Tuesday the Congressional Progressive Caucus holds its third "forum on Afghanistan

[bigtree]

…How is the President's military strategy increasing or decreasing security locally and regionally?" -- which should offer some good arguments both for and against escalation. (Nation)


from the CPC: http://cpc.grijalva.house.gov/index.cfm?ContentID=365&ParentID=0&SectionID=26&SectionTree=26&lnk=b&ItemID=363

Upcoming Forum on April 21st at 12.30pm in Rayburn 2175: What should be the role and goals of the military in Afghanistan (and the NW border region)?
Tuesday April 21, 2009
Forum III – Overview of Topics & Speakers

What should be the role and goals of the military in Afghanistan (and NW border region); How is the President’s military strategy increasing or decreasing security locally and regionally?

April 21, 2009
12:30pm-2:00pm in Rayburn Room 2175

Overview of Topics for Forum III:

• What should be the role of additional and current use of forces? Is there a better alternative to using the military to engage people and their leadership in tribal regions?

• Does the new administration need to seek UN/international authorization for continued and increasing military force in Afghanistan?

• What accountability standards should Congress establish over the use military force? How should Congress work with the administration to bring about transparency and accountability of all military and related contractors’ spending in Afghanistan (and Pakistan)?

• Does our increased military presence help deter or foster a greater insurgency? Can we create a counter-insurgency strategy through the military that is accepted by Afghan people?

• How do the often-heavy civilian casualties that result from our presence impact our overall effectiveness, our security, and our reputation locally and internationally?

• Should military be used for reconstruction and stabilization activities, formerly under the State Department’s jurisdiction? What are the challenges and opportunities of the civil-military Provincial Reconstruction teams?


Confirmed Speakers for Forum III:

Mr. Hekmat Karzai (a cousin of Afghan President Hamid Karzai) is currently the Director of the Centre for Conflict and Peace Studies (CAPS) in Kabul, Afghanistan and previously served as head of the Political Department at the Embassy of Afghanistan in Washington, D.C. His Master’s Degree dissertation entitled ‘Strengthening Security in Contemporary Afghanistan: Coping with the Taliban’ was published by the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard.

Clare Lockhart is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Institute for State Effectiveness. She is a specialist in law and public administration, trained at Oxford and Harvard. Ms. Lockart served as a UN advisor in Afghanistan during the Bonn process and was an advisor to the Government of Afghanistan during the Transitional Administration, designing and managing a series of national initiatives.

Major General Paul D. Eaton is a retired United States Army General. Major General Eaton had a long and distinguished career with the U.S. Army. Prior to his retirement in 2006, he served as the Commanding General of the Coalition Military Assistance Training Team (CMATT) in Iraq (June 2003 until March 2004). In that role, he was charged with rebuilding the Iraqi Armed Forces. From March 2004 until June 2004, Major General Eaton was further charged with the development of all Iraqi Security Forces. After his retirement from the Army in 2006, Major General Eaton became well-known for his outspoken criticism of the Bush Administration’s policy in Iraq.