This week, a melange of Middle East messes. Perhaps a little harsh but we get a lot of visual comments on President Obama bellying up to the Mideast peace bar; the attempt to tie a bow on Iraq; and the uncertainty of a US success in Afghanistan.
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Former U.S. Army Captain Blake Hall reflects on his time in Iraq. A shorter version of this interview ran on the radio show on August 19, 2010.
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The problem with a good stretch of beach is that once word gets out, the word is out. You have to fight for waves or a patch of sand. That won’t happen for a while in Liberia. The West African nation was torn apart by 14 years of Civil War. The country has been peaceful since UN peacekeepers arrived in 2003. But before Liberia descended into war, the country was a West African travel hotspot: five-star hotels, beautiful beaches, and a rich cultural history. Today, tourism dollars would certainly help that country with its economic recovery. But is Liberia ready to re-open for tourists? The World’s Jason Margolis had a look. Download MP3
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Can a robot be programmed to make life-and-death decisions on the battlefield? Some researchers are currently working to develop software that will help robots make moral and legal decisions on their own. Later today, we speak with Ronald Arkin, a professor of computer science at Georgia Tech who has just completed a three-year research project for the Army looking into the use of ethical battlefield robots. Download MP3Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
A conversation with Adam Jacot de Boinod, a seeker of obscure but colorful English expressions. If you read his new book, “The Wonder of Whiffling”, you’ll know whether you prefer to muppet shuffle or dwile flunk. You’ll know if you are a pozzy-wallah. Some of expressions are brand new, others long gone. Also, the meaning of the word peace. Barack Obama was the latest figure to tweak its definition when he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize and made the argument for “just war”. Download MP3
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A new book profiles an Iraqi family’s experience of the war in Iraq, from their great optimism in 2003 to the despair and horror of the civil war years. Anchor Katy Clark talks with author, Christina Asquith, who shared their lives in Baghdad for many years. Download MP3Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
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The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to tackle a particularly disturbing tactic of war this week: the use of rape as a weapon. Perhaps the worst recent cases have been in places like eastern Congo, where armed groups have used rape to terrorize communities. Jeb Sharp talks with Anne-Marie Goetz of UNIFEM, the UN’s development agency for women. Download MP3 (Photo: Roberto Schmidt/AFP/Getty Images)
President Obama faces tough choices in Afghanistan. Things are not going well for the US-led mission there. There’s either a long, hard an expensive slog ahead. Or a pull-back that comes with its own risks.
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Is it merely the absence of war? How do the personal and political meanings of peace relate to each other?
