BlogRoll

I finally got around to adding a blogroll to the sidebar. The first additions are blogs on or about Afghanistan that I read regularly. All of them are good (that's why they're in my Google Reader), but I want to highlight a couple that standout above the rest.

Abu Muqawama is the nom de guerre of Andrew Exum, a former US Army Ranger who served tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. He's written extensively about both theatres, including this book. Currently, he's a Fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS bio here), which has been described as the "go to think-tank on military affairs."

Tim Lynch at Free Range International is a former Marine who now operates as a private security consultant in Afghanistan, mostly out of the eastern city of Jalalabad. He's often pretty harsh on ISAF tactics and operations (not wrong, just harsh), but he knows this country well, having operated here for a long time. Plus, he's an tireless advocate of the low-profile approach (i.e. no armored vehicles with tinted windows, nowrap-around sunglasses and no prominently displayed firepower). Since I rely on the low-profile approach to keep myself and my clients safe, it's helpful to see how others do it. He also has a crew of co-bloggers (old Afghan hands like himself) who contribute regularly.

There will be further additions to the blogroll in the future, both under Afghan Blogs and in some new categories. If anyone has any suggestions, please send me a link and I'll check it out.