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	<title>Steven Pressfield Online &#187; Afghanistan</title>
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	<link>http://www.stevenpressfield.com</link>
	<description>Website of author and historian, Steven Pressfield.</description>
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		<title>The Reality</title>
		<link>http://agora.stevenpressfield.com/2010/05/the-reality/</link>
		<comments>http://agora.stevenpressfield.com/2010/05/the-reality/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 12 May 2010 07:01:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mac McCallister</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Agora]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stevenpressfield.com/?p=3054</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Reality in Afghanistan (or in any other country for that matter) isn’t a template of do’s and don’ts. Reality is something that military units and the local inhabitants in specific areas create for themselves.
I recently read a number of manuscripts by the constructivist scholar Alexander Wendt.
The takeaway from Wendt&#8217;s work?
The only reality that exists is<br/><a href="http://agora.stevenpressfield.com/2010/05/the-reality/">More >></a>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://agora.stevenpressfield.com/2010/05/the-reality/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Downrange: An Informal Report of a trip to Afghanistan with Marine Gen. James N. Mattis</title>
		<link>http://www.stevenpressfield.com/2010/03/downrange-an-informal-report-of-a-trip-to-afghanistan-with-marine-gen-james-n-mattis/</link>
		<comments>http://www.stevenpressfield.com/2010/03/downrange-an-informal-report-of-a-trip-to-afghanistan-with-marine-gen-james-n-mattis/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Mar 2010 08:39:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Steven Pressfield</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Editorial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured Posts]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.stevenpressfield.com/?p=2038</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[[Part Four of Four]
COIN doctrine, counter-insurgency theory, says “protect the people” comes before “kill the enemy.&#8221; In meeting after meeting we heard all the right things from officers and civilian leaders who were earnest, brave, well-intentioned, smart, sincere, hard-working and absolutely decent and ethical.  We heard about construction projects and rules of engagement and mitigating<br/><a href="http://www.stevenpressfield.com/2010/03/downrange-an-informal-report-of-a-trip-to-afghanistan-with-marine-gen-james-n-mattis/">More >></a>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stevenpressfield.com/2010/03/downrange-an-informal-report-of-a-trip-to-afghanistan-with-marine-gen-james-n-mattis/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>18</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Downrange: An Informal Report on a trip to Afghanistan with Marine General James N. Mattis</title>
		<link>http://www.stevenpressfield.com/2010/03/downrange-an-informal-report-on-a-trip-to-afghanistan-with-marine-general-james-n-mattis/</link>
		<comments>http://www.stevenpressfield.com/2010/03/downrange-an-informal-report-on-a-trip-to-afghanistan-with-marine-general-james-n-mattis/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 14 Mar 2010 01:33:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Steven Pressfield</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Editorial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured Posts]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.stevenpressfield.com/?p=2012</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[[Part Three of Four]
It’s more than a little weird, participating in one of these PR walkarounds. Self-congratulation is the inevitable theme. The bubble can get pretty thick. For me, at least, it&#8217;s almost impossible to grok the street reality. Are things going great or are we all lining up to drink our own Kool-Aid?  For<br/><a href="http://www.stevenpressfield.com/2010/03/downrange-an-informal-report-on-a-trip-to-afghanistan-with-marine-general-james-n-mattis/">More >></a>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stevenpressfield.com/2010/03/downrange-an-informal-report-on-a-trip-to-afghanistan-with-marine-general-james-n-mattis/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Downrange: An Informal Report on a trip to Afghanistan with Marine Gen. James N. Mattis</title>
		<link>http://www.stevenpressfield.com/2010/03/downrange-an-informal-report-on-a-trip-to-afghanistan-with-marine-gen-james-n-mattis-2/</link>
		<comments>http://www.stevenpressfield.com/2010/03/downrange-an-informal-report-on-a-trip-to-afghanistan-with-marine-gen-james-n-mattis-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 13 Mar 2010 08:10:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Steven Pressfield</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Editorial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured Posts]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.stevenpressfield.com/?p=1993</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[[Part Two of Four]
6. Kabul is a Third World city, squalid as mud and dirty as hell. Every building that&#8217;s above the level of the people is built like a fortress; compounds with high walls topped with razor wire, AK-toting guards out front and security cameras atop Y-shaped posts. At the airport, guard towers are<br/><a href="http://www.stevenpressfield.com/2010/03/downrange-an-informal-report-on-a-trip-to-afghanistan-with-marine-gen-james-n-mattis-2/">More >></a>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stevenpressfield.com/2010/03/downrange-an-informal-report-on-a-trip-to-afghanistan-with-marine-gen-james-n-mattis-2/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Downrange: An Informal Report on a trip to Afghanistan with Marine Gen. James N. Mattis</title>
		<link>http://www.stevenpressfield.com/2010/03/downrange-an-informal-report-on-a-trip-to-afghanistan-with-marine-gen-james-n-mattis/</link>
		<comments>http://www.stevenpressfield.com/2010/03/downrange-an-informal-report-on-a-trip-to-afghanistan-with-marine-gen-james-n-mattis/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 12 Mar 2010 08:52:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Steven Pressfield</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Editorial]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured Posts]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.stevenpressfield.com/?p=1974</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Part One of Four
1. Jim Mattis is a four-star Marine general. He doesn’t go out of his way to be quotable; he just can’t help himself.  Here, from Iraq 2004, are his instructions to the Marines under his command on how to conduct themselves with the natives they will encounter.
