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Inside the paid Sunday Reader. The full edition is included with Supporter; free readers may receive a preview.

Paid Sunday Reader · actual issue preview

This week in American power projection: the map was wrong, the dorms were fine, and the travel card was for official purposes.

Story Roundup

Pentagon casualties, metric improvement, and Fat Leonard’s least dignified phase.

Situation Report

A State Department map that relocated most of Africa, one ambitious government travel card, and 5,200 medical students moved from dorms that definitely do not have mold.

Military bans tobacco products to improve combat effectiveness in Afghanistan

BAGRAM, AFGHANISTAN — The Pentagon is unveiling a new policy banning tobacco products for most troops in Afghanistan that planners believe will improve combat effectiveness.

"We are always trying to find new ways to increase the lethality of our combat forces," Pentagon spokesman Col. Jack Taylor said. "In an unconventional war, sometimes you need unconventional thinking."

The theory behind the ban originates from Dr. Eugene Watson, military physician and former smoker.

"Nicotine withdrawal has many symptoms which can be utilized by the military," explained Watson. "It involves feelings of irritability, frustration, and impatience. In clinical terms, it straight-up fucking sucks."

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