Everyone rushing to declare victory in Iraq — and that means both presidential candidates, too — should read the sad story of Najim al-Jabouri, the heroic mayor of Tal Afar, who last month took his family and moved to the U.S. because, he told McClatchy’s Jonathan S. Landay, “there was no other choice”:
‘I had been [...]
Archive for October, 2008
Iraq: Heroic Mayor Flees al-Qaeda to America
Posted in Iraq on October 31, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
We Interrupt This Program…
Posted in Misc on October 31, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
I don’t really know who reads this blog, but I’m assuming some of you might be fellow journalists. If so, maybe you can help me:
I’m planning yet another trip to Baghdad and am having unexpected trouble finding a reputable fixer. If you know of someone, and feel comfortable enough recommending him (and me to him), [...]
Bing West the Bully, Pt. 2
Posted in Afghanistan, Iraq on October 31, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
I respect Bing West’s expertise on COIN but I think when it comes to tolerating dissenting views he has become a bully. I wrote about it a while back, and now I’m happy to see my hero Abu Muqawama agrees:
West returned from Vietnam a young Marine Corps captain and dedicted his life to bettering America’s [...]
Nightmare Scenario: America Will Become… Sweden!
Posted in Election 08 on October 29, 2008 | 15 Comments »
In an interview Saturday with Democratic vice-presidential candidate Joe Biden, a Florida news anchor attacked Senator Barack Obama for being “socialist”:
“What do you say to the people who are concerned that Barack Obama will want to turn America into a socialist country much like Sweden?”
I don’t know what Sweden she’s talking about. Surely not our [...]
Iraq: Stepping Aside While Mosul Burns
Posted in Iraq, Mosul on October 28, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Seven months after Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s much-vaunted offensive to clear Mosul of insurgents, the killing continues. An excellent piece by Sam Dagher in today’s New York Times predicts things will get even worse, as the Kurds and Arabs vie for power in the devastated city (see this blog’s header). Interestingly, the U.S. military has [...]
Dept. of For-What-It’s-Worth: I Vote for Obama
Posted in Election 08 on October 28, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Well — obviously I don’t. But I would if I could, and here’s why:
I like his steadiness, I like his ease with issues, I like most of his proposed policies, and most importantly, I don’t like his opponent.
More precisely: I don’t like the way John McCain has let his campaign be run.
I don’t like the [...]
About the New Header
Posted in Misc on October 27, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
The new header photo was shot by Petri Kaipiainen during our trip to Mosul, Iraq in April 2008. My thanks to Petri for kindly giving me permission to use it.
Afghanistan: From War to Background Noise
Posted in Afghanistan on October 26, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
How do we climb out of the morass that Afghanistan has become? Hell if I know, but for those foolish enough to advocate negotiating with the Taleban, Christian Bleuer’s new post at CTLabs is required reading. Money quote:
The Taliban leadership, if one can speak of a single entity (which one really can’t these days), does [...]
Nir Rosen in Afghanistan: Michael Yon for the Left
Posted in Afghanistan on October 23, 2008 | 16 Comments »
I’ve admired Nir Rosen’s work in Iraq and Lebanon and have regularly used this blog to call for independent, non-embedded journalists to get in and provide us with another view of Afghanistan. I had high hopes for Rosen’s Rolling Stone feature on the Taleban, but it’s a devastating disappointment. While I don’t share Dave Dilegge’s [...]
Bosnia: History Repeating Itself?
Posted in Misc on October 22, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
For journalists, Bosnia was the Iraq of the 90s. I still have nightmares of entering dark, cold and sniper-infested Sarajevo after a harrowing drive down Mt. Igman. Of course, Kabul was equally dismal right around that time, but for a European, Sarajevo held special significance. It was sad as hell, and no one wishes it [...]
