NEW YORK — The editorial board of The New York Times and other media outlets has caught on to the back-story behind the plethora of "Man Love Thursday" jokes which had provided uncomfortable laughter to U.S. forces in Afghanistan for nearly 14 years, sources confirmed today.

"Man Love Thursday," a running gag on military humor sites like Doctrine Man and ASMDSS, refers to the practice of "bacha bazi," in which Afghan men forcibly-rape young boys, often keeping them as sex slaves. The activity is particularly prevalent on Thursday night, which precedes the traditional Muslim day of rest.

Matthew Rosenberg, a New York Times reporter who has extensively covered Afghanistan, initially expressed shock at the Afghan practice, while reluctantly groaning at the adolescent jokes from U.S. troops.

"The other day — which just so happened to be Thursday — I saw two soldiers go into the woodline to take a piss, and another soldier quipped, 'Man, must be Thursday.'"