Uncertain
Times: Understanding the Crisis, begins by examining the
region that has been at the heart of the U.S. fight against terrorism
and host to Osama bin Laden, Afghanistan. The modern history
of
Afghanistan begins in 1880 when it became a nation state, and
power became centralized in the hands of one family, a form of
government which was "detrimental" to all but that
ruling family. Our guests discuss the significance of the physical location of the country, its being "caught in the middle" between empires like the Soviet Union and Arab nations. The role of Pakistan is addressed, as well as the question of how Afghanistan should be governed in the future.
Special guests for his segment include Larry Goodson, Ph.D., a
Professor of International Studies at Bentley College who has
lived and traveled in Afghanistan. He is an expert on the politics
of the region. Dr. Goodson is the author of Afghanistan's
Endless War: State Failure, Regional Politics, and the Rise of the
Taliban (University of Washington Press, 2001). Due out this
year is The Talibanization of Pakistan: Transformation of a
Society (St. Martin's/Palgrave), and in 2003, Politics in
the Middle East (Sage Publications). His articles have
appeared in numerous journals including Arab Studies Quarterly,
Central Asian Survey, Jane's Sentinel, Journal of African and
Asian Studies, Middle East Affairs Journal, Middle East Journal,
and the Middle East Studies Association Bulletin. 
Also joining us is Fevziye Barlas, a journalist and native of
Afghanistan, she is a former Senior Editor and News Anchor, Radio
Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Munich, Germany specializing in Tajik
and Afghan Services. She is currently a Ph.D. student in the
Interdisciplinary Near East and Middle East Program at the
University of Washington. 
Dr. Nazif Shahrani is chair of the Department of Near Eastern
Languages and Cultures at Indiana University in Bloomington. He is
also a Professor of Anthropology, as well as Central Asian and
Middle Eastern Studies. Shahrani was born and raised in
Afghanistan, and specializes in Afghani politics and Islamic
movements. He has written two books, Revolutions and Rebellions
in Afghanistan: Anthropological Perspectives, and The
Kirghiz and Wakhi of Afghanistan: Adaptation of Closed Frontiers.
Margaret Larson, anchor and reporter for Seattle's King 5 News has
been on leave from her job to volunteer for Mercy Corps
International. In this segment, she describes her experience in
Afghanistan, a county raved bay war, drought and fame. Rebuilding
the country and providing humanitarian aid are huge challenges,
and Margaret has been in the middle of these efforts. As a reporter Margaret has traveled to the Soviet Union, the Persian Gulf and was posted in London as a foreign correspondent. Margaret was news anchor for The Today Show and in 1997 she joined Dateline NBC as a correspondent. She is winner of the National Headliners award, NY Film award, Society of Professional Journalists National TV Feature award and two Emmys.
AFGHANISTAN OVERVIEW PIECE
Producer Susan Han gives an overview of Afghanistan: it's people,
geography, culture and history. We learn about the pre-Soviet
invasion Afghanistan through the eyes of Kabul restaurant owner
Wali Khairzada. Wali lived in Afghanistan until the age of 19 and
remembers the country as being beautiful and peaceful. 
Bilal
Hashmi, sociology professor at Western Washington University is
also interviewed about the country's history and future. Professor
Hashmi is an expert on the Middle East and South Central Asia as
well as nationality issues, race and ethnic relations, and Islam
and the Islamic World.