Visit War-Torn Afghanistan

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The Hunt for Osama bin Forgotten Continues!

Maybe you won't enlist, but you could lend the army a hand in some small way -- and patting yourself on the back with a stupid yellow ribbon doesn't count.

You could perhaps read Afghanistan: A Short History of Its People and Politics. Then, if the subject ever comes up, you would know something about it.

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Charlie Wilson's War

How the CIA Armed and Trained the Taliban

In the late 70's and early 80's we were all convinced that we'd have to go into Afghanistan to deal with the Soviets. The Reagan administration instead decided to arm and train the Islamic fundamentalist mujaheddin -- basically what is now the Taliban. Here's the story:
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Is This Trip Really Necessary?

War Is Easy When the Public Is Immune

During WWII civilians worked double shifts and endured rationing not only of gasoline, but virtually every consumer commodity to support the troops abroad. The Bush regime, mindful that any real sacrifice by the public would hurt their already dismal poll results just issues more bonds.

The average savings rate in China today is 40% -- in the U.S. -3%. That's right -- we spend more than we make, and -- just in case aerospace profits aren't record-breaking enough -- we're sending tourists to Mars!

Is this trip to FantasyLand® really necessary??

Update: Now that the Fed funds rate is hovering around 0% and nobody can refinance their home using their equity like a piggy-bank, U.S. savings rates have "soared" to 6%. Somebody will need to spend more on useful goods and services for the economy to recover.

Choice Billets Available

Can You Meet the Recruiting Standards?

Why not choose AdventureLand® instead?

Why endure the ever-increasing demands of airport security or bend your knees to check the tire pressure on your Hummer® when the United States Army can do it for you?

The Military Airlift Command will whisk you away with virtually no check-in procedure at all, and (unless things have changed A LOT) you can even pack a pistol in your carry-on luggage.

You'll see the same inspiring Hindu Kush terrain that awed Marco Polo and Alexander the Great, meet feudal warlords nominally loyal to the highest bidder (currently us), and enjoy the local culture, which actually does include belly-dancing and shish kebab.

Kathy Gannon's 10 Books to Read on Afghanistan

© 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates

My screen-scraped feed of Kathy Gannon's 10 Books to Read on Afghanistan keeps breaking down, so I'm trying one of these "Plexos." I hope the copyright information remains intact, although in context it probably qualifies as fair use anyway

Book descriptions by Kathy Gannon (an actual expert).

I Is for Infidel: From Holy War to Holy Terror: 18 Years Inside Afghanistan by Kathy Gannon

I Is for Infidel: From Holy War to Holy Terror: 18 Years Inside Afghanistan by Kathy Gannon

Kathy Gannon's I Is for Infidel: From Holy War to Holy Terror: 18 Years Inside Afghanistan, is the product of nearly 20 years of experience as the Associated Press correspondent in the remote, mountainous country that has played such a central role in the world dramas of that time. From the last days of the Soviet occupation and the victory of the mujahedeen in the '80s to the rise of the Taliban and the American invasion following 9/11, Gannon tells her eyewitness story of Afghanistan's turbule...

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Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001 by Steve Coll

Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001 by Steve Coll

Steve's book is a rarity because it is the first book to pull all the threads together that help us understand the roots of the current anti-terror war. It is a gentle collection of fact and anecdotes, written in great, critical detail. Currently with the New Yorker and formerly of the Washington Post, Steve has a credibility that comes from years of experience in South Asia and Washington.

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The Black Tulip: A Novel of War in Afghanistan by Milt Bearden

The Black Tulip: A Novel of War in Afghanistan by Milt Bearden

Milt Bearden spent 30 years in the CIA and ran the CIA operations in Afghanistan. He has the inside story of the CIA's involvement in Afghanistan, but even more, Milt has an understanding of the complicated mix that reflects this region. He knows the Afghan Pashtuns. He knows the warlords. He knows the Pakistan military. He knows who did what during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. He can tell the reality from the myth. It's a good read, good story and good details.

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Bush at War by Bob Woodward

Bush at War by Bob Woodward

What is particularly important about this book is that it reveals the thought process that went into U.S. administration decisions after Sept. 11, 2001. Woodward's quotations from 50 National Security Council meetings give insight into the thinking that led up to the attacks on Afghanistan, but more importantly they show the relationship between the U.S. administration and Afghan President Hamid Karzai at the time. (There was no relationship.) Here's an interesting look at the "mission" the U.S....

