For the next president of the United States, it is important to take account of two pressing issues: the continuing war in Afghanistan and the political and strategic intentions of Russian president Vladimir Putin. At a moment when there is controversy over American policy in Afghanistan, where 3,500 troops have been killed, it is useful for the president to be given a timely warning of the consequences of incursion into the graveyard of empires.  A moving and sad account of the predicament of the Russian invasion of Afghanistan in 1979-1988 is provided in the book The Hidden War, by the courageous Russian journalist, Artyom Borovik.  Though young, he was a major figure in investigatory journalism in Russia before his untimely death in an airplane crash in March 2000 – a death that may not have been accidental. Borovik writes of a war of aggression in a rugged country, badly led, fought without a clear strategy and with self-deception of Russian leaders.  He...(Read Full Article)