[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/11/09/art.amanpour.writer.jpg caption="Sr. Writer Tom Evans"]
On AMANPOUR. today, we continue to examine the aftermath of last week’s devastating earthquake and the prospects of recovery. Is this the chance of a lifetime, as former President Bill Clinton characterized it, to build a true modern state in Haiti? Will all the relief pouring in now translate into a sustainable blueprint for a stable country? And in our look at the Obama Administration one year on, we examine torture in a post-9/11 world where national security concerns compete with international law. Should those responsible for reinterpreting the law and sanctioning harsh interrogation techniques be held accountable? So please watch our show today. Now here are some perspectives on some headlines in the news today.
Tom Evans
Sr. Writer, AMANPOUR.
HAITI – How soon before there will be enough doctors, nurses and medical supplies available to treat injured survivors?
– Strong aftershock hits Haiti as a U.S. hospital ship approaches the country with nearly 550 doctors, nurses, corpsmen, technicians and support staff on board
– Thousands of wounded people still awaiting treatment at Haiti’s remaining medical facilities, which are desperately short of supplies
– U.N. estimates three million Haitians still in need of medical assistance, food, water, and shelter
QUESTION: Why is it still taking so long to get badly needed supplies out of Port-au-Prince airport?
AFGHANISTAN – Can President Karzai build up security forces that have the confidence of the Afghan people?
– Joint government and international panel calling for number of Afghan security forces to be increased from 191,000 to 400,000 in five years
– Karzai appoints former warlord, Abdul Rashid Dostum, who has been criticized in the past by the U.S., as head of the country’s armed forces
– Rapid buildup of Afghan military strength important to future coalition withdrawals, but Western officials say military effort won’t succeed without reforms in weak and corrupt Karzai government
QUESTION: Will Karzai government ever take serious action to tackle endemic problems of corruption and bad governance that are giving Taliban a boost in this war?
UNITED STATES – How badly has President Obama’s political authority been damaged by stunning election upset in state of Massachusetts?
– Republican Scott Brown pulls off remarkable victory in race for Edward Kennedy’s former seat in the U.S. Senate
– Victory deprives Democrats of ability to ram their agenda through the Senate over Republican opposition
– Democrats’ defeat in Massachusetts may force Obama to reconsider his legislative priorities, and even perhaps retreat on his health care agenda
QUESTION: Exactly one year after his inauguration, can President Obama still achieve his political goals, not just in the U.S. but also overseas?