by Abu Muqawama | Jul 11, 2012 | Monitor
I am catching up this summer with some of those big books that have been silently taunting me from my bookshelf this year. The first book I tackled was George F. Kennan: An American Life. My short verdict on this book is that it quite justifiably won the Pulitzer...
by Abu Muqawama | Jul 8, 2012 | Monitor
A few months ago, I read the memoir of a lieutenant who served in Afghanistan in 2008, which I argue had to have been the most frustrating year to fight in Afghanistan because it was the last year before policy makers had started paying attention to the war again but...
by Abu Muqawama | Jul 6, 2012 | Monitor
Yesterday, I caught up with some friends at IFRI* over lunch and scored an invitation to come hear the Turkish foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu, speak later in the afternoon on the future of Turkish-French relations. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a foreign...
by Abu Muqawama | Jul 4, 2012 | Monitor
First off, let me wish everyone out there a Happy Fourth of July. As a veteran of the conflicts in both Iraq and Afghanistan, let me take this opportunity to clear up a misconception and remind you that the Fourth of July is not about today’s veterans. We have...
by Abu Muqawama | Jul 1, 2012 | Monitor
I am in Paris, working on my French, reading a lot, and using up all my vacation time before I take a leave of absence from CNAS at the end of the summer to spend a year working in the governmnent. You can expect my posting on the blog to be pretty light for the next...
