Stories by Ann Jones

Ann Jones is the author of Kabul in Winter: Life without Peace in Afghanistan (Metropolitan 2006) and more recently War Is Not Over When It’s Over (Metropolitan 2010).  She wants to acknowledge the courage and determination of all her friends in Afghanistan, especially the women, and the men who stand beside them. subscribe to Ann Jones's feed

Rape is Rape, and Domestic Violence is ... Plain Old Violence

Posted on: Mar 21, 2013, Source: TomDispatch

When it comes to violence against women, victim blaming is rampant, and language reveals everything.

There Are Three Options for Afghanistan and They're All Bad

Posted on: Jan 27, 2013, Source: Tom Dispatch

That's the reality as we count down to the coalition's 2014 departure date.

Why Spending Billions on the Afghan National Army Could Seriously Backfire

Posted on: Mar 8, 2012, Source: TomDispatch.com

No Afghan national army has ever saved a government, or even tried to. Instead, such an army has either sat on its hands during a coup d’état, or participated in one itself.

What Happened When Overzealous Terrorist Hunters Took Off With My Money

Posted on: Nov 3, 2011, Source: TomDispatch.com

The author details her misadventures in America's super-secret security machine.

Why We're Bound to Fail in Afghanistan: What Happened When I Spent 2 Weeks at a U.S. Military Base

Posted on: Aug 3, 2010, Source: TomDispatch.com

Based on my experience at a Forward Operating Base, it's clear enough that the hearts-and-minds part of COIN is already dead in the water.

4 Easy Ways to See How Obama's Strategy in Afghanistan Isn't Working

Posted on: Jul 1, 2010, Source: TomDispatch.com

Counterinsurgency is down for the count in Afghanistan… but the war machine grinds on and on and on.

Everything That Happens in Afghanistan Is Based on Lies or Illusions

Posted on: Jul 19, 2009, Source: TomDispatch.com

"Fixer", a new documentary about Afghanistan, tells stories of duplicity and self-delusion that are the political currency of the embattled country.

How Can We Stop the Epidemic of Killing Women and Children By Returning Soldiers?

Posted on: Apr 5, 2009, Source: TomDispatch.com

No society that sends its men abroad for war can expect them to come home and be at peace, as returning Iraqi vets are proving in alarming numbers.

Mass Rape in the Congo: A Crime Against Society

Posted on: Dec 23, 2008, Source: The Nation

Mass rapes in the Congo are destroying civic life, as hundreds of thousands of rape victims are cast out from their families and communities.

Killing of Aid Workers in Afghanistan Exposes the Dangers of Escalation

Posted on: Aug 17, 2008, Source: AlterNet

The murder of four humanitarian aid workers in Afghanistan should temper talk about sending more troops there.

The Terrifying Normalcy of Assaulting Women

Posted on: May 13, 2008, Source: TomDispatch.com

In West Africa, the war against women doesn't end just because grim wars between men finally do.

The War Against African Women

Posted on: Feb 20, 2008, Source: TomDispatch.com

Civil wars in West Africa are officially "over," but horrific violence against women continues unbated -- and is growing increasingly worse.