Afghanistan: What You (Think You) See Is What You Get (I Guess)

Alim Fedayee Governor of Maidan Wardak Province, US Army General David Petraeus, Education Minister Farooq Warda Mohammad, US Ambassador in Kabul Karl Eikenberry meet during a trip to Maidan Wardak province. Afghanistan. 21/10/2010

(The guy who claims to be the actual) Alim Fedayee Governor of Maidan Wardak Province (behind the shades), US Army General David Petraeus (third from the left and hard to mistake, although walking with his eyes closed), (the alleged) Education Minister Farooq Warda Mohammad (hands clasped, and looking off in the distance like something’s up), and US Ambassador in Kabul, Karl Eikenberry (wearing that smile he acquired after Obama booted McChrystal, but otherwise setting his gaze about four feet ahead of him with his eyes fixed to the ground) meet during a trip to (what we’ve been assured by all kinds of people is) Maidan Wardak province, Afghanistan. 10/21/2010.

In light of Petraeus hyping a series of major meetings with what turns out to be a Taliban imposter, excuse me for feeling the urge to modify the caption of this four-week-old wire photo (my elaborations in parentheses).