According to Human Rights Watch, civilian deaths from U.S. and NATO action have tripled in the past year. Ninety civilians were killed in just one day August 20 and now there's news of US action claiming lives on the Pakistan border provoking a “strong protest” from the Pakistani government who this week said they reserved the right to retaliate.

Yet President Bush announced Tuesday his plans to increase U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Senator Obama countered, “his plan comes up short – it’s not enough troops, and not enough resources with not enough urgency.”

Some are declaring Afghanistan the “right war" but does that sound RIGHT to you?

Here to discuss US policy in the region --past and future -- are filmmaker, Wazhmah Osman, director of the film, Post Cards from Tora Bora, journalist, Jan Goodwin, author of The Price of Honor, Jake Sherman, Project Coordinator at New York University’s Center on International Cooperation, Michael Shaikh, the Asia Programs’ Senior Analyst for the International Crisis Group, before joining ICG, he worked with Human Rights Watch on their new report. Joining us by phone from California, Sonali Kolhatka, Co-Director of The Afghan Women's Mission and the host of the Pacifica radio show, Uprising. She’s also the Co-author of Bleeding Afghanistan: Washington, Warlords and the Propaganda of Silence.