Thomas E. Ricks covered the U.S. military from 1991 to 2008 for the Wall Street Journal and then the Washington Post. He can be reached at [email protected].
A car vehicle burns after it was set on fire inside the US consulate compound in Benghazi late on September 11, 2012. An armed mob protesting over a film they said offended Islam, attacked the US consulate in Benghazi and set fire to the building, killing one American, witnesses and officials said. AFP PHOTO (Photo credit should read STR/AFP/GettyImages)
ARLINGTON, VA - MAY 24: Small US flags wave in the wind after being placed in front of headstones at Arlington National Cemetery during the Flag-In Ceremony ahead of the Memorial Day weekend May 24, 2007 in Arlington, Virginia. It took approximately 3 hours for 1,300 soldiers, sailors and marines to put more than 300,000 flags in front of each of the gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
A Taliban flag flutters over the main traffic roundabout a day after the insurgents overran the strategic northern city of Kunduz, on September 29, 2015. Afghanistan on September 29, 2015, mobilised reinforcements for a counter-offensive to take back Kunduz, a day after Taliban insurgents overran the strategic northern city in their biggest victory since being ousted from power in 2001. AFP PHOTO (Photo credit should read STR/AFP/Getty Images)
during the Ceremonial funeral of former British Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher at St Paul's Cathedral on April 17, 2013 in London, England. Dignitaries from around the world today join Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh as the United Kingdom pays tribute to former Prime Minister Baroness Thatcher during a Ceremonial funeral with military honours at St Paul's Cathedral. Lady Thatcher, who died last week, was the first British female Prime Minister and served from 1979 to 1990
