Former US Army Lieutenant General, now U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Karl Eikenberry was sending "frantic cables" to the White House over the last week urging against increased troop deployment. Now Eikenberry is a PhD in poli sci, fluent in Mandarin & English, a capable modern man... but why is he sending cables? Don't they have telephones, email, 'the internets' (it IS a series of tubes you know!)?? Sending Cables... really?
Having read Rashid's tomes on Afghanistan, and the mess that is Pakistan-FATA-Kashmir-Afghanistan-Former-Soviet-Republics-Iran...
I cannot really disagree with the substance of Eikenberry's communications, but cables? Really?
It's because "cables" sounds more like macho militaristic lingo. Makes him sound like he's sweating in a dimly lit bunker, tapping out an urgent message.
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