Best Defense
Thomas E. Ricks' daily take on national security.

The ten most-clicked Best Defense posts of 2011

Here are the 10 posts that were most read, apparently, during 2011. I think they represent a pretty good cross-section of the blog. The only discrepancy that leaps out at me is that the War Dog posts, which don’t draw many comments, are clearly well read. Also, I think the world hates Donald Rumsfeld more ...

By , a former contributing editor to Foreign Policy.
Flickr user Israel Defense Forces
Flickr user Israel Defense Forces
Flickr user Israel Defense Forces

Here are the 10 posts that were most read, apparently, during 2011. I think they represent a pretty good cross-section of the blog. The only discrepancy that leaps out at me is that the War Dog posts, which don’t draw many comments, are clearly well read. Also, I think the world hates Donald Rumsfeld more than I thought.

Here are the 10 posts that were most read, apparently, during 2011. I think they represent a pretty good cross-section of the blog. The only discrepancy that leaps out at me is that the War Dog posts, which don’t draw many comments, are clearly well read. Also, I think the world hates Donald Rumsfeld more than I thought.

10. Rebecca’s War Dog of the Week: A soldier’s last words are a plea for Cane.

9. Sure, you’re a vet, but that doesn’t mean you have license to act like a jerk.

8. Dave Barno’s top 10 tasks for General Dempsey, the new Army chief of staff.

7. Rebecca’s War Dog of the Week: Eli, brother and protector, goes home.

6. The new face of war: A female general commands the U.S. air campaign.

5. Travels with Paula.

4. Did Theo the bomb dog die of a broken heart in Afghanistan?

3. Was John F. Kennedy the flat-out absolute worst U.S. president of the 20th century?

2. 19 true things generals can’t say in public about the Afghan war: A helpful primer.

1. How Rumsfeld misleads and ducks responsibility in his new book.

Thomas E. Ricks is a former contributing editor to Foreign Policy. Twitter: @tomricks1

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