Afghanistan

Deadly Numbers

November 18, 2015

I was an Iraqi professor of statistics until the United States and later ISIS destroyed my classroom and much of the university. I suppose I should thank each group for attacking when school wasn’t in session, but I believe that may have been coincidental. At any rate, like civilized people everywhere, I commiserate with the…

Read More

Mullah Omar Denounces

December 21, 2014

My comrades and I in the Afghan Taliban are outraged by the cowardly and vicious attack by so-called Pakistani Taliban fighters who murdered a hundred forty innocent children studying at a military school in Peshawar. We would never commit such vile crimes, and extend profound condolences to the Pakistani government, and particularly the Inter-Service Intelligence,…

Read More

Karzai Angry

September 16, 2013

I’m often angry. Afghanistan’s been at war decades and American ally continues to kill many civilians. Last week in eastern Kunar province drone blew up four women and four children in addition to three alleged terrorists. Afghans wail when this happens and demand I evict Americans. I’d like to. I want high-tech killers out. I…

Read More

New Taliban

June 20, 2013

To everyone we say relax. We’ve changed and are now using social media. Friend us on Facebook. We deserve support. We’re not going to let anyone use Afghan soil to prepare an attack on other countries. We need peace. We’ve been fighting since birth. We’ll even talk to Obama and puppet Karzai. We’ll talk to…

Read More

Restrepo in Afghanistan

March 23, 2012

After U.S. soldier Robert Bales murders sixteen civilians, most women and children, you want to understand more and peer into lives of Americans fighting in Afghanistan. You can’t go there and don’t have to. In your suburban living room a large flat screen on the wall video streams any movie you choose, in this case…

Read More

Memo to U.S. Troops in Afghanistan

February 25, 2012

do not burn the koran intentionally or unintentionally and do not use it for target practice

Read More

Eternal Taliban

February 8, 2012

This story is from the collection “Obama on Edge”

Read More

State of the Union

January 26, 2012

This story is from the collection “Obama on Edge”

Read More

Historian Presents the Statistics of War

May 12, 2010

I bumbled by that smoking, manure-laden vehicle that didn’t explode in New York City last week and felt foolish I wasn’t the one who detected it and that I should have since I’ve spent my career analyzing wars but concede I’m only a historian, hiding in academia, who would’ve cringed at the sound of real…

Read More

Explosions and Elections in the Middle East

March 6, 2005

Several days ago Iraqi insurgents in Hilla detonated a massive car bomb scattering body parts and clothes onto a street puddled with blood.  About one hundred twenty people died and many more were wounded.  Most of the victims – typically – were unarmed, unprepared, and lightly guarded recruits for the army and police.  They were…

Read More