South Asia Bureau Chief for the Los Angeles Times
South Asia Bureau Chief for the Los Angeles Times
PROFILE
Paul Watson
Guest
FROM Paul Watson
Which Way, L.A.?
The Taliban Rise Again in Afghanistan NATO has taken command of military operations in Afghanistan , at a time when the Taliban are stepping into the vacuum left when the US changed its focus to Saddam Hussein. It’s the biggest challenge in the history of the Alliance. In the meantime, gun battles, roadside explosives and suicide bombers are taking their toll as the Taliban stage a powerful comeback. We hear about drug money, the failure of reconstruction and Pakistan, as well as a warning that there are not enough boots on the ground to avoid a crisis that could be worse than the war in Iraq. (An extended version of this discussion was originally broadcast earlier today on To the Point.)
To the Point
NATO Takes Over in Afghanistan to Face a Resurgent Taliban The zealots who sheltered Osama bin Laden are stepping into a power vacuum left when the US shifted its focus to Saddam Hussein. Today, amid warnings that there are not enough boots on the ground to stop the insurgence and in its biggest challenge in history, NATO took command of military operations in Afghanistan , with 31,000 troops from 37 countries, 12,000 from the US. An additional 8,000 American soldiers will handle counter-terrorism and training under US command. In the meantime, gun battles, roadside explosives and suicide bombers are taking their toll as the Taliban stage a powerful comeback. We hear about drug money, the failure of reconstruction and Pakistan. Will the Taliban fight their way into the government? What's happened to the Bush Administration's prime example of a "failed state" transformed into a democracy?
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