To the Point

The Pentagon at the Crossroads

The fighting in Afghanistan may be winding down, but the war on terrorism is expected to go on much longer. President Bush asserts that the conflict in Afghanistan offers us more lessons about America's military future than all the blue-ribbon panels and think tank symposia of the last decade. Will the proven success of several old weapons and familiar strategies derail new high-tech systems that require trade-offs with the rest of the economy? We look latest thinking on homeland security and wars of the future with a former CIA operative who's now a military budget strategist, a retired British Army major, and disarmament and defense experts. Newsmaker: Arafat Calls for End to Armed Attacks on Israelis - Despite Yasser Arafat's televised plea for an end to Middle East violence, a mortar was fired into a Jewish settlement in Gaza. In Hebron, Israeli troops retaliated by killing a member of the militant Islamic group Hamas. Wafa Amr, senior Arabic correspondent for Reuters, says that despite considerable difficulties, Arafat is determined to put an end to ongoing armed attacks on Israelis. Reporter's Notebook: Vivendi Universal to Merge with USA Networks - The French water company Vivendi became an entertainment giant by merging with Universal Studios. Its newest acquisition of USA Television Networks will bring together big companies and big egos. Bruce Orwall, of the Wall Street Journal, has more on the global media merger that prove the old adage that "three's a crowd."