Story Archives of 'Afghanistan'

Eight years on, Afghanistan is our nation’s longest-running war. The U.S. has tens of thousands of troops, a new commander, and a new counter-insurgency plan. Still, there’s no clear exit strategy. Tomorrow night President Obama will hold his fifth strategy meeting on Afghanistan with his national security team.

"Frontline" correspondent Martin Smith co-produced an hour-long special on the conflict, along with Marcela Gaviria. It’s called Obama's War, and it airs tonight on PBS. Martin Smith joins us to discuss the new counterinsurgency plan as conceived by the U.S.'s top commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal.

As President Obama approaches a decision point on Afghanistan strategy and whether to increase troop levels, a 24-minute rough cut of the first act of Obama's War:

The New York Times: Situation Report: The Dilemma of Afghanistan

(Photo courtesy Martin Smith for "Frontline")

The US has begun a major change in strategy in Afghanistan, moving more troops into the region, putting a new general in charge, launching a major offensive against the Taliban and changing the way troops interact with the Afghan people. We’ll look at whether this new strategy can succeed and what it could mean for the future of Afghanistan.

Guests

• Bill Martel, Associate Professor of International Security at Tufts University’s Fletcher School of Diplomacy
• Jonathan Acuff, Assistant Professor of Politics at Saint Anselm College, former research analyst for the National Bureau of Asian Research and former officer in the United States Army

This summer, Afghanistan holds its second presidential election. But the country is experiencing democracy in a very western style with their popular television show Afghan Star. It’s the Afghan version of American Idol, where young singers compete against each other and viewers text in their votes.

The show is more than a pop culture phenomenon. It’s causing a political stir in a country torn between traditional Islam and liberal western ideas. British filmmaker and documentarian Havana Marking chronicled the competition in her new film Afghan Star and she joined us to talk about it.

The film will screen later this month at the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival in New York.

Afghanistan isn’t the only place seeing a challenge to traditional muslim culture. There’s a rapidly growing movement in America called “progressive Islam.” Its adherents are young American Muslims. Many describe themselves as “culturally Muslim,” and oppose what they see as rigid, conservative practices which they claim aren't Islamic at all, and give Islam a bad name. KALW’s Hana Baba has the story. You can hear it at the Public Radio Exchange.

Army Specialist Adam Kuligowski formerly of Derry died in Afghanistan last week.

The Army says his death was not combat related and is under investigation.

New Hampshire Public Radio’s Dan Gorenstein has this remembrance.

New Hampshire received some bad news today.

New Hampshire National Guard Corporal Scott Dimond from Franklin was killed in Afghanistan when his convoy came under attack.

He was serving with the 172nd Mountain Infantry Regiment in Helmand Province in the southern part of the country.

Soldiers from New Hampshire are stationed throughout that war-torn country helping to train the Afghan Army and police.

NHPR Correspondent Doug Grindle spent some time with New Hampshire soldiers in the Farah Province near the Iranian border and filed this report.