Program Overview

• Hosts: Ray Suarez, Garrick Utley, Steve Roberts; Marvin Kalb and Kojo Nnamdi
• Original Airdate: Oct 2006

On this America Abroad, we examine the insurgencies in Iraq and Afghanistan, and how American troops are being trained to counter this emerging threat. The program also looks back at the history of US counterinsurgency efforts, from the Philippines to Vietnam, and explores America's efforts to support El Salvador during its war against Marxist guerillas in the 1980's.

In segment one, Ray Suarez examines the U.S. military’s response to the threat of insurgency with two leading high-ranking generals.

Garrick Utley narrates an archival audio tour of the history of U.S. counterinsurgency efforts, from the Philippines to Vietnam in segment two.

In segment three, Steve Roberts looks back at U.S. efforts to support El Salvador in its war against Marxist guerillas in the 1980s.

In the final segment, Marvin Kalb is joined by Kojo Nnamdi of WAMU 88.5 to moderate a special town hall event in Washington, D.C. on U.S. counterinsurgency efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Guests on this program include:

Lt. Gen. Peter Chiarelli

Lt. Gen. David Petraeus

Lt. Gen. William Odom

Ambassador Carlos Pascual, vice president and director of Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution

Conrad Crane, director of the U.S. Army Military History Institute

Brian Linn, professor of military history at Texas A&M University

Thomas Pickering, former U.S. ambassador to El Salvador

John Waghelstein, commander of the U.S. Military Group in El Salvador

Roger Fontaine, former director of Latin American Affairs at the National Security Council

Professor Kalev Sepp of the Naval Postgraduate School

Max Boot, Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations

Gary Anderson, retired U.S. Marine Corps Colonel