Reflections on Afghanistan Listen

Afghan woman carries son through street, Kabul

Forums: Share your reactions to the bin Laden tape

For most Americans, Afghanistan was a remote nation with little significance before the U.S. military campaign began. By now, every American has seen countless hours of television footage of fierce battles in arid mountains and victorious troops celebrating in the streets of liberated cities. But short television clips capture only the most newsworthy events in Afghanistan.

This hour, two journalists who have been on the ground in Afghanistan share their stories and paint a broader picture of the nation and its people. Sebastian Junger was up until recently covering the current war for ABC News, while Rone Tempest covered Afghanistan for several years, including the period during the Soviet invasion.

Guests:

Painting of Vedran Smailovic, who played his cello every day in Sarajevo during the violence of the early '90s

Forums: What music have you turned to for solace and comfort since Sept. 11th?

Music During Crisis Listen

From the drum corps of the Revolutionary age to the protest music of the 1960's, music has always been intertwined with war. During the fierce conflict in Sarajevo in the early 1990's, cellist Vedran Smailovic visited different bombing sites and graveyards every day to offer "a daily music prayer for peace." In the days following the September 11th attacks, Lee Greenwood suddenly found his career resurrected, as patriotic Americans turned to their radios to find solace in his "God Bless the USA."

What is it about music that gives us comfort during uncertain times? What songs have Americans been turning to in this current crisis? This hour: music's power in times of crisis.

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