Jezebel: War

Are Men's Angry Cavebrains to Blame for War?

Anna North — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:15:00 EST

Sometimes our planet's constant wars can seem as senseless and brutish as a bunch of Neanderthals throwing rocks at each other, and according to one team of scientists, that's what they are: an outgrowth of men's instinct to defend their mates and territories against outsiders. Are you skeptical? Good. More »

Governments Still Ignore Female Terrorists at Their Own Peril

Erin Gloria Ryan — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:40:00 EST

A new report seeks to elucidate what we're risking when we treat terrorism as a men-only institution and ignore the threat that women can pose. So, what are we risking? Death, basically. More »

Sexual Violence Against Women Soars In Somalia

Margaret Hartmann — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 10:00:00 EST

Somalia has been devastated by conflict for decades, and now the country is dealing with famine as well. These factors have made living in what was already one of the most dangerous areas on the planet even harsher for women. Recently there's been an increase in various forms of sexual abuse against women, ranging from forced marriages to gang rapes. More »

Angelina Jolie Wants To Tell You A Story, And It's Not Pretty

Dodai Stewart — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 16:45:00 EST

Angelina Jolie's directorial debut, in The Land Of Blood And Honey, hits theaters today, and it will be interesting to see what kind of reception it receives: The most famous woman in the world could tell any story she wanted, and this is what she chose. A couple torn asunder by the Bosnian war. A love story, but really about a love that could have been. The film is distressing, harrowing and gritty, and it's been kept under tight wraps: No Hollywood types saw the script (written by Angelina) before filming began, and although I attended a screening and a press conference (yes, she was there) a few weeks ago, I, as well as the other journalists in the room, were instructed not to write, tweet, or talk about the film or the event until its release. More »

The War In Iraq Is Over

Cassie Murdoch — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 11:35:00 EST

CAMP VIRGINIA, KUWAIT - DECEMBER 18: Specialist Ashley Walter (L) hugs Staff Sergeant Diana Royal from the 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division after Royal arrived in the last American military convoy to depart Iraq on December 18, 2011 in Camp Virginia, Kuwait. Around 500 troops from the 3rd Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division ended their presence on Camp Adder, the last remaining American base, and departed in the final American military convoy out of Iraq, arriving into Kuwait in the early morning hours of December 18, 2011. All U.S. troops were scheduled to have departed Iraq by December 31st, 2011. At least 4,485 U.S. military personnel died in service in Iraq. According to the Iraq Body Count, more than 100,000 Iraqi civilians have died from war-related violence. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) More »

Even Military Dogs Are Being Diagnosed With PTSD

Margaret Hartmann — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 09:30:00 EST

We know that many soldiers are returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan with post-traumatic stress disorder, but they're not the only ones disturbed by what they've seen in war zones. The concept is new, but military veterinarians say they're diagnosing service dogs with PTSD and even developing treatments, even though it's incredibly difficult when their patients can't tell them what they've witnessed. More »

Secrets From 'Black Flower' Robot-Saint Condoleezza Rice

Erin Gloria Ryan — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 16:30:00 EDT

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has written a book. Unfortunately, much of that book tries to justify all that lying the Bush administration did to get us into Iraq. Fortunately, she spends some of the book indulging the public's desire to learn about how everyone in the Bush White House was behind closed doors. Here's what Condi had to say on what went right, what went wrong, and what went weird. More »

Michele Bachmann Says Iraq Should Reimburse U.S. For War Expenses

Cassie Murdoch — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 16:25:00 EDT

You know how every time Michele Bachmann opens her mouth it's kind of exciting because you never know what's going to come out, but then it's also terrifying because you're worried whatever she says will be taken seriously? Well, brace yourselves because today she's dropped a real doozy: she thinks the people of Iraq should pay us back for all of the money we spent invading them. More »

Jewish Girl's Memoir Describes Outwitting Nazis

Margaret Hartmann — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:40:00 EDT

Next year the British publisher of Anne Frank's diary will release a diary by Helga Weiss, one of the few children from the Czech ghetto of Terezin who survived Auschwitz. Weiss, who grew up to be an internationally known artist, was confronted by Josef Mengele in the camps, but managed to save herself and her mother by convincing guards that she was older and her mother was much younger. More »

