Scott Horton Interviews Gareth Porter
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Gareth Porter, independent historian and journalist for IPS News, discusses the importance of National Intelligence Estimates in determining US foreign policy and war-making abilities; how the Afghanistan NIE allows the military to measure their own success, leaving out a CIA assessment of the supposedly diminishing numbers of Taliban; debunking the military’s “taking the fight to the enemy” explanation for increased attacks; Gen. McChrystal’s well-reasoned “insurgent math;” and why Gen. Petraeus is more concerned with his public image than any particular military strategy, including COIN.
MP3 here. (20:26)
Gareth Porter is an independent historian and journalist. He is the author of Perils of Dominance: Imbalance of Power and the Road to War in Vietnam. His articles appear on Counterpunch, Huffington Post, Inter Press Service News Agency and Antiwar.com.
eCAHNomics
February 19th, 2011 at 7:26 am
Refresh my memory. Why is it that the U.S. is fighting the Taliban.
(Rhetorical Q)
Liveload
February 19th, 2011 at 9:49 am
"Kinetic events"
That's one hell of a euphemism right there.
thedissenter
February 19th, 2011 at 3:53 pm
CIA covers Petraeus' failures. But who covers the CIA's failures?
thedissenter
February 19th, 2011 at 3:53 pm
To liberate the women of Afghanistan, I think.
~sarcasm~