Tension grows in Afghanistan

Here's a pair of items to bring you down.

For one, George Crile, author of Charlie Wilson's War has died. This would be my second favorite book on the American relationship with Afghanistan. Ghost Wars gets the top spot because it is far more comprehensive. If you have to pick one (and let's face it, how many people read more than one book on this subject?) I would recommend Ghost Wars. Still, Charlie Wilson's War has much to recommend it. Charlie Wilson is a colorful figure. He served as a Representative from Texas and, if the book is to be believed, is largely responsible for upgrading the covert campaign against the Soviets in Afghanistan. He loved women and carousing and that really comes through in the book. If you like wild tales of intrigue and back room politics, you will like it.

Michael Scheuer has a rather depressing Q&A with Foreign Policy magazine. His Imperial Hubris is an interesting read on why Al Qaeda wants to come and get us.