“My war buddies, some were Americans, but some were Afghans. These were...” — Elliot Ackerman Quote

“My war buddies, some were Americans, but some were Afghans. These were the guys that I fought alongside. We bled alongside each other; we mourned together. When I came home, these weren't people I could keep up with on Facebook.”

“Whether your mother is a novelist like mine or a third-generation military wife, the idea of a son or daughter being in mortal danger is terrifying.”

“All art to me is an empathetic act. Whoever's telling a story is trying to transfer emotion into someone else.”

“Mecca and Medinah is a very special place in the hearts of every Muslim but particularly for every Afghan.”

“Foreign aid projects have pumped billions of dollars into the Afghan economy.”

“As late as 2009, 90 per cent of Afghans reckoned Karzai's performance was excellent, good or fair.”