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The Modern King in the Middle East
Jeffrey Goldberg • The
Atlantic
An interview with Jordan's King Abdullah II, who is working to bring about democratic reform to a country steeped in traditionalism.
The king made a short plea for economic reform and for expanding political participation, and then the floor was opened. Leader after leader-many of whom were extremely old, many of whom merely had the appearance of being old-made small-bore requests and complaints. One of the men proposed an idea for the king's consideration: "In the old days, we had night watchmen in the towns. They would be given sticks. The government should bring this back. It would be for security, and it would create more jobs for the young men."
I was seated directly across the room from the king, and I caught his attention for a moment; he gave me a brief, wide-eyed look. He was interested in high-tech innovation, and in girls' education, and in trimming the overstuffed government payroll. A jobs plan focused on men with sticks was not his idea of effective economic reform.
SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images
The Legend of Chris Kyle
Michael J. Mooney • D
Magazine
A profile of the deadliest sniper in American history, who was murdered last month by a fellow soldier.
He said he didn't enjoy killing, but he did like protecting Americans and allies and civilians. He was the angel of death, sprawled flat atop a roof, his University of Texas Longhorns ball cap turned backward as he picked off enemy targets one by one before they could hurt his boys. He was the guardian, assigned to watch over open-air street markets and elections, the places that might make good marks for insurgent terrorists.
"You don't think of the people you kill as people," he said. "They're just targets. You can't think of them as people with families and jobs. They rule by putting terror in the hearts of innocent people. The things they would do-beheadings, dragging Americans through the streets alive, the things they would do to little boys and women just to keep them terrified and quiet-" He paused for a moment and slowed down. "That part is easy. I definitely don't have any regrets about that.
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