Be polite.  Be professional.  But have<br/><a href="http://www.stevenpressfield.com/2010/03/downrange-an-informal-report-on-a-trip-to-afghanistan-with-marine-gen-james-n-mattis/">More >></a>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://www.stevenpressfield.com/2010/03/downrange-an-informal-report-on-a-trip-to-afghanistan-with-marine-gen-james-n-mattis/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>10</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Gifts of Honor: A Tale of Two Captains</title>
		<link>http://agora.stevenpressfield.com/2010/01/gifts-of-honor-a-tale-of-two-captains/</link>
		<comments>http://agora.stevenpressfield.com/2010/01/gifts-of-honor-a-tale-of-two-captains/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 18 Jan 2010 01:26:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Steven Pressfield</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Agora]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[On Tribalism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Captain Michael Harrison]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Greg Jaffe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Maj. Jim Gant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tribalism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tribes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Washington Post]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.stevenpressfield.com/2010/01/gifts-of-honor-a-tale-of-two-captains/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[[Friends, with apologies, a stomach virus has laid the blog low.  Here's a re-run of a post that has been a reader favorite. We'll be back on Wednesday!]
June 22nd, the Washington Post ran an excellent article by Greg Jaffe, titled “A Personal Touch in Taliban Fight.” The piece is about a young Army captain, Michael<br/><a href="http://agora.stevenpressfield.com/2010/01/gifts-of-honor-a-tale-of-two-captains/">More >></a>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://agora.stevenpressfield.com/2010/01/gifts-of-honor-a-tale-of-two-captains/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>COIN in a Tribal Society: an interview with William S. &#8220;Mac&#8221; McCallister</title>
		<link>http://agora.stevenpressfield.com/2009/12/coin-in-a-tribal-society-an-interview-with-mac-mccallister/</link>
		<comments>http://agora.stevenpressfield.com/2009/12/coin-in-a-tribal-society-an-interview-with-mac-mccallister/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Dec 2009 01:09:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Steven Pressfield</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Agora]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Guest Blogger]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.stevenpressfield.com/?p=1650</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[William S. &#8220;Mac&#8221; McCallister is a retired military officer, a U.S. Army major, who served in numerous special operations assignments specializing in civil-military, psychological and information operations, with focuses in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
I was introduced to Mac a few weeks ago, when he forwarded to Maj. Jim Gant his paper &#8220;COIN and<br/><a href="http://agora.stevenpressfield.com/2009/12/coin-in-a-tribal-society-an-interview-with-mac-mccallister/">More >></a>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://agora.stevenpressfield.com/2009/12/coin-in-a-tribal-society-an-interview-with-mac-mccallister/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>14</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Guest Blog by Andrew Lubin: Let the Afghan Army Fight</title>
		<link>http://agora.stevenpressfield.com/2009/12/guest-blog-by-andrew-lubin-let-the-afghan-army-fight/</link>
		<comments>http://agora.stevenpressfield.com/2009/12/guest-blog-by-andrew-lubin-let-the-afghan-army-fight/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 21 Dec 2009 01:36:49 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Steven Pressfield</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Agora]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Guest Blogger]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.stevenpressfield.com/?p=1617</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
[Again, we're pleased to have this fresh post from independent correspondent Andrew Lubin, who has just returned from six weeks in Afghanistan, where he was embedded with Army and Marine troops and spent time with their Afghan National Army counterparts. Here's Part Two of Prof. Lubin's report.]

Training the Afghans how to shoot and move is<br/><a href="http://agora.stevenpressfield.com/2009/12/guest-blog-by-andrew-lubin-let-the-afghan-army-fight/">More >></a>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://agora.stevenpressfield.com/2009/12/guest-blog-by-andrew-lubin-let-the-afghan-army-fight/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>9</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A Report from embedded journalist Andrew Lubin</title>
		<link>http://agora.stevenpressfield.com/2009/12/one-tribe-at-a-time-10-a-report-from-embedded-journalist-andrew-lubin/</link>
		<comments>http://agora.stevenpressfield.com/2009/12/one-tribe-at-a-time-10-a-report-from-embedded-journalist-andrew-lubin/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Dec 2009 01:48:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Steven Pressfield</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Agora]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Guest Blogger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[One Tribe At A Time]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.stevenpressfield.com/?p=1499</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
[We'll be hearing again from Maj. Jim Gant in three weeks, but for this Monday and the next, I'm very pleased and honored to feature a "report from the trenches" from independent foreign correspondent Andrew Lubin, who has just returned from six weeks in Afghanistan where he was embedded with Army and Marine troops. Mr. Lubin's<br/><a href="http://agora.stevenpressfield.com/2009/12/one-tribe-at-a-time-10-a-report-from-embedded-journalist-andrew-lubin/">More >></a>]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>14</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Size Matters, continued</title>
		<link>http://agora.stevenpressfield.com/2009/11/one-tribe-at-a-time-7-size-matters-continued/</link>
		<comments>http://agora.stevenpressfield.com/2009/11/one-tribe-at-a-time-7-size-matters-continued/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:37:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Steven Pressfield</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Afghanistan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Agora]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[One Tribe At A Time]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.stevenpressfield.com/?p=1360</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[

If a Tribal Engagement Strategy (TES) were to be tried in Afghanistan, how exactly would it work?
Last week, in the first part of this &#8220;Size Matters&#8221; post, we spoke with Maj. Jim Gant about the optimal size for a single U.S. Tribal Engagement Team (TET)—that is, the tactical unit that would be attached to a single<br/><a href="http://agora.stevenpressfield.com/2009/11/one-tribe-at-a-time-7-size-matters-continued/">More >></a>]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://agora.stevenpressfield.com/2009/11/one-tribe-at-a-time-7-size-matters-continued/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>8</slash:comments>
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