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Charlie Wilson's War: The Extraordinary Story of How the Wildest Man in Congress and a Rogue CIA Agent Changed the History of Our Times by George Crile

Charlie Wilson's War: The Extraordinary Story of How the Wildest Man in Congress and a Rogue CIA Agent Changed the History of Our Times by George Crile

George Crile has a real handle on the genesis of the U.S. involvement in Afghanistan following the invasion of the country by the former Soviet Union. Crile's brilliant portrait of Charlie Wilson's maverick personality has us oscillating between love and hate. Crile shows us how Wilson managed to get millions of dollars to support the mujahedeen of the 1980s, many of whom are causing the trouble today.

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The Lion's Grave: Dispatches from Afghanistan by Jon Lee Anderson

The Lion's Grave: Dispatches from Afghanistan by Jon Lee Anderson

Jon Lee writes with a style and grace that captivates the reader, breathing life into a region and people that we too often profile as backward tribespeople and fail to get to know. Jon Lee Anderson gets to know them.

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The Afghanistan Wars by William Maley

The Afghanistan Wars by William Maley

For a historical perspective, this is the book. William Maley looks at Afghanistan's troubled history and violent past and tries to make sense of it. Maley has the perspective of someone who understands war, and its military consequences.

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Under a Sickle Moon: A Journey Through Afghanistan by Peregrine Hodson

Under a Sickle Moon: A Journey Through Afghanistan by Peregrine Hodson

The joy of Peregrine Hodson's writing is his depth of feeling for the people of Afghanistan. He has great perspective on the recent history since he first crossed from Pakistan to Afghanistan in 1984. His book, written in 2002, tries to make sense of a complicated country, but more, it reflects an understanding of the people that few other books have.

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The Media and the War on Terrorism

The Media and the War on Terrorism

This book isn't exclusively about Afghanistan but itis important because it gives us a thoughtful look at what the media is reporting post-Sept. 11, 2001. This is critical for us to think about because the media creates the collective consciousness that allows us to or prevents us from moving forward in a difficult and complicated world. You might not agree with what is said in this book, but it will provoke your own thinking about the news, images, and points of view we receive from the media.

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Imperial Hubris: Why the West Is Losing the War on Terror by Michael Scheuer

Imperial Hubris: Why the West Is Losing the War on Terror by Michael Scheuer

While I have trouble when a writer chooses to remain anonymous, because it is then impossible to hold him or her accountable, this particular book, which was originally credited to 'Anonymous', provides such insight that I'll make an exception to the rule. This book dissects attempts of U.S. leaders to convince the world of the success in fighting al Qaeda, showing how the war is being lost and how the information that is coming out is suspect at best, outright lies at worst. It is a vital addit...

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Before Taliban: Genealogies of the Afghan Jihad by David B. Edwards

Before Taliban: Genealogies of the Afghan Jihad by David B. Edwards

Sad to say, too many people now have the confused impression that all the wrong that has befallen Afghans and their nation is the fault of the Taliban, that they somehow embodied the worst of the country. Through profiling three Afghan individuals, David Edwards attempts to explain how the vibrant nation that was Afghanistan in the 1960s crumpled into the present tragedy it is today.

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Featured Lensmasters

Recent Iraq / Afghanistan Vets and Active Duty Personnel

As more active-duty and recent veterans find Squidoo, I'll feature some of the best here. Lensrank isn't the whole story. Lensmasters with military-themed lenses could all give some backlinks to outstanding lensmasters such as these:

Send a "Care Package"

More MRAPs, Less BullC**p

Amazon.com ships most items to any APO / FPO address, and although it's slow, it isn't expensive.

I'm leaving this "wish list" open for submissions, but if people think soldiers need more Seth Godin books or the like, that can change. You don't have to be in theater, just keep it to things you think are needed.

You could also talk to your representatives in Washington supporting Secretary Gates' reform of the military procurement process.

Afghanistan and Surrounding Territory Map by GiziMap

Afghanistan and Surrounding Territory Map by GiziMap

At a scale of 1:3,000,000 (1" to 47 miles) this map shows all of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan and other border regions. Hysometric color shading depicts elevation. Fully indexed, the map shows roadways, and tracks, railways, distances, airports, cities and natural features.

Believe it or not, good maps seem to be in short supply.

