Conference 

# Escalate or Withdraw? Conservatives and the War in Afghanistan 

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Date and Time 

March 18, 2010 9 AM - 1 PM EDT 

Location 

Auditorium/1st floor/Wintergarden 

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##### Featuring 

**Opening Remarks** 
**Christopher Preble**, Cato Institute Panel 1 
**The Honorable Tom McClintock** (R-CA); **The Honorable Dana Rohrabacher** (R-CA); **The Honorable John J. Duncan, Jr.** (R-TN); moderated by Grover Norquist, Americans for Tax Reform

Panel 2 
**Tony Blankley**, *Washington Times*; **Donald Devine**, editor, *Conservative Battleline On Line*; **Diana West**, *Washington Examiner*; **Mackenzie Eaglen**, Heritage Foundation; moderated by **Malou Innocent**, Cato Institute

Keynote Address 
**Joe Scarborough**, MSNBC, with an introduction by **Edward H. Crane**, Cato Institute

With his latest escalation in December, President Obama has more than doubled the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan compared with when he took office. Those forces are chiefly concerned not with the original mission of beating al Qaeda through counterterrorism but rather with trying to build a new nation. Oddly enough, the one group within Washington that has historically been against nation building backs the president most: conservatives.

Will conservatives return to their traditional roots and ultimately oppose the war in Afghanistan? Can "nation building" succeed in the midst of that country's bloody insurgency? What constitutes "success," and what price should we be willing to pay for it? Please join us for a lively discussion.

| **8:30 a.m.** | **Registration** |
|---|---|
| **9:00 a.m.** | **Opening Remarks** **Christopher Preble**, Cato Institute **Panel 1** Watch video of Panel 1 [![QuickTime](/weekly/quicktime.gif)](https://cdn.cato.org/archive-2010/cc-03-18-10-1.mp4)[Watch Panel 1 in QuickTime (M4V)](https://cdn.cato.org/archive-2010/cc-03-18-10-1.mp4) [](https://cdn.cato.org/archive-2010/cca-03-18-10-1.mp3) [![Media Name: ipod.jpg](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/optimized/public/download-remote-images/object.cato.org/169672258913/ipod.jpg?itok=5gSrqX94)](/sites/cato.org/files/download-remote-images/object.cato.org/169672258913/ipod.jpg) [Download a Podcast of Panel 1 (MP3)](https://cdn.cato.org/archive-2010/cca-03-18-10-1.mp3) **The Honorable Tom McClintock** (R-CA); **The Honorable Dana Rohrabacher** (R-CA); **The Honorable John J. Duncan, Jr.** (R-TN); moderated by **Grover Norquist**, Americans for Tax Reform **Panel 2** Watch video of Panel 2 [![QuickTime](/weekly/quicktime.gif)](https://cdn.cato.org/archive-2010/cc-03-18-10-2.mp4)[Watch Panel 2 in QuickTime (M4V)](https://cdn.cato.org/archive-2010/cc-03-18-10-2.mp4) [](https://cdn.cato.org/archive-2010/cca-03-18-10-2.mp3) [![Media Name: ipod.jpg](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/optimized/public/download-remote-images/object.cato.org/169672258913/ipod.jpg?itok=5gSrqX94)](/sites/cato.org/files/download-remote-images/object.cato.org/169672258913/ipod.jpg) [Download a Podcast of Panel 2 (MP3)](https://cdn.cato.org/archive-2010/cca-03-18-10-2.mp3) **Tony Blankley**, *Washington Times*; **Donald Devine**, editor, *Conservative Battleline On Line*; **Diana West**, *Washington Examiner*; **Mackenzie Eaglen**, Heritage Foundation; moderated by **Malou Innocent**, Cato Institute |
| | **Keynote Address** [[![Media Name: ipod.jpg](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/optimized/public/download-remote-images/object.cato.org/169672258913/ipod.jpg?itok=5gSrqX94)](/sites/cato.org/files/download-remote-images/object.cato.org/169672258913/ipod.jpg)](https://cdn.cato.org/archive-2010/cca-03-18-10-3.mp3)[Download a Podcast of the Keynote Address (MP3)](https://cdn.cato.org/archive-2010/cca-03-18-10-3.mp3) **Joe Scarborough**, MSNBC, with an introduction by **Edward H. Crane**, Cato Institute |
| **1:00 p.m.** | **Luncheon** |

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