To the Point
Was Afghanistan Worth the Cost?
After 12 years, hundreds of billions of dollars and 2200 American lives, the US is withdrawing from Afghanistan. Has it been worth the cost?
By Warren Olney • • 52m ListenAfter 12 years, hundreds of billions of dollars and 2200 American lives, the US is withdrawing from Afghanistan. Has it been worth the cost? We hear the continued dispute about the condition of the country now and what to expect for the future. Also, Catholicism's first South American pope visits Brazil, and NASA's plan to capture an asteroid and learn how to protect our planet.
Banner image: Afghan security forces investigate at the site of a car bomb attack in Kabul. Photo: Mohammad Ismail/Reuters
In this episode
3 storiesSouth American Pope Visits Brazil
As we begin this program, Pope Francis is about to land in Rio for World Youth Day in Brazil, the world's largest Catholic nation.
Read the story8 minLeaving Afghanistan: For Better or Worse?
The search for Osama bin Laden turned into America's longest war and a vastly expensive exercise in trying to build one of the world's poorest nations. But critics say much of the country has been left out, while US dollars have fueled corruption that's even now raising the cost of American withdrawal.
Read the story34 minCongress Questions NASA’s Plan to Redirect Asteroids
Last month, a 30-foot wide asteroid passed about four times closer to Earth than the moon. But in February, another small asteroid exploded over Russia and 1500 people were injured by flying debris.
Read the story8 min