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U.S. Army Special Forces Handbook by Department of the Army

U.S. Army Special Forces Handbook by Department of the Army

Afghanistan needs thousands more SOF troops than are available. Just having the manual is no substitute for the actual training, of course, but it couldn't hurt.

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Pashto Dictionary & Phrasebook: Pashto-English English-Pashto (Hippocrene Dictionary & Phrasebooks) (Hindi Edition) by Nicholas Awde, Asmatullah Sarwan

Pashto Dictionary & Phrasebook: Pashto-English English-Pashto (Hippocrene Dictionary & Phrasebooks) (Hindi Edition) by Nicholas Awde, Asmatullah Sarwan

Pashto, also known as Pakhto, Pakhtu, or Pushto, is one of the official languages of Afghanistan and is also spoken in the neighboring Northwest Frontier Province of Pakistan. This two-way dictionary and travel-oriented phrasebook is an essential communication tool, particularly in the more remote Pashto-speaking regions.

  • Romanized for English speakers
  • 5,000 total entires
  • Basic Pashto grammar
  • Practical cultural information
  • Perfect for travelers, businesspersons, and foreign aid workers
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Jack Link's Beef Jerky, Original, 1.8-Ounce Bags (Pack of 8)

Jack Link's Beef Jerky, Original, 1.8-Ounce Bags (Pack of 8)

I'm not sure why jerky is so popular, maybe it's more for the friendly Pashtun.

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adidas Men's 6-Pack Crew Athletic Socks

adidas Men's 6-Pack Crew Athletic Socks

If you've ever had to endure cold, wet feet for any length of time, you understand this one.

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Party String 3.5oz can 500 feet! Silly String

Party String 3.5oz can 500 feet! Silly String

3.5 oz can various colors shoots over 500feet of silly string!

Detects trip wires.

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Redefining the Mission in Afghanistan

Same "Stuff" Different Day

The "coalition" military mission in Afghanistan is being redefined. While our NATO allies are far more interested in Afganistan than in imaginary WMD in Iraq, they have been reluctant to view the whole operation as a war on Afghani opium farmers.

For centruries, the Pashtun have been known for opium, hashish, and mercenary soldiers. Somehow the hunt for bin Laden has become a war on "narcoterrorists." Opium flows from Afghanistan to Pakistan to Iran to Turkey, and then on to Europe, and most notably, the U.S.A.

NATO wants to fight Al Qa'ida, not a bunch of local peasant farmers. Our policy thus far has been "Let them grow wheat." What we should do is just what the Taliban is doing -- buy the opium crop. It would be cheaper, and God knows we have plenty of wounded from Iraq and Afghanistan that can use the help in managing chronic pain.

The only advantage of synthetic opiates over the old stand-bys morphine amd codeine is that they are patentable, and therefore a source of insane profits for big pharma. We need to stop funding both sides of this war and cut the Taliban out.

The Politics of Heroin

Alfred W. McCoy

Remember Nixon's secret plan for "peace with honor" in Viet Nam? Remember how that goal continually eluded us while heroin and marijuana flowed out of the "golden triangle" and flooded the streets of U.S. cities?

The Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia by Alfred McCoy dared to expose role of the CIA in that trade, and was considered quite radical at the time -- before the Iran-Contra Affair. The C.I.A. was pretty much out of control, something that can easily happen when "national security" concerns are allowed to trump Congressional oversight of classified operations. Well, they're still at it, and McCoy has a newly updated book. This isn't "conspiracy theorist" stuff, it's required reading.

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Seeds of Terror

Gretchen Peters

I haven't had a chance to review this book yet, but I did see Gretchen's interview on The Daily Show.

This book takes substantially the same facts as McCoy's book and comes up with an entirely different conclusion. It all depends upon whether or not you accept the assumptions of the much debated "War on Drugs." It seems that nobody is interfering with the Afghani drug trade at the trafficker level. Hmmm, wonder why?

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Oldies But Goodies

'Eighties Afghanistan Resources

I mentioned that in days of yore, not much information was available on Afghanistan. Here, for what they're worth are some resouces I found way back when.

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The Whole Ed Cata-Blog

Subscribe to The Whole Ed Cata-Blog

I've never quite been sure what distinguishes a blog from a regular webpage. Timeliness seems to have something to do with it, but that doesn't seem to be a hard and fast rule.

Anyway, here are some of the things I've been working on lately...

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