Afghanistan. Violence and intimidation kept turnout low, and massive fraud will taint whatever results are finally announced. What do Afghans think now of democracy? Is there any way to check the corruption of the Karzai regime, which reportedly undermines America's basic strategy and makes the Taliban stronger? Should the US change its political focus from the central government to local leaders, abandon counterinsurgency and get by with fewer troops?
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.
Trump plays scolder-in-chief with NATO allies At the opening of NATO’s dramatic new headquarters in Brussels today, President Trump acknowledged that Article 5 — promising that “an attack on one nation is an attack on all” -- has only been invoked one time: in the aftermath of September 11. But the President failed to provide what 27 other Alliance members have been waiting for: a re-commitment by America’s new leader to Article 5. Instead, they got a scolding.
Human Rights in the era of Donald Trump President Trump’s UN Ambassador, Nikki Haley, said today the US might pull out of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council. Serious violators of human rights are members of the Council itself–and a US resignation could make things worse. Later on today’s show, now that he’s into his second term, comedian turned US Senator Al Franken is telling jokes again.
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.