So I’ve been dreading this for some time. But this is going to be my last post for FDL, a community I’ve been honored and fucking thrilled to join ever since Jane let me take Attackerman 2.0 here in June 2008. My departure is pretty mundane: the congressional press galleries

BACK IN D.C. — Via Juan Cole, Nouri al-Maliki clarifies his intentions for U.S. troops in a Wall Street Journal interview: ‘ WSJ: Some American officials have spoken about contingency plans being drawn now in Washington for the possibility that some American troops will stay after 2011. Do you know

IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 1181-10 December 28, 2010 DOD Identifies Marine Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Sgt. Garrett A. Misener, 25, of Cordova, Tenn., died Dec. 27 while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned

IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 1180-10 December 27, 2010 DOD Identifies Marine Casualty The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Lance Cpl. Kenneth A. Corzine, 23, of Bethalto, Ill., died Dec. 24 of wounds received Dec. 5 while conducting combat operations in

Give Bryan Bender and the Boston Globe a Pulitzer for this doggedly-reported piece on how ubiquitous it is for retired generals who represent defense corporations to be included in decision-making on major military programs. It’s a wonderful piece that defies quick bloggery, but check out Jack Keane’s pull in stopping

The Wall Street Journal scores some classified United Nations maps of Afghanistan showing the deterioration of security in the north and west without notable improvements in security in the south and east during 2010. Joshua Foust properly notes that he told you so. I’m not going to embed the images

THE WILDS OF SUBURBAN MICHIGAN — As your Christmas holiday comes to an end, enjoy a Monster X classic while you fondly reflect on the gifts you have given and received this year.

I’m several days late to Marvel’s announcement of an “extinction-grade threat” in its summer 2011 crossover Fear Itself — and we’ve never, ever heard that before — but this is going to be a story I’ll be sorry to miss. Getting married is expensive and doesn’t allow for comic collecting.

Temper your expectations about China, as it’s got to buy its weapons from the Russians: The bluster about the emergence of a superpower is undermined by national defense industries that can’t produce what China needs. Although the United States is making changes in response to China’s growing military power, experts

The eastern provinces of Afghanistan abutting the Pakistani tribal areas provide cross-border access to the Taliban-led insurgent coalition. Whatever else you think about the Afghanistan war, the Obama administration decided in 2009 to deemphasize security operations in the east at the expense of a wide-ranging effort to reverse Taliban momentum