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Mar 01 2007
Pre Deployment Reading Print E-mail
Written by JD Johannes   
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.
 
Feb 27 2007
Payments to Hamas as Jizyah Print E-mail
Written by JD Johannes   
Tuesday, 27 February 2007

Rand Simberg notes that Hamas is acting like "psychopathic teenagers" because some Western nations have cut off aid to the Palestinian government.

Why would organizations like Hamas, which loathe the West, want America's money?  The Jizyah mentality. 

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Feb 26 2007
On The Radio Print E-mail
Written by JD Johannes   
Monday, 26 February 2007

I will be on WABC New York this evening with Jerry Agar during the 9pm (Eastern Time) hour.

You can listen online, here.

Special thanks to WIBW AM for letting be borrow a hard line in their studio. 

 
Feb 22 2007
Strange Occupation Print E-mail
Written by JD Johannes   
Thursday, 22 February 2007
While doing the inventory of what all the things purchased for my next trip to Iraq on Visa and hoping DVD sales cover it, I came to the conclusion that is strange for a civillian to own Kevlar vests, a Kevlar helmet, ballistic sunglasses, four TV cameras tape by the gross.
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Feb 21 2007
In The Mail/Going HD Print E-mail
Written by JD Johannes   
Wednesday, 21 February 2007
VCF world HQ in Salina, Kansas is looking like a small TV station these days with all my gear arriving and spread out on the floor for packing in my production box.
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