From PRI, Public Radio International and KCRW Santa Monica, this is To the Point.

As the Olympic torch heads to China, will violent protests in Tibet derail the games?

I'm Lawrence O'Donnell, sitting in for Warren-Aulney, and this is To the Point from Public Radio International, a daily look at the issues Americans care about most. As China prepares to welcome the Olympic Games, world leaders are under increasing pressure to protest China's treatment of Tibet. Today, on To the Point, will protest in Tibet derail the Olympics? Should world leaders boycott the Olympic Games in Beijing?

Would that help or hurt Tibet?

What is the most effective way to protest China's treatment of Tibet?

On reporter's notebook later on, how the Pentagon allowed a 19-year-old Miami party boy to provide arms to Afghanistan.

First, here's the news.

Support for To the Point comes from subscribers of KCRW Santa Monica and from the Public Radio International Program Fund, whose contributors include the Ford Foundation and the John

D. and Catherine T. MacArthur

Foundation. I'm Lawrence O'Donnell, sitting in for Warren, only back with To the Point from PRI.

The German chancellor has decided to boycott the Beijing Olympics in protest of China's treatment

of Tibet. The French president is considering the same. President Bush plans to attend the

opening ceremonies

but has already publicly expressed his concern about how harshly China has reacted to protests in Tibet.

Coming up, we'll talk about how the protests in Tibet will affect the Olympic Games as well as China's

policy toward Tibet. On reporter's notebook, how a 19-year-old Miami party boy became a major international arms

dealer. First, this news update. At a NATO summit this week in Bucharest, NATO leaders have agreed

to support a United States missile defense system based in Europe, but they refused to back

President Bush's proposal to immediately start the process of extending

NATO membership to Ukraine and Georgia in the face of strong opposition by Russia.

Joining us now from Bucharest is Edward Lucas, Moscow correspondent for the economist.

Edward Lucas, this is being played as a Bush versus Putin story in which Putin seems to have won the day,

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