Forums: Is the military campaign the answer?

Prepare for the show: Read Mearsheimer's editorial in the NY Times.

Over the weekend, U.S. Special Forces deployed within Afghanistan more than doubled, according to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. The forces are operating in four different locations in northern Afghanistan. Rumsfeld also said over the weekend that he expects the campaign against the Taliban will not take years, as some fear.

The beefed-up presence of ground troops have encouraged some, who are hoping for a quick end to the fighting. But political science professor John Mearsheimer says the time for effective military action has passed. Are ground troops the answer? Or is a diplomatic solution a better way to go?

Guest:

Should the Sept. 11th attacks make the U.S. more engaged or more isolationist? Share your thoughts in the forums.

Click here for a detailed timeline of U.S. foreign policy, 1776-2001

The Long View: The U.S. Role Overseas Listen

All this week, WBUR's "Special Coverage" will look beyond the horizon at some of the big issues that the September attacks have made even more urgent. Examining where we want these issues to be in 10 or 15 years will hopefully guide our policies today.

Tonight, in part 1, we examine U.S. policy overseas. From the days of our first foreign diplomat, Benjamin Franklin, American foreign policy has vacillated between isolationism and selective engagement. The Bush administration had taken a unilateral appraoch to world affairs before September 11th. But should the continuing threats of terrorism move the U.S. towards being more engaged with the rest of the world or more isolated?

Guest: