A Blog by the Editor of The Middle East Journal

Putting Middle Eastern Events in Cultural and Historical Context

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Reading for a Long Weekend

Since the Fourth of July falls on Saturday this year, the Federal Government is taking Friday as the holiday, and MEI, like most Washington institutions, observes Federal holidays. (Actually today, July 2, marks the date the Continental Congress actually cast the vote for independence, anyway.) Barring the outbreak of war (or peace) I'll be taking family time, so I'm providing my usual end-of-week wrapup a day early.
  • Another MEI podcast: "After the Fire: The United States and Iraq," with John A. Nagl of the Center for a New American Security. Again, clicking the link will start the podcast. (I include this each time since if you're in an office you may not want your speakers to start blaring.)
  • Operation Khanjar, the big Marine Corps push in the Helmand Valley, is being called the biggest Marine combat operation since Vietnam (though others say the biggest since Falluja; I'm quoting the Marines here; it's also the first major operation since counterinsurgency expert Gen. Stanley McChrystal took command. Counterinsurgency blogger Abu Muqawama (Andrew Exum) has some early thoughts; also, as an Editor I have a comment for the press release writers at CENTCOM: you guys named the operation; so try not to misspell it in your own press releases.

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