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The month of July is not even over and yet it has been the deadliest month ever for US forces in Afghanistan. More than 2 dozen troops have been killed in July as a major ground offensive is underway in the southern province of Helmand, leading to a total of 746 soldiers deaths since the start of Operation Enduring Freedom. Thousands of Afghan civilians have been internally displaced as a result. Across the border, a similar push by US unmanned drones and Pakistani military forces have resulted in deaths and nearly 2 million refugees. The nations of South and Central Asia form part of the so-called “Arc of Instability” where the US’s growing military efforts are focused. My guest for the rest of the hour, a familiar voice on Pacifica radio, has spent much time recently in that part of the world. David Barsamian is the founder and director of Alternative Radio, an independent award-winning weekly series based out of Boulder, Colorado, currently heard on KPFK on Sunday mornings at 9 am. He has co-authored many interview books with the great progressive thinkers of our time such as Noam Chomsky, Eqbal Ahmed, and Arundhati Roy. He is currently in Los Angeles and joins me in studio.

GUEST: David Barsamian, founder and director of Alternative Radio.

For more information, visit www.alternativeradio.org.

CORRECTION: During the interview Sonali mentioned that the displacement of 2 million Pakistani refugees was bigger than during the 1947 partition. But in fact, 12 million people were displaced during the partition on both sides of the newly created border. The current displacement is the biggest SINCE the 1947 partition.