In August of 2015, General Anwar Eshki gave an amazing interview to the Wall Street Journal. A former Saudi National Security Adviser, Eshki laid out in plain language what would happen in the Middle East. The Saudis had prepared a trap for the Islamic State; what nobody knew at the time was that this strategy…
Is it hard to keep your balance?
June 11, 2014
I have trouble with my balance. Meniere’s disease causes rotational vertigo attacks, and down I go. So I’d like to ask some of my fellow Americans: Is it hard to keep your balance when you stand on dead bodies while trying to score political points? Today I’m reading a lot of gloating. Some Americans are…
Blowback
June 8, 2014
In the intelligence world, the term “blowback” has many meanings. For the purpose of this post, I’ll use the definition I learned when I was in high school: Training and equipping people who eventually turn on you. Today there was a hugely destructive attack on Karachi International Airport. Terrorists armed with automatic rifles, hand grenades,…
A big blog takes note
January 4, 2014
My post “I used to be a journalist” was picked up by Power Line. It’s currently at the top left of the page, under “Picks.” Now, this might anger a lot of you because you don’t like Power Line. Well, if the post were picked up by a big left-leaning blog, I’m betting you’d be…
Caring is never wasted
January 3, 2014
Today I read “Al-Qaeda-linked force captures Fallujah amid rise in violence in Iraq.” The writers get a few facts wrong. For one thing they claim that only the US Marines fought in the Second Battle of Fallujah (November 7 to December 23, 2004). In reality army, navy, and air force units were present. The statement…
I used to be a journalist
December 30, 2013
I was a history major, and I used to be a journalist. When I wrote about musicians, I never had preconceived ideas about the story I’d produce. It was entirely up to the interviewee. In my military-history books, I go only where the facts take me. So I get angry when I see “respected journalists”…