Author Archives: Joshua Foust

“Cheney cites ‘phenomenal’ Iraqi security progress as bombing kills 40” This comes courtesy McClatchy Middle East correspondent Hannah Allam, whose blog is actually a good source about Iraq from a non-military perspective. But she is clearly working in the wrong … Continue reading →

Wired has posted news, images, and video of the rioting in Tibet. This despite a renewed attempt at censoring information entering and leaving the country.

A gay Iranian teenager, whose lover was executed for being gay in Tehran, was initially denied asylum by the British and faced deportation back to Iran, where he faced near-certain execution. He fled to the Netherlands, which denied him refugee … Continue reading →

An exhaustive review of more than 600,000 Iraqi documents that were captured after the 2003 U.S. invasion has found no evidence that Saddam Hussein’s regime had any operational links with Osama bin Laden’s al Qaida terrorist network. The study was … Continue reading →

Now that Admiral Fallon is retiring as CENTCOM Commander, the rumors are flying fast and furiously… namely, that Thomas Barnett’s hyping of Fallon’s alleged resistance to bombing Iran created an impossible situation, forcing Fallon to retire to spare everyone tremendous … Continue reading →

LTC John Nagl, who literally wrote the book on counterinsurgency (FM 3-24, used with great fanfare in lowering the levels of violence in Iraq over the past year), reacts in horror at the high number of military officers who disagreed … Continue reading →

Spencer Ackerman notes Michael O’Hanlon’s curious inability to describe how he arrived at the benchmarks he invented to claim Iraq’s political progress is proceeding apace. Ackerman wonders, “Am I supposed to say, ‘Wow, guess I haven’t kept up with all … Continue reading →

“Based on my [experience founding Tripod], I’d offer the hypothesis that any sufficiently advanced read/write technology will get used for two purposes: pornography and activism. Porn is a weak test for the success of participatory media – it’s like tapping … Continue reading →

Thomas Barnett practically licks the boots of CENTCOM commander Admiral William Fallon. When asked about it, however, Fallon call it, “poison pen stuff” that is “really disrespectful and ugly.” Though overly laudatory, I thought it was well done. Any guesses … Continue reading →

He calls it “ghastly, quite the worst experience of my life.” Also, the Japanese Captain in charge of the waterboarded was executed for war crimes. But I mean, it’s just “enhanced interrogation” for bloodthirsty terrorists, right? Who really cares? Update: … Continue reading →

Two Boston mothers get into a fist fight at Chuck E. Cheese (!) when one child supposedly “hogs” the arcade machine. This may sound ridiculous until you realize that, at least in Fairfax, VA, the Chuck E. Cheese has a … Continue reading →

Sometimes, words fail: Identical twin gay porn actors were arrested for a series of “daring” rooftop burglaries; they’re known for their expertise in karate and gymnastics… and apparently swimming while handcuffed. Then again, I supposed they’ve learned how to do … Continue reading →

The public might be convinced we’re winning in Iraq, but the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Analysis—hardly an outfit of defeatocrat Bush-bashers—thinks we’re losing the War on Terror (big pdf). Meanwhile, the Sunni tribes hold out their impatient little hands, … Continue reading →

In a not-as-rare-as-you’d-think twist of irony, Queen Sully the Third complains William F. Buckley wrote unintelligible articles. Well, I guess it takes one to know one.

A senior FBI investigator, who spent years tracking Osama bin Laden and interrogating members of al-Qaeda, calls the “ticking time bomb” scenario “a bit of a red herring” and notes that the best way to elevate two-bit terrorists into legendary … Continue reading →

An excellent look at the many challenges facing the U.S. in the Kunar and Nuristan provinces of Afghanistan. The hope we all share is that the changes in strategy are not orders of magnitude too small and years too late.