I have been on hiatus of late but I had to comment on this.

According to the Washington Post, at least one American commander has been taking hostages in Iraq:

Col. David Hogg, commander of the 2nd Brigade of the 4th Infantry Division, said tougher methods are being used to gather the intelligence. On Wednesday night, he said, his troops picked up the wife and daughter of an Iraqi lieutenant general. They left a note: "If you want your family released, turn yourself in." Such tactics are justified, he said, because, "It's an intelligence operation with detainees, and these people have info." They would have been released in due course, he added later.

This philosophy, that the difficult situation justifies extreme tactics, has been showing up increasingly in the conduct of the American occupation of Iraq. I'm unbelievably offended as an American that my government is taking hostages. But even leaving aside the moral issues involved, the fact is that tactics like these are simply unwise.

The Israelis have been using these kinds of intimidation tactics for years, and all it has done is alienate the population and induce them to violence. The CPA may not be familiar with what has been effective in the West Bank and Gaza and what has not, but rest assured that the Iraqis are.

When publishers come out with a new title, they send free copies to media types to encourage them to write up the new product. The media types often just go and sell the books instead. A bookstore around the corner from my office, Second Story Books, buys them and resells them; often you can get brand new hardcover books for less than it would cost you to buy the paperback a year later.

I just stopped in there and bought a copy of Charlie Wilson’s War, a book about the congressman who was one of the prime movers behind CIA support of the Afghan mujahedeen in the 80’s. When the cashier tallied the damages, it came to $9.11.

C’est ironic, non?

I've put up some pictures of my trip. Enjoy.

Coming through London from my recent trip, I made the obligatory stop at Foyle's, one of my favorite bookstores on Earth (the only real competitor being The Strand in New York).

If you've never been to Foyle's, it's a huge and idiosyncratic bookstore. The fiction, on the first floor, is organized by publisher. The bookshelves are rickety and the decor looks as if it has not changed since the 70s at the latest.

I was horrified to find that Foyle's is remodeling! On the ground floor, with its freshly-laid carpet, works of fiction are now alphabetized by author in brand-new blonde wood bookshelves. Even the stairway no longer looks like something in your elementary school.

It's terrible! If I wanted this kind of experience, I would go across the street to Borders!

Fortunately I never spent much time on the ground floor, and the upper floors have not yet been sullied, but it is only a matter of time. The book buying experience at Foyle's will soon be nothing but a sterile commodity exchange. My friend Tim even predicted there will be a coffee bar!

Next thing you know, The Strand will get air conditioning.

Sorry for the long hiatus, but I have been in Afghanistan and Pakistan for the past few weeks. Unfortunately for you, I was writing regular entries in order to post them when I returned, which I will now do. They will be backdated to when they were written. I would like to thank all three of my remaining readers for their patience.