International Ripple Effects of US Military Drawdown in Afghanistan
On Wednesday June 22nd, President Barack Obama promised the nation that he was ready to bring home 10,000 US troops stationed in Afghanistan. In a year’s time, the president hopes to extend that number to 33,000 troops. At home and abroad, not everybody believes that the mission has made enough progress to end its military engagements in the region. Veteran BBC reporter Hugh Sykes has been spending his time in Afghanistan, Pakistan investigating Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the ISI, providing safe havens to the Haqqani Taliban, a group most likely responsible for the Hotel siege in Kabul last Tuesday night. In this conversation Sykes tells us about his international reporting and why his project has brought him here to the states.
The World is an independent newsroom. We’re not funded by billionaires; instead, we rely on readers and listeners like you. As a listener, you’re a crucial part of our team and our global community. Your support is vital to running our nonprofit newsroom, and we can’t do this work without you. Will you support The World with a gift today? Donations made between now and Dec. 31 will be matched 1:1. Thanks for investing in our work!