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Monthly Archives: August 2009
Mike Huckabee, Israel Tour Guide? Only $3999!
So lately former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee has been continuing his tradition of saying and doing ridiculous shit. As you’ve probably read, last week he said that Ted Kennedy would have been urged to “go home to take pain pills and die” if … Continue reading
Posted in Politics, Strange, World
Tagged Arkansas, Glenn Greenwald, Israel, Liberty Counsel, Mike Huckabee, New York, Ted Kennedy, United States
1 Comment
Iraq: Are Maliki's flight attendants dangerous Iranian spies?
The other day I picked on David Ignatius for quoting an unnamed Iraqi intelligence official in his column. The Anonymous Iraqi Spy claimed that Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki had an Iranian private jet, staffed by Iranian flight crew. (And … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged David Ignatius, Iran, Iraq, Iraq War, Middle East, Nouri al-Maliki, United States, Washington Post
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Iraq: The reliable sourcing of David Ignatius?
Reading David Ignatius’s scary column on how Iran is going to takeover Iraq if we leave, three thoughts came to mind. First, no shit Iran is trying exert influence on a neighbor/historic rival who they share a long border with–it’s what … Continue reading
Posted in Journalism, World
Tagged Iran, Iraq, Iraq War, Islamic Dawa Party, Middle East, Nouri al-Maliki, U.S, United States
2 Comments
Afghanistan: Are "safe havens" the WMDs of Obama's War?
Over at Foreign Policy, Professor Stephen Walt poked a few holes in the Obama adminstration’s central rationale for sending tens of thousands of Americans to fight in Afghanistan. This rationale–carried over from the Bush adminstration, naturally–says that we have to be in Kabul for decades to prevent terrorists from getting … Continue reading
Afghanistan: Folks ain't buying Obama's War
A WaPo/ABC News poll released yesterday reported that a ” majority of Americans now see the war in Afghanistan as not worth fighting, and just a quarter say more U.S. troops should be sent to the country.” Another number in the poll must … Continue reading
Posted in World
Tagged Afghanistan, Al-Qaeda, Hamid Karzai, Juan Cole, Taliban, United States, US, War in Afghanistan
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A brief viewer's guide to what 'District 9' can tell Americans about occupying Iraq, Afghanistan
District 9 is a rare cinematic experience. At least twice during the movie, I broke the no talking rule, and said out loud: “This film is ******* crazy.” I meant it as a compliment. Obviously, I’m not alone. District 9 … Continue reading
Posted in Disturbingly Personal, Uncategorized, World
Tagged Afghanistan, Central Asia, Iraq, Iraq War, Iraqi Police, Middle East, United States, United States armed forces
4 Comments
Remember those blast walls?
I posted recently about how PM Maliki had ordered the blast walls in Baghdad, the concrete barriers that had come to symbolize the American occupation of Iraq, to be taken down. Well, after “a string of bombings,” Baghdadis are worried … Continue reading
Posted in World
Tagged Baghdad, Iraq, Iraq War, Iraqi government, Middle East, Nouri al-Maliki, Politics of Iraq, Post-invasion Iraq 2003–present
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Al Qaeda's foothold in Iraq?
During Saddam’s time, the city of Mosul was known as “Saddam’s Sword.” Meaning, as my Iraqi translator explained, that it had the reputation for breeding the roughest and toughest and most loyal members of Saddam’s security apparatus. Since the U.S. … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
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My 30 Seconds in Iran (and other reasons to be careful around borders)
Reading the account of how the three Americans backpacking in Kurdistan got detained after wandering into Iran, I was reminded of the time I wound up on the on the otherside of that particular border. It was about three years ago. I’d gone up to northern Iraq … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
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Iraq: The symbols of the war are coming down
Each war has those images that stick with us, that represent a fundemental truth about the conflict. Think World War I, the trenches and the senseless slaughter that follows comes to mind . In World War II, perhaps the troops landing on … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized, World
Tagged Baghdad, Gulf War, Iraq, Iraq War, Iraqi government, Nouri al-Maliki, Prime Minister of Iraq, Saddam Hussein
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The Hastings Report 