In Jordan, the ever resolute King Abdullah was standing staunchly by us. He assured me he would keep Jordanian soldiers fighting alongside us in Afghanistan. On one occasion, we were meeting alone on his patio discussing what CENTCOM could do to help Jordan with the refugees pouring in from Syria. Always curious, I decided to ask the king about his job. “What’s it like being a king?” I said. “I’ve never been one.” He laughed and waved his hand at a stack of papers. “Actually, I’ve been writing op-eds,” he said. “I have to explain to my people why they should vote independently in a way that
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