Assembly 2008
WCVE Public Radio’s Wayne Farrar will host Assembly 2008 weekdays at 7:35 AM. Get up to date news about the previous day’s activity in the General Assembly, feature stories on significant legislative initiatives, and additional information drawn from diverse sources including the Associated Press and the Virginia Public Radio Capitol Square Bureau. Coverage will also include a live broadcast on Wednesday night, January 9, of the Governor’s State of the Commonwealth Address, followed by the Republican response. WCVE Public Radio will be the flagship station for statewide broadcast of the address over public radio stations.
Bush’s New Plan for Iraq: One Year Later
NPR’s Morning Edition presents a four-part series looking at the progress made in Iraq one year after President Bush’s speech outlining his new plan for the country. Tune in for the reports Monday-Thursday, January 7-10
MONDAY, JANUARY 7 BUSH’S IRAQ POLICY: ONE YEAR LATER
One year ago this week, President Bush outlined his new plan for Iraq, from the so-called surge in U.S. troops and plans to increase American aid to the pledges made by the Maliki government. We take a detailed look at what Bush said, what’s been accomplished and what the Americans and the Iraqis have yet failed to achieve. NPR’s Tom Bowman reports.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 8 SURGE SUCCESS?
When President Bush announced his plan to send 30,000 additional troops to Iraq, a cheer went up in the neo-Conservative circles of the national security community. Iraq was widely regarded as a disaster: a mission that required either a renewed commitment or a withdrawal. Now, one year later, the gamble seems to have paid off. But how much of it had to do with the "surge," and how much with a combination of cold hard cash and some luck? NPR’s Guy Raz investigates.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9 IRAQ POLITICS
Improvements in security in Iraq have not been matched by political progress. And despite security improvements, government officials are still locked in the Green Zone, fearing for their lives. None of the benchmark laws cited by President Bush last year has been passed. Reconciliation efforts, which the U.S. military has fostered at the local level, have not been matched by the Prime Minister at the national level. Political bickering has paralyzed the government with a dozen key ministries without a minister. Many other key posts have been filled by incompetent political appointees and parliament has not mustered a quorum in almost a month. The public is growing increasingly disillusioned and that may well fuel new security problems. Members of Maliki's government complain the Prime Minister is weak, fundamentally sectarian, and the wrong man to lead a government of national reconciliation. Iraqi leaders have yet to reach a working consensus on what kind of country they want. A leading MP, and member of Maliki's Shiite Alliance says the government is "clinically dead.” NPR’s Anne Garrels reports.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 10 IRAQI FORCES
One of President Bush's hopes when he announced the U.S. troop increase in Iraq last year was that it would give time to bring the Iraqi Security Forces up to speed. At the time, the new Iraqi Army had been a repeated disappointment to American commanders, who found the Iraqis to be ill-trained and unreliable. The National Police were even worse, widely accused of corruption and infiltration by sectarian militias. NPR’s Corey Flintoff examines their current state.
January
Benefit of the Month
In addition to ongoing restaurant, bed and breakfast and online and outlet retailer benefits, MemberCard holders can receive the following two benefits in January 2008: At the Virginia Opera, you may purchase two-for-one tickets to either “Eugene Onegin” or “Lucia di Lammermoor” when purchased during the month; loge seating excluded; subject to availability. For more information, call (866) 673-7282. At Court Square Theater, you may purchase two-for-one admission during the month to the Independent and Foreign Film Series (titles to be announced); subject to availability.
For
more information on other benefits, consult your MemberCard brochure or visit www.membercard.com |
