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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To the Point
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.
To the Point
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.
Left, Right & Center
President Trump: US to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord Trump says he was elected to serve Pittsburgh, not Paris.
To the Point
Replacing Obamacare: Now you see it… now you don’t As the Senate deliberates replacing Obmacare, health coverage for millions of people is at stake. There've been no public hearings, and a draft measure won't be made public. Is the House version so unpopular that that Senate is hiding a version that looks much the same?