“I think the American invasion of Iraq was the biggest mistake in American foreign policy history,” said veteran journalist Ricks, who added that the future of the region looks bleak, especially when it comes to who will ultimately come to power. “I think what we [will] end up with is a smarter, tougher version of Saddam Hussein.”
In an Air Force One interview session, President Obama opened the proverbial door to negotiating with the segments of the Taliban. He was vague about who the ‘Taliban’ was and how to go about it, but its definitely on his Afghan policy workbench. Though he offered few details, Obama was well aware that such a […]
Coming Soon: Military Power at CUNY by Genevieve Long For students and observers of up-close foreign affairs analysis on Tuesday, March 10, the City University of New York (CUNY) will host a free evening event at one of their Great Issues Forums. Entitled, Military Power, the event will feature Alex de Waal, program director of […]
“For all the dangers of the place, it’s an incredible story. It’s one of the biggest stories of our lives. Leaving the violence aside, it was a chance to see history being made and to see history unfold—really, really big history, and extraordinary human drama. That’s a rare thing. It’s pretty wonderful to be able to see it, even for all of the violence and the horror that I witnessed. It was endlessly interesting and thrilling, even as it was depressing at the same time.” –Dexter Filkins on why he stayed in Iraq for 3 years reporting for The New York Times
If you read only one book about Iraq and Afghanistan this year, make it “The Forever War”, by New York Times foreign correspondent Dexter Filkins. It is full of insightful, lyrical vignettes about the war in Iraq from 2003 to 2006, when Filkins was living there and reporting for the Times. It also includes about forty pages about Afghanistan just prior to the beginning of the war in Iraq.