Random War Notes

Sometimes late at night I lack the energy for full posts on what are otherwise interesting topics to dig into.

The New York Times takes a look at why it's so damn hard to capture a one-eyed, semi-literate Taliban leader, in the Curious Case of Mullah Omar.

Any given Sunday, you can find Frank Rich dropping dimes. This week he rips John McCain and his fellow neo-cons, who the mainstream media still treats credibly after their horrendous track record.

The often wise Fareed Zakaria comes out very strongly against a troop surge in Afghanistan. Between him, Joe Klein and their news coverage, Newsweek is becoming the first mainstream publication to turn hard against the war.

Apparently Afghan women can soon look forward to the passage of the Elimination of Violence Against Women Act. This legislation to allow prosecutation of physically abusive husbands has been watered down by social conservatives in Parliment, which would never happen in the United States. Even with the bill's passage, a husband may withhold financial support from his wife if she refuses to have sex with him and limit her right to leave the home.