Sr. Writer Tom Evans

Today on AMANPOUR., we have something very special – a rare in-depth interview with the U.S. commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, who has just given testimony to the U.S. Congress on President Obama’s new strategy for Afghanistan. Can General McChrystal turn the tide of this war in just 18 months? It’s an interview you don’t want to miss. It will air at 4.30pm Eastern Time on CNN in the United States and overseas. And in our regular time slot at 3pm ET we will have an interview with Sudan’s ambassador to the United Nations, Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamad. He faces some tough questions from Christiane on war crimes charges against his president and the risk of a bloody new civil war between the north and the south of Sudan. So there’s a lot going on today. In addition, there are some other important stories to tell you about that are making headlines across the globe.

- Tom Evans; Sr. Writer, AMANPOUR.

AFGHANISTAN – Can the U.S. turn around the war with a new strategy and more troops?

-          U.S. Defense Secy. Robert Gates tells military commanders in Afghanistan that “we have all the pieces coming together to be successful”

-          Gates most senior official to visit Afghanistan since Obama’s strategy announcement last week

-          U.S. trying to reassure Afghanistan and Pakistan that July 2011 deadline to begin American withdrawal will not give Taliban an advantage in the long term

-          Gates outlining ambitious goals to increase size of Afghan army by about 50 percent to 134,000 soldiers by the end of 2010

QUESTION: Will Afghan military be in any position to begin taking security lead anytime soon?

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