NEW YORK--(Business Wire)--
Intelligence Squared US (IQ2US), the Oxford-style debate series, an initiative
of the Rosenkranz Foundation, hosted a timely debate on Tuesday evening on the
important issue of America`s future in Afghanistan and Pakistan. A distinguished
panel of military and foreign policy experts debated the proposition "American
cannot and will not succeed in Afghanistan/Pakistan." At the evening`s
conclusion, the team arguing against the proposition had moved a significant
percentage of the audience to their point of view.
At the start of the debate, the audience at NYU`s Skirball Center seemed
inclined to agree with the motion with 48% voting for it, 25% against and an
additional 27% still undecided. At the debate`s conclusion, a sizable portion of
the crowd shifted to side with the team opposed to the proposition. The final
vote showed 43% in favor of the motion, 45% against it and 12% were still
undecided.
Robert Rosenkranz, the founder of IQ2US, welcomed the audience and noted the
timeliness of the debate taking place as the President and the nation consider
what to do about sending additional troops to Afghanistan and defining our
strategy in the region.
The evening`s winning team argued against the motion and included Steve Coll,
President and CEO of the New America Foundation and a Staff Writer for The New
Yorker. He was joined by John Nagl, the President of the Center for a New
American Security and a former U.S. Army Officer who retired with the rank of
Lieutenant Colonel and James Shin, who served as the Assistant Secretary of
Defense for Asia from 2007-2008 and was National Intelligence Officer for East
Asia prior to this.
On the other side, arguing for the motion was Steve Clemons, who directs the
American Strategy Program for the New America Foundation. He was joined by
Patrick Lang, a retired Senior Officer of U.S. Military Intelligence and U.S.
Army Special Forces (Green Beret) and Ralph Peters, a retired Army Officer and
an author who writes a regular column for the New York Post.
Highlights from this debate included:
"We have made an extraordinary investment already … many of my friends, your
sons and daughters, your friends who are out making that investment. The best
chance for a positive return on that investment is a secure and stable
Afghanistan, a secure and stable Pakistan. Objectives that all of us here agree
are of vital national interest to the United States, but should be accomplished,
and it is within the power of the United States to accomplish. It is my personal
belief that the best way to accomplish them is through a properly resourced
counterinsurgency strategy…that is the approach advocated by General McChrystal;
it is hard… but hard is not impossible." - John Nagl
"If we cannot articulate the mission, and the end state, how dare we send more
young men and women in uniform because we won`t force ourselves to answer the
fundamental question of what…why…are we there and what, concretely do we expect
to achieve." - Ralph Peters
"…the fundamental question is…do we have a reason to be there
(Afghanistan/Pakistan), can we through this kind of discourse find the right
strategy to succeed, I think…yes…we`ve answered that question, all of us." -
Steve Coll
"America will not succeed in Afghanistan and Pakistan unless it gets its act
back together both on the questions of management and strategy, both of which it
has failed miserably in over the last eight years with regard to this
challenge."- Steve Clemons
John Donvan, correspondent for ABC News Nightline, is moderator of Intelligence
Squared US debates. Dana Wolfe is the executive producer.
To view transcripts and videos, download audio or learn more about Intelligence
Squared U.S. please visit: www.intelligencesquaredus.org.
About Intelligence Squared US:
Launched in September 2006, the goal of Intelligence Squared US, an initiative
of the Rosenkranz Foundation, is to raise the level of public discourse and
promote a realization that, on contentious issues, those who challenge the
conventional wisdom have intellectually respectable and often persuasive
viewpoints. We encourage citizens to "Think Twice" about their opinions and
participate in the conversation, and we provide a forum for balanced discussion
that transcends emotion and ideology. Through an annual series of 10 live
Oxford-style debates, IQ2US brings together experts and audience around public
policy and cultural issues. In fact, the live audience participates in each
debate by voting on the propositions at the top and bottom of the debate
evening.
About the Rosenkranz Foundation:
Founded in 1985 by Robert Rosenkranz, the mission of the Rosenkranz Foundation
is to encourage fresh perspectives and innovation in public policy, higher
education and the arts. Beyond IQ2US, the Foundation pursues its mission by
supporting various think tanks, universities, and the arts, with an emphasis on
Asian art.
Contact for Intelligence Squared US
Eileen Murphy, 917-913-2233
eileen@eileenmmurphy.com
Copyright Business Wire 2009
