When Iraq's parliament passed the new status of forces agreement with the US, Prime Minister Maliki called the three-year timetable for withdrawal of American troops "a momentous step" toward restoring Iraqi sovereignty. Barack Obama plans to withdraw from Iraq and build up in Afghanistan, but neither project is going to be quick, easy or cheap, and the strategies that took so long to develop in Iraq's cities and deserts may not apply in Afghanistan's mountains and rural villages. We hear about the planning that's going on for a transition that's easier to talk about than it will be to accomplish. What are the obstacles? How long will it take? In the midst of the worst economic crisis since the Depression, How much will it cost?
Shifting Focus in the War on Terror
Credits
Guests:
- Anthony Cordesman - Center for Strategic and International Studies
- Daniel Roper - Director, Army and Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Center
- Stephen Biddle - George Washington University / Council on Foreign Relations - @ElliottSchoolGW