To the Point
Is the US Losing Influence over the Crisis in Pakistan?
Since 9/11 the Bush Administration has supported the government of General Pervez Musharraf. Washington has provided more than $10 billion in aid in return for Pakistan's support in the fight against the Taliban and al Qaeda. Now that Musharraf has declared emergency rule. Also, the Bush Administration's Middle East peace initiative, and the FBI is questioning hundreds of criminal convictions. Jim Sterngold guest hosts.
By Jim Sterngold • • 1h 0m ListenSince 9/11 the Bush Administration has supported the government of General Pervez Musharraf. Washington has provided more than $10 billion in aid in return for Pakistan's support in the fight against the Taliban and al Qaeda. But now that Musharraf has declared emergency rule can the US punish him without creating chaos that would help the terrorists? Also, the Bush Administration's Middle East peace initiative, and for years the FBI won convictions by claiming that bullets had a distinct chemical fingerprint. Scientists have refuted the FBI, calling into question hundreds of cases. Jim Sterngold guest hosts.
Photo: John Moore/Getty Images
In this episode
3 storiesPreparations Underway for Annapolis Peace Summit
After years of being accused of doing little to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli dispute, the Bush Administration is finally preparing a peace initiative next week in Annapolis, Maryland. Israel seems to have begun taking steps to ease tensions and prepare the way for talks, today releasing several hundred Palestinian prisoners.
Read the story6 minHas US Lost Influence over the Crisis in Pakistan?
Pakistan has long presented a vexing policy conundrum for the US. Its nuclear-weapons lab leaked technology to Iran and North Korea and al Qaeda's leaders have taken refuge in its tribal lands. Washington played down those problems as long as it had a stable alliance with Islamabad.
Read the story35 minFBI to Review Hundreds of Convictions That Used Bullet-Lead Analysis
For decades after the 1963 Kennedy assassination, the FBI relied on a crime-solving technique that analyzed the lead content of bullets, theorizing that each batch of bullets had a distinct "signature." So matching bullets at the crime scene to those possessed by the defendants appeared to confirm their guilt for the crimes.
Read the story8 min
