Expert says military should teach to fish

Elisabeth Kvitashvili of the U.S. Agency for International Development says the military’s humanitarian efforts in Afghanistan are short term solutions and not linked to long term societal goals, adding that the military has yet to learn teaching people to fish is more valuable than giving them fish to eat. (0:50)
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Top Defense official: attack on Afghanistan outpost "sophisticated"

Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff explains a recent attack on an outpost in Afghanistan that resulted in the death of nine U.S. troops. He explains the nature of the attack, detailing the size and sophistication of the militant force. (0:37)
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Gates: troops in Afghanistan sooner rather than later

During a press conference at the Pentagon, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates says that the Defense Department is working hard to find opportunities to send more troops to Afghanistan "sooner rather than later." (0:50)


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Obama may not be up to Afghanistan challenge, experts say

Senior foreign affairs advisors for John McCain, Kori Schake and Randy Scheunemann, discuss the setbacks Barack Obama has when it comesto foreign policy, especially in Afghanistan. Following Obama's speech about national security, Schuenemann said it is interesting that Obama gave this speech, especially since he has not been to Iraq in over 900 days and has never been to Afghanistan. Rep. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) sees problems with committee organization and action on issues in Afghanistan. (17:50)
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Stop-loss amounts to a back draft

Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) speaks about the thousands of men and woman who are serving in Iraq because of stop-loss, which amounts to a back door draft. The Pentagon has the legal right to extend a soldiers enlistment but the stop-loss is a direct result of poor planning of the war in Iraq, he says. (1:14)
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Stop-loss hurts the morale of U.S. troops

Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) says that the Stop-Loss Compensation Act provides a benefit for servicemen who have been effected by stop-loss. She says that President Bush’s bad military decisions and policy and the stop-loss program hurts the moral of the army and undermines the voluntary nature of the military. (0:54)

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General Schlosser: We're almost at the tipping point

Army Maj. Gen. Jeffrey J. Schlosser, commander of Combined Joint Task Force-101, and commanding general, 101st Airborne Division, says he believes that “we’re almost at the tipping point” and the momentum of the Afghan Army will not be able to go backwards, and he’s looking forward to seeing some increases in their capability, and it’s a pleasure to work with such a group of professionals, he says, and he thinks they are making progress in the three lines of operation: security, development, and governance. We’re clearly not done, and we’ve not met irreversible momentum but “I do know we’re making good progress and each and every day we’re making a difference in the Afghan people’s lives.” (0:42)
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These guys just need a date!

Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, recounts his visits to troops returning from the theater of war. He says that a primary concern is more time in the U.S. between deployments so service members can meet someone to date or spend more time with a spouse and children. (0:32)
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Mullen: Afghanistan and Pakistan secruity linked

Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says that there can't be discssion on the security of Afghanistan withou talking about Pakistan. He calls for a plan and strategy to deal with Pakistan. (0:33)
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Thomas Lynch: Moving forward in Afghanistan

Thomas Lynch, a Colonel of the U.S. Army and a Federal Executive Fellow at the Brookings Institution, says that NATO needs to “play not to lose” in Afghanistan. He says that the first order condition is to stop the development of safe havens for those who have terrorist agendas. Lynch also says that Afghanistan needs to move forward from the nineteenth century and fight against some “background culture and traditions”. (1:23)
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Pamela Wallin: “Dealing with failed states”

Pamela Wallin, a member of the Independent Panel on Canada’s Future Role in Afghanistan and a Senior Advisor for the Council of the Americas, talks about the “not normal” fighting situation in Afghanistan. Wallin says that Afghanistan is a “failed state” and that the warfare over there is much different than the general public perceives it to be. (1:02)
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Coalition forces short on trainers, affecting police progress

Speaking at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce North American Forum, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates says that the forces in Afghanistan are 3,000 police trainers short. He says that the Afghan police are the ones who will fulfill a role similar to the "Sons of Iraq" and act as the local force to keep out the Taliban. (0:52)
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Pakistan-Afghanistan border "a real problem"

Speaking at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce North American Forum, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates says that the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan is a "real problem". He also said that U.S. needs to give the new Pakistan government time to organize. (0:58)
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More coalition deaths in Afghanistan than Iraq

During the press conference while traveling at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates says that in May there were more coalition deaths in Afghanistan than Iraq. (0:40)
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Journalism icon Dan Rather speaks with Talk Radio News Service

Dan Rather talks about his first job as a paper boy at age 7, his passion for news reporting and storytelling, and the most significant news stories of his career with Talk Radio News Correspondent Elia Herman at the National Conference for Media Reform in Minneapolis, MN. (4:00)
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Bush took responsibility for those “coming back from Afghanistan and Iraq with serious injuries”

Former Sen. Bob Dole (R-Kan.) says that President Bush met with the President’s Commission on Care for America’s Returning Wounded Warriors that Dole is a part of, and told the commission to do “whatever it takes” to improve health care for wounded veterans. Dole says that Bush properly said he is responsible for every young man “coming back from Afghanistan and Iraq with serious injuries.” (0:47)

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Afghan Journal: a war photographer and hotel owner in Kabul

Talk Radio News Service embedded military affairs correspondent Richard Miller interviews Peter Jouvenal, a former war photographer and a hotel owner in Kabul, Afghanistan about his experiences covering the constant state of war in Afghanistan. (21:25)
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Afghan Journal: The military and stability for the future

Talk Radio News embedded Military Correspondent Richard Miller interviews Specialist Michael C. Smeltzer, 4th Brigade Combat Team, in Afghanistan about his second career in the military. (10:21)
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Afghan Journal: War and the chaplaincy

Talk Radio News Service embedded Military Affairs Correspondent Richard Miller interviews Lt. Jason Chambers who is serving as a chaplain in Afghanistan. (9:07)
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Afghan Journal: An interview with Col. Scott Waterman, special forces in Afghanistan

Talk Radio News Service embedded Military Affairs Correspondent Richard Miller interviews an officer in the U.S. Army, Col. Scott Waterman a special forces trainer of the Afghan security forces. (9:53)
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