Miniseries Tells Story Of War's Hidden Victims: Women

Anna North — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 16:00:00 EDT

Qaddafi Says Surrendering Is For Chicks

Irin Carmon — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 12:00:00 EDT

An audio message from Muammar Qaddafi has appeared on Syrian television, although his physical whereabouts are still unknown. The defiant speech included the lines, "We will fight in every valley, in every street, in every oasis, and every town. We won't surrender again; we are not women; we will keep fighting." More »

Taliban Uses Married Couple, 8-Year-Old Girl In Bombings

Margaret Hartmann — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 23:25:00 EDT

In recent years there have been a handful of female suicide bombers in Iraq and other regions of the world, but the Taliban claims it never used women to carry out suicide attacks — until now. It's believed the Taliban was behind two unrelated attacks this weekend that involved women, and took the lives of more than a dozen people. More »

Female Reporter Detained In Libya Said To Be Alive And Well

Irin Carmon — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 15:25:29 EDT

There is little that could be considered "good news" out of Libya these days, not for its people and not for the journalists trying to send word out to the world. But here is a small piece of it: Clare Morgana Gillis, a reporter who was captured there April 5 and has been missing since, says she is alive and well. More »

The Many Ways To Say "Hillary Stole Obama's Balls"

Irin Carmon — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 14:26:22 EDT

The suggestion that the president may have heeded several liberal interventionists in his own administration — including Hillary Clinton, U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, and National Security staffer Samantha Power — has inflamed a boys-against-girls war. Just ask Andrea Mitchell. More »

Majority Want Women In Combat

Sadie Stein — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 15:12:00 EDT

Nearly 75% of Americans — men and women equally — believe that women should be allowed to serve in combat, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll. More »

Bea Arthur's Secret Past As A Truck-Driving Marine

Dodai Stewart — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 12:21:00 EST

In 1943, when she was 21 and known as Bernice Frankel, Bea Arthur enlisted in the military. Recently unearthed documents reveal she came across as a tough broad, even then. More »

Time's Afghan Cover Girl Gets A New Nose

Sadie Stein — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 14:22:00 EDT

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The young Afghan woman who appeared on the cover of Time after having her nose and ears cut off by the Taliban More »

Movie Portrays Prince Harry Captured By Taliban For No Good Reason

Sadie Stein — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 14:49:00 EDT

Because what if Prince Harry was kidnapped by the Taliban? That's exactly the unasked question the UK's Channel 4 is taking on in the ''dramatized documentary'' The Taking of Prince Harry. "Why" is not addressed. More »

How Taylor And Miley Started The Biggest Feud Of Our Time Week

Sadie Stein — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:04:00 EDT

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And yes, we do realize it's only Tuesday, so that's subject to change. The Beatles and the Stones. Biggie and Tupac. Metallica and Megadeath. To these ranks, let us add combatants Miley Cyrus and Taylor Momsen. More »

Adorable Marines Rescue Adorable Kittens In Afghanistan; Cuddling Ensues

Sadie Stein — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 12:28:00 EDT

Yes, we have to do another kitty post. But this one's different, a matter of international interest. News from Afghanistan may be grim, but everyone can find solace in these images of lost or abandoned kittens rescued by U.S. marines. More »

Should Women Serve In Combat? Maybe They Already Do

Anna North — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 10:00:00 EDT

Both the US and UK militaries are struggling with the question of whether women should be allowed to serve in direct combat roles. But many female soldiers say they already do. More »

In Congo, Sexual Assault Spreads From Army To Civilians

Anna North — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 09:40:00 EDT

Armed conflict among Congolese, Rwandan, and Ugandan militias has spawned an epidemic of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and perhaps most disturbingly, civilians too have begun to assault one another at higher and higher rates. More »

Elizabeth Rubin Hid Her Pregnancy To Shine A Light On Others

Megan Carpentier — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 17:00:00 EDT

Three months pregnant, journalist Elizabeth Rubin headed off to cover the war in Afghanistan. Today, she wrote what it was like to hide a pregnancy (poorly) while trying to stay alive to tell others' truths. [Guardian, NY Times, PBS] More »

Go Shopping, Or The Axis Wins!

