Iowa Public Television

Washington Week

Episode #4239

Moderator: Gwen Ifill. Operation Iraqi Freedom has entered its second week and it's been a challenging one. The White House and the Pentagon are confronting the harsh realities of a war zone. Steve Inskeep of National Public Radio brings us up to the moment from Doha, Qatar. NPR's Pentagon reporter Tom Gjelten joins the panelists around the table and shares his expertise. Did President Bush anticipate such a tough fight on the ground in Iraq? Michael Duffy of Time Magazine sorts through the expectations and actualities. And this is just the beginning. The difficult task of rebuilding Iraq remains ahead. President Bush met with Prime Minister Tony Blair this week and the two hope to build international cooperation for the future of Iraq. Jeanne Cummings of The Wall Street Journal describes these efforts. What will this all mean in dollars? President Bush has requested additional appropriations to fight the war. In the same week, the Senate took a first step toward reducing the size of the tax cut the president wants. How will all of this effect the nation's bottom line? Jeffrey Birnbaum of Fortune Magazine tallies it all up for us. [26 minutes]

This episode has not aired in the past few months on Iowa Public Television.