Monthly Archives: November 2009

Open Thread 18 November 2009

Posted on November 18, 2009 by Pat Lang

Mortimer the Indian from the prop box and the onstage stage manager.  In this production the stage managar danced.pl

Posted in Open Thread | 15 Comments

Peril in Pakistan – FB Ali

Posted on November 17, 2009 by Pat Lang

Whatever the outcome of President Obama’s deliberations, two things are certain. One, the war in Afghanistan will continue, in whatever altered shape or form. Two, it will still be the wrong war, against the wrong enemy, and in the wrong … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, Pakistan | 37 Comments

French Operation in Afghanistan

Posted on November 15, 2009 by Pat Lang

"The offensive, called "Operation Avalon," was led by the 3rd Marine Infantry Regiment, with elements of the 2nd Infantry Regiment of the Foreign Legion. Intelligence officers estimated there were 60 to 80 armed insurgents directly on the column's path, said … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan | 9 Comments

Enemy video of the Wanat attack in 2008

Posted on November 14, 2009 by Pat Lang

503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment Here is a video taken by the enemy force of the attack on the combat outpost at Wanat in Nuristan Province, Afghanistan on 13 July 2008. As I have said before, the positioning of the outpost is a … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, The Military Art | 33 Comments

Krauthammer, Hasan and the “Duck Rule”

Posted on November 13, 2009 by Pat Lang

""I cringe that he's a Muslim. . . . I think he's probably just a nut case," said Newsweek's Evan Thomas. Some were more adamant. Time's Joe Klein decried "odious attempts by Jewish extremists . . . to argue that … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 65 Comments

Conceptualizations of Insurgency and its Effects on the Counterinsurgency Policy Process

Posted on November 12, 2009 by Pat Lang

Adam L. Silverman PhD[1] Joint Publication 3-05 defines insurgency as an organized movement aimed at the overthrow of a constituted government through the use of subversion and armed conflict.  This conceptualization is, as a matter of course, used in Field Manual 3-24, … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, Iraq, The Military Art | 20 Comments

Sacred to the memory of…

Posted on November 11, 2009 by Pat Lang

An Indian friend sent this phtograph from a church in North India.  It reminds me that there are veterans graves everywhere.  It reminds of the monument I crossed a strret to look at in the dusty little Vietnamese town of Lai … Continue reading →

Posted in Afghanistan, Current Affairs, Obituary, Religion | 34 Comments

Of Bid’a, Al-Ghazali and the Sufis by Mo

Posted on November 10, 2009 by Pat Lang

Bid'a or at least the Sunni defnition of it, is in my opinion a direct result of the closing of the gates Ijtihad, something I think you have mentioned before. The inability to adapt or innovate is, in my opinion, … Continue reading →

Posted in Religion | 22 Comments

New Virginians and the Republican Party

Posted on November 8, 2009 by Pat Lang

"Despite his efforts to reach out to black, Hispanic, Asian and other minority groups in his campaign for governor, Robert F. McDonnell's decisive victory Tuesday was largely the result of his overwhelming support among white voters. According to exit polling, … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | 26 Comments

Correction on Islam Lecture

Posted on November 7, 2009 by Pat Lang

One of my neighbors has been kind enough to point out that the Islam lecture is actually under the category "Lectures and Interviews" on TA.  pl

Posted in Ukraine Crisis | 9 Comments