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Your Weekend Reading: Paintball with Hizballah
There are three kinds of potential employers in Washington, DC:
- Those who would never hire me because I play paintball with terrorists.
- Those who would hire me in spite of the fact that I play paintball with terrorists.
- Those who would hire me because I play paintball with terrorists.
I am so glad I work for #3. Please read Mitch Prothero's epic tale of the time four journalists and one think tank researcher challenged Hizballah to a game of paintball. And won.
This is probably the only time I will ever be featured in Vice, unless I am someday a Don't, so I am enjoying my brief moment of cool. I apologize in advance for my language.
Fantastic. Great insight and
Fantastic. Great insight and very funny at the same time.
Interesting. Lets hope
Interesting. Lets hope someone doesnt go all legal on yo ass.
Yeah, that is a phenomenal
Yeah, that is a phenomenal story. By the way, did they ever actually kill you?
I think that story gets to a larger question which is what is (if there is) the difference between terrorist groups and insurgent groups, and correspondingly how does that affect military and diplomatic strategy? That also begs the question could we someday negotiate a peaceful end to hostilities with them? If the hardest of the Hezbollah fighters is willing to contemplate peace, even if "without much conviction," then that answer would seem to say yes...
That was an awesome read.
That was an awesome read. I'm sure they were gunning for you Ex...way to represent!
Thank you that was hilarious
Thank you that was hilarious and fascinating. Highlight for me was when you blasted Ben and his captors.
Interesting but one question
Interesting but one question for Exum though.
Have you ever actually interviewed a member of Hezbollah for any of your research?
Very few employers in DC wouldn't hire someone because they played one game of paint ball with 4 supposed low level members of Hezbollah.
Actually engaging members of these groups in your research would be much more impressive.
t-minus 30 days before Jurgen
t-minus 30 days before Jurgen CK publishes new column "Further Proof Dr. Andrew Exum is a Spy".... Haha.
Actually, I once tried to set
Actually, I once tried to set up a paintball game with members of the CIA's counter-Hizbullah team, but they didn't want to play in cold weather. (Really)
AM-No apologies necessary for
AM-No apologies necessary for your language and I understand why, as a researcher and academic, you would want to meet these people. That said, did you experience any revulsion at meeting the descendants of the folks behind murdering so many Marines and others in 1983? As a Marine, and having met a few 1/8 Beirut barracks bombing survivors, I would have had a hard time with not using something a little more permanent than paint. .
These comments are directed
These comments are directed more to the author of the article than to you, but regardless:
1) Did it ever cross his mind that they may not have been familiar with the rules of paintball, rather than trying to "cheat" in a game that probably meant little to nothing for them? Generally, people who deliberately "cheat" do so in subtle ways, not by openly violating the most basic rules.
2) The discussion of the one fighter's reference to "Yahoud" struck me as baselessly arrogant and judgmental, and an attempt (much like the rest of the article) to portray the "enemy" as "less civilized", "savage", etc.. Almost as if the author was not aware that just about all Muslims are referred to by many US military personnel as "hajjis", and that this kind of racism is reflected in popular cadence, etc.
For example:
haji haji cant you see
USMC was made for me
i grab my kbar and what do i say
haji haji it isnt your day
i kick in the door and what do i see
three ****ing hajis staring at me
grab the first one by the neck
slice his throat, throw him to the deck
throw my kbar stright and true
slice the second ones head in two
punch the third one in the chest
rip out his heart disguard the rest
pick up an ak and what do i say
haji haji this wasnt your day
haji haji cant you see
USMC was made for me
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