The Path Forward in Afghanistan and Pakistan
Early in the Obama presidency, few issues have raised as much controversy in the progressive community as his decision to send an additional 20,000 troops to Afghanistan. This decision now ensures that Afghanistan will likely be the paramount national security issue of the President’s first term. How do we define American interests and goals in Afghanistan? What are the necessary non-military elements of a comprehensive strategy? What role, if any, should the U.S. military play? What role is there for reconciliation with elements of the Taliban? How are the crises in Pakistan and Afghanistan related? What role is there for America’s allies and Afghanistan’s neighbors? The panel will include a variety of views, including those who oppose the decision to send more troops to Afghanistan, supporters of the President’s plan, observers who have been on the ground and the perspective of one veteran who served in Afghanistan.
Anne C. Richard is Vice President, Government Relations and Advocacy for International Rescue Committee, a humanitarian relief agency. From 1999-2001, she served as chief adviser for budget and planning for Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. She had previously served in the US government at the OMB, Peace Corps headquarters, and Department of State. Ms. Richard graduated from Georgetown and the University of Chicago and received prestigious fellowships. She serves on boards, has published, given Congressional testimony, and appeared on television and has been affiliated with the Center for Transatlantic Relations since 2003.
Robert Greenwald is a producer, director and political activist. Greenwald is founder/president of Brave New Films, a new media organization that uses moving images to educate, influence, and empower viewers. Under Greenwald, BNF has produced dozens of videos on social justice and political issues which have been viewed over 40 million times and forced pressing issues into mainstream media. Greenwald is currently directing Rethink Afghanistan, a documentary about the dangers of military escalation in Afghanistan. Greenwald is also the director/producer of several documentaries including: Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers and Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism.
Spencer Ackerman is the national-security correspondent for the Washington Independent and runs a personal blog called Attackerman at Firedoglake. He spent September 2008 in eastern Afghanistan, and has reported from Iraq, Guantanamo Bay and other theaters of what used to be called the war on terror. A former staffer for Talking Points Memo, his writing has appeared in Slate, Atlantic, Salon, American Prospect, Jezebel, Survival, World Politics Journal, the Austin American-Statesman, the Internet Food Association, Inside Front, the Washington Monthly, lots of friends' comment sections and other publications.
Richard Smith enlisted in the US Army at the age of 18. In 2007, he deployed to Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne Division and served as a non-commissioned officer for 14 months. During this deployment, he began blogging from the front lines on the VoteVets.org blog "VetVoice" under pseudonym "RockRichard". Richard has also written at Daily Kos, Attackerman, the defunct Wordsmiths blog, and the randomly updated Rock the Boat. He has been quoted or featured in the Wall Street Journal, New Yorker magazine, the Washington Independent, on Air America Radio, Indie Talk Radio, and several other media outlets.
Heather Hurlburt is Executive Director of the National Security Network. From 1995-2001, Hurlburt served in the Clinton Administration as Special Assistant/Speechwriter to President Clinton, speechwriter for Secretaries Albright and Christopher, and on the State Department's Policy Planning staff. Previously, Hurlburt ran her communications and strategy practice, was deputy director of the Washington office of International Crisis Group, and worked for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Congressional Helsinki Commission. Hurlburt is a Senior Adviser to the U.S. in the World Project of Demos, appears frequently as a media commentator, and is a regular guest on Bloggingheads.tv.
