Mar
12
2007
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T-Minus and Counting |
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Written by JD Johannes
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Tuesday, 13 March 2007 |
Two years this week, I was in a mad dash.
I didn't know what to expect, what I would really need and even how to pack it. Thus, I did not have time to worry.
Two tours in Iraq later, things are much smoother.
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Mar
06
2007
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Defeat Caucus' Quagmire (Consultant Cap On) |
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Written by JD Johannes
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Tuesday, 06 March 2007 |
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In the new USAToday/Gallup poll, the most interesting number is that 20% of the public thinks the U.S. can win the war in Iraq but will not.
The obvious follow-up question of "why" is not included, but the "why" the 20% think this way is the key to political battles in the U.S.
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Mar
06
2007
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Gear List |
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Written by JD Johannes
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Tuesday, 06 March 2007 |
I'm packing for Iraq.
The items spread out in the home office in Salina run from the mundane to the odd, but can generally be broken down into two types--personal and TV equipment.
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Mar
06
2007
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Ring and A Date |
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Written by JD Johannes
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Tuesday, 06 March 2007 |
No, I'm not engaged, but I've learned in the past that no embed in Iraq is a done deal until all the papers are signed and you have a date confirmed.
I now have both.
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Mar
01
2007
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Pre Deployment Reading |
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Written by JD Johannes
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Friday, 02 March 2007 |
In prep for this round of shooting video in Iraq I've went through a stack of books.
My top books for understanding the situation in Iraq and Jihadism are:
History:
1. The History of al-Tabari, Volume XI, al-Tabari
2. History of Persia, Percy Sykes
3. Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Edward Gibbon
4. A History of Iraq, Charles Tripp
Islam/Arab Culture:
1. Multiple Identities of the Middle East, Bernard Lewis
2. Milestones, Seyyid Qutb
3. His Own Words, Laura Mansfield
Strategy/Tactics:
1. The Sling and the Stone, TX Hammes
2. The Long Long War, Richard Clutterbuck
3. No True Glory, Bing West
4. Field Manual 3-24 (Pretraeus/Amos)
This is just the short list to form the foundations.
If they were to be read in order I would suggest:
1. The Sling and The Stone, TX Hammes
2. Milestones, Seyyid Qutb
3. His Own Words, Laura Mansfield
4. The History of al-Tabari, Volume IX, al-Tabari
5. Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Edward Gibbon (starting with Chapter XLVI)
6. History of Persia, Percy Sykes
7. A History of Iraq, Charles Tripp
8. No True Glory, Bing West
9. The Long Long War, Richard Clutterbuck
10. Multiple Identities of the Middle East, Bernard Lewis
11. Field Manual 3-24 (Petraeus/Amos)
Hammes provides the framework from which to view the situation. Qutb and Mansfield introduce us to the ideology of the enemy. al-Tabari and Gibbon show us what the enemy wants to achieve and their historical underpinnings. Sykes builds on them. Tripp puts the locale in modern context. West shows us where we are now. Clutterbuck shows the tactics and strategy to win. Lewis the cultural challenges and how to think about them and Generals Petraeus and Amos map out step-by-step the solution.
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