Generation Kill on HBO

HBO will have a seven hour miniseries this July based on Evan Wright’s 2004 Generation Kill: Devil Dogs, Iceman, Captain America and the New Face of American War. Wright was embedded with 1^st Reconnaissance Battalion in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. It appears Sgt. Rudy Reyes; one of the more memorable Marines from the book will be playing himself in the series….hopefully with his J.Lo goggles.

Q & A: Robert Baer

Bob Baer, a B&L favorite was recently interviewed in Men's Journal:

mj: Can we ever come to an understanding with the Iranians?

rb: Their interests are very clear-cut. They are not like the Takfiris who want to chop our heads off. The most popular TV program in Iran is about an Iranian diplomat who saves Jews during WWII. If we were Machiavellian, we'd quickly pull out of Iraq and draw the Iranians into a nasty civil war. Make them be the ones shooting people. Right now they look like the good guys, talking about the American imperialists. But if they had to impose order, they'd sing a different tune. Give Iran a taste of empire in Iraq and Afghanistan, and send them a Christmas card every year asking, "How are things going?" But if we stay, spend a couple trillion dollars every five years...that's your retirement. That's rebuilding our bridges. Is it really worth it?

mj: You were in Tehran recently. How was it?

rb: It's a big party town. Opium is cheaper there than anywhere. The Iranians are fun, smart people, ironic and forthcoming. Except when it comes to instruments of the police state. They don't really joke about that.