May 04 2007

Mercenaries?

 Dear Mr. Spencer: I am tardy in responding to your interesting comments about the historical role of Gurkha units in the British Indian Army. In referring to the Gurkha as “mercenaries”, I most assuredly did not intend to impugn their…  [more]

Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2007/05/04/750/

May 04 2007

Barbarians at the gate?

 According to today’s Washington Post, Baghdad’s Shiites are increasingly using explosively formed projectiles, averaging the size of a coffee can.  “The growing use of the projectiles is a major concern for American commanders because the weapons are powerful enough to…  [more]

Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2007/05/04/barbarians-at-the-gate/

May 01 2007

Reflections from Palestine

 Ed is the son of medical missionaries to Yemen and Gaza during the 50s, 60s, and 70s (I think).  He went to school in Alexandria, then back here in the USA, and finally at the American International School near Tel…  [more]

Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2007/05/01/reflections-from-palestine/

Apr 30 2007

Woolsey disgraces himself again

 Dear Friends: Former CIA Director James Woolsey gave a talk at Princeton University last week.  I decided not to attend, fearing that I might be unable to restrain myself from causing an ugly scene.  But I am extremely pleased and…  [more]

Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2007/04/30/woolsey-disgraces-himself-again/

Apr 28 2007

War games

 Fisk on the death of journalism: http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-we-are-now-in-the-firing-line-sadly-446522.html or http://bit.ly/bnqdXg or http://tinyurl.com/38h6k57 And here’s one on how surgingly swell things are for the British in Basra: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/serving-british-soldier-exposes-horror-of-war-in-crazy-basra-446395.html or http://bit.ly/bA4W72 or http://tinyurl.com/32duxzw  And, if you can find it, the farewell telegram from…  [more]

Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2007/04/28/war-games/

Apr 26 2007

The real meaning of “surge”

 I have noted from several recent newspaper and TV accounts covering the “surge” in Iraq that a significant percentage of the “Iraqi Army” soldiers engaged in joint operations with the US Army are actually members of Kurdish units — presumably…  [more]

Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2007/04/26/the-real-meaning-of-surge/

Apr 22 2007

Full-court press

 Today’s Washington Post features a defense of the war by Michael Chertoff, secretary of homeland security, that begins with “As the rubble of the Twin Towers smoldered in 2001…”  Talk about connecting the dots…  He attacks Brzezinski for being critical…  [more]

Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2007/04/22/full-court-press/