President Bush's Farewell Press Conference; The Great Gamble; The Bush Foreign Policy Legacy
President Bush's Farewell Press Conference
President Bush held his final scheduled news conference this morning, reflecting on his accomplishments and disappointments during his eight years in office. He talked candidly with journalists about topics such as the economy, the war in Iraq, and Hurricane Katrina. How does President Bush's own assessment of his term compare to how others see it? Larry talks with guests and listeners about the Bush legacy.
The Great Gamble
In the last years of the Cold War, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, targeting an unclear enemy. However, the Soviet military greatly underestimated the Mujahideen rural resistance and their unconventional tactics. The eight year conflict that ensued was a blow to the Soviet Union and influential in its collapse a few years later. In his book "The Great Gamble: The Soviet War in Afghanistan," Gregory Feifer takes accounts from both sides and examines the invasion of a country that no power has ever successfully conquered. He also finds relevant lessons from this conflict as the United States pursues its own campaign in the region. Larry Mantle talks with NPR Moscow correspondent Gregory Feifer about his book.
The Bush Foreign Policy Legacy
President Bush leaves the world stage in a matter of days. How will history judge his foreign policy legacy and what has he left unresolved in the foreign policy arena for his successor? Larry Mantle and guests examine the failures and successes of 8 years of Bush foreign policy.