The Ploy
The inside story of how the interrogators of Task Force 145 cracked Abu Musab al-Zarqawi’s inner circle—without resorting to torture—and hunted down al-Qaeda’s man in Iraq
Mark Bowden, "The Ploy"; Nadya Labi, "The Kingdom in the Closet"; David Samuels, "Let's Die Together"; Gershom Gorenberg, "The Minister for National Fears"; Andrew Bacevich on military activism; Caitlin Flanagan on abortion; Marc Ambinder on Hillary's husband; Michael Hirschorn hails reality TV; Virginia Postrel sees fashion as art; and much more.
The inside story of how the interrogators of Task Force 145 cracked Abu Musab al-Zarqawi’s inner circle—without resorting to torture—and hunted down al-Qaeda’s man in Iraq
Sodomy is punishable by death in Saudi Arabia, but gay life flourishes there. Why it is “easier to be gay than straight” in a society where everyone, homosexual and otherwise, lives in the closet
With the collapse of the center in Israeli politics, and the growing menace of Iran, Avigdor Lieberman’s extremist views may suddenly become mainstream.
Why is anonymous group suicide so popular in Japan?
This is the 15th in a series of archival excerpts in honor of the magazine’s 150th anniversary. For the full text of these articles, visit www.theatlantic.com/ideastour.
Why we should worry about the military's increased political assertiveness
Immigrants on parade; Scottish pride; Korea's transgendered pop stars
Presidential tea leaves; open-market elves; the fine art of sword-swallowing
Serious trouble is brewing in Iraq’s one quiet corner: the Kurdish north.
The Atlantic recently asked a group of foreign-policy authorities about Iran's role in the Iraq conflict
What role will Hillary’s husband play in the campaign?
The age of the dollar has been great for America—but it may end soon.
Stalin on the Eastern Front
Abortion and the bloodiness of being female
Acceptance, by Susan Coll
The turbulent life of Kingsley Amis
Freeloading aesthetes and the women who kept them
A guide to additional releases: the history of the car bomb; Ralph Ellison; the annals of impotence; and more
A safari by air over Namibia’s haunting sands [Web only: "Above Namibia ." A narrated photo essay.]
An exciting new Italian bazaar makes Whole Foods look like the A&P—and it’s coming to America.
Why fashion deserves its place in art museums [Web only: Slideshow: "Museums in Fashion."]
New programs ease the frustration of working with others online.
What the snobs don’t understand
Mockingbird blu; technological no-how
[with audio]