Sadie Stein — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 19:40:00 EDT

It's really hard to argue with the logic of a sentence like, "To have your cake, you must eat it. And, if you eat your cake, there won't be any breadlines, there'll be saleslines." [ModernMechanix] More »

Afghan Women, Feminism, And The Problem With Limited Options

LatoyaPeterson — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:00:00 EST

Are feminists in love with the surge? Earlier this week, Dana Goldstein, writing for the Daily Beast, explored "the left's latest divide," pitting feminists and nation-builders against antiwar sentiment. But where does this leave Afghan women? More »

No End In Sight: Obama Gears Up On Afghanistan

LatoyaPeterson — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 10:00:00 EST

This morning, President Obama spoke with Afghan President Hamid Karzai outlining the new war plan in detail. Tonight, Obama will reveal his plan for military action in a speech at West Point - and he's already drawing political criticism. More »

Trial By Fire

Anna Holmes — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:10:00 EDT

[The Hague, October 26. Image via Getty]

Liz Cheney's Keep America Safe Campaign Is Pro-Violence

LatoyaPeterson — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:40:00 EDT

Since when is working toward peaceful solutions a "radical" foreign policy? Liz Cheney argues Obama's tactics are "making the nation weaker." She's also pushing the "waterboarding isn't torture" lie, when we know it is. Give up, Cheney. [Politico, Vanity Fair] More »

Questions And Answers On Health Care, Afghanistan, & International Aid

LatoyaPeterson — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 16:00:00 EDT

A couple weeks ago, we posted interviews with Angie Holan of Politifact on Health Care Reform and Patricia DeGennaro of NYU and the World Policy Institute on Afghanistan. Some questions were submitted in the comments - now we have answers. More »

Why Is 35% Of Development Aid Being Routed Back To The U.S.?

LatoyaPeterson — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:40:00 EDT

We've been at war in Afghanistan since 2001 and we are still mired in the same issues. Today, Malou Innocent of the Cato Institute helps me discuss development dollars, Hillary Clinton dodging questions, and why consistency is the best policy. More »

On Women, War & The Elections In Afghanistan

LatoyaPeterson — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 13:40:00 EDT

Today's New York Times has a number of pieces discussing the climate surrounding the current elections in Afghanistan. I asked Patricia DeGennaro, expert on U.S. Foreign Policy and National Security, to help walk us though the major issues. More »

Modern Beauty Shop: Winning The War, One Curl At A Time

Dodai Stewart — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:20:00 EDT

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Recently, a reader sent us a link to this ShopBop "trend" story called Wartime. "Fashion is war," reads the copy. No. It isn't. But in the pages of 1942's Modern Beauty Shop, war was a major theme. War… and hair! More »

"My Husband Is Not Secretary Of State, I Am"

Sadie Stein — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 18:00:00 EDT

The fact that an audience member reportedly asked Hillary Clinton "what her husband thought" about a matter of policy in a Congolese town hall meeting today hints at some of the underlying issues Clinton was there to address: More »

Heaven's Door

Anna Holmes — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 13:10:00 EDT

[Arlington, August 4. Image via Getty]

Purple Heart

Anna Holmes — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:10:00 EDT

[Fort Stewart, Georgia; July 28. Image via Getty]

Portrait Of Grief

Anna Holmes — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:10:00 EDT

[Srinagar, Kashmir; June 30. Image via Getty]

Male Guardian Writer Says Men Are Idiots, Women Should Take Over

Anna North — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 19:20:00 EDT

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The Guardian's Charlie Brooker may mean well with his suggestion of "a 10-year prohibition on all forms of male power," but his column just ends up reinforcing tired old stereotypes about male stupidity. More »

Hol(e)y War

Anna Holmes — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 16:10:00 EDT

[Jalozi Camp, Pakistan; May 31. Image via Getty]

Nice Guys Do Finish First...

Sadie Stein — Tue, 12 May 2009 14:30:00 EDT

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...Well, in one extremely specific anthropological study, anyway. More »

New Reports Aim To Reveal Hidden Truths About Rape

Margaret Hartmann — Tue, 12 May 2009 09:30:00 EDT

In the news today: A study of Swaziland women finds people don't know most rapes aren't committed by strangers. Another piece says rape is a war crime being committed in Colombia, and often not reported. More »