Monthly Archives: December 2010

Below is a supplement to the application statement I made in 1998 while applying to Princeton University’s Near Eastern Studies Ph.D program.  At the time, Chicago was pretty much giving me the boot (long story), and I was searching for … Continue reading →

According to BBC, today the UN Security Council lifted most sanctions on Iraq. To understand why most Iraqis would greet this announcement with a mixture of repressed anger, resignation, and cynicism, one needs to review the history of UN sanctions … Continue reading →

Rod Nordland’s article “Killings of Afghan Aid Workers Stirs a Debate” is a solid summary of a longstanding debate about the relationship between humanitarian NGOs and military actors in combat zones.  I have personal recollection of this debate raging within … Continue reading →

The article linked here features an interview with a Pakistani who recently lost his brother-in-law to a drone attack in North Waziristan.  According to the interviewee, his relative died while participating in an evening congregational prayer.  As a result of … Continue reading →

Dear Reader (Of One, Me, At the Moment): Welcome back, sort of.  I once had a blog called Truthtalkziraq, which I started with Paulette over at Loyola in the heady days of 2003-04, in the wake of the U.S. invasion … Continue reading →