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Bush End Game
George W. Bush's presidency since 2007

Bush - Second Term
George W. Bush's presidency from 2005-06

Bush - First Term
George W. Bush's presidency, 2000-04

Who Is Bob Gates?
The secret world of Defense Secretary Gates

2004 Campaign
Bush Bests Kerry

Behind Colin Powell's Legend
Gauging Powell's reputation.

The 2000 Campaign
Recounting the controversial campaign.

Media Crisis
Is the national media a danger to democracy?

The Clinton Scandals
Behind President Clinton's impeachment.

Nazi Echo
Pinochet & Other Characters.

The Dark Side of Rev. Moon
Rev. Sun Myung Moon and American politics.

Contra Crack
Contra drug stories uncovered

Lost History
America's tainted historical record

The October Surprise "X-Files"
The 1980 election scandal exposed.

International
From free trade to the Kosovo crisis.

Other Investigative Stories

Editorials

As President Barack Obama sends 17,000 more troops to Afghanistan, the history of the U.S. involvement in the region is only hazily understood, nor is it widely known how that earlier role set the stage for today’s crisis.

Former CIA analyst Ray McGovern explains how the CIA under both Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan "mousetrapped" the Soviet Union into invading Afghanistan and then kept Soviet forces bogged down.

(The story summary continues below.)

However, McGovern notes that the trap also had unintended consequences by attracting Islamic fundamentalists, such as Osama bin Laden. Another backfire in the strategy was the destabilization of Pakistan, which used its special role helping the CIA project as political cover for developing nuclear weapons.

McGovern also questions the value of Obama’s decision to add more U.S. troops to the Afghan War.

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