Tag Archives: Iraq

One Hundred Years Ago, Lawrence of Arabia killed the Railroad – March 1923: Transjordan

Zur deutschen Fassung. Not quite a hundred, but still more than thirty years ago, I was in Australia as an exchange student. I don’t think I have ever told stories from that time, because back then, we still took pictures … Continue reading

Posted in History, Iran, Islam, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Technology, Travel, UK, World War I | Tagged , , , , | 13 Comments

Book Markets in the Middle East

In Iraq, booksellers leave the books at the side of the road overnight, thinking: “Readers don’t steal, and thieves don’t read.” That reminds me of an episode during my first visit to Iran. In a used-book shop, I found so … Continue reading

Posted in Books, Iran, Travel | Tagged , | 7 Comments

Random Thoughts (12)

If you have doubts about humanity, listen to this podcast about a hospital in Israel treating wounded and sick Syrians. I wouldn’t have thought that many people read articles as long as the one about my decision to return to … Continue reading

Posted in Albania, Armenia, Cinema, Cold War, Finland, History, Israel, Military, Syria, USA, World War I | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Random Thoughts (7)

Don’t blame me for looking at your ( . )( . ) when you wear sunglasses and I can’t look at your eyes. In Venezuela, the richest country in South America between the 1950s and the 1980s, and still the … Continue reading

Posted in Books, Cinema, Economics, Germany, Politics, Religion, Technology, Terrorism, Travel, USA, Venezuela | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Random Thoughts (1)

Every day, my head, my notebooks and pieces of paper all over my apartment rapidly fill up with ideas about articles, comments on current affairs and links to other interesting stuff which I want to turn into stories. Some time. But … Continue reading

Posted in Chile, Easter Island, Germany, Life, Military, Music, Peru, Philosophy, Politics, Technology, Terrorism, Time, Travel, USA | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

“Why We Lost” by Daniel Bolger

Maybe a book that promises “a general’s inside account of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and how it all went wrong” had to disappoint, but I didn’t expect it to disappoint so much. Lieutenant General Bolger sounds contrite in the introduction: … Continue reading

Posted in Afghanistan, Books, History, Military, Politics, USA | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Easily Confused (47) Shooting the Deputy

“I shot the sheriff, but I didn’t shoot no deputy”: We didn’t shoot the caliph, but we shot the deputy:

Posted in Music, Terrorism | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Easily Confused (42) Convoys

Cool convoy: Suspicious convoy: Terrifying convoy:

Posted in Cinema, Russia, Syria, Ukraine | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

ISIS recruiting more German fighters

Posted in History, Holocaust, Military, Syria, World War II | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

Sad Things (12) Terror Transparency

ISIS, the terrorist organization from Syria and Iraq, publish an annual report detailing all their attacks, expenses, acquisitions, strategic goals, new recruits and so on. They even have fancy infographics. You can download the full report here (PDF, 410 pages). The … Continue reading

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