New tactics in Afghanistan resemble Vietnam Phoenix program

In the last five months, U.S. military raids in Afghanistan have captured or killed more than 130 insurgents deemed significant in the war. The recent shift in the military’s counterterrorism approach now focuses more on targeted killings. According to a senior White House official, the intent of the new strategy is to pressure the Taliban to come to the negotiating table.

But some historians say what they are seeing in Afghanistan is reminiscent of the Phoenix Program, a strategy used during the Vietnam War intended to target, capture and kill important people within the Viet Cong. The program led to widespread killings of innocent civilians.

We talk with Neil Sheehan, legendary Vietnam reporter, about the parallels between the two wars. Sheehan is the author of “A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam” and “A Fiery Peace in a Cold War.”