And so begins a series of cartoons in which Raj Malik finally comes home. He was first arrested after the Canadian Securty Intelligence Service (CSIS) collected damning evidence against Raj at a Christmas party in 2003 -- coded instructions for a winged, nuclear suicide mission that Raj claimed was simply a recipe for suicide wings he was about to "nuke" (throw in the microwave). Then he was extradited to Pakistan (see this cartoon for a Stress 'n' Duress Exotic Rendition Destination brochure). There, while being transferred to another prison, he was captured by terrorists mistaking him for a Danish cartoonist. But he was soon "freed" by the Americans, who detained him when he confessed to giving false confessions in the Pakistan prison. (For a semi-complete list of comics about Raj, click here. Sorry that I haven't posted anything prior to 2004. Too many comics, too little time.)

So, now you're up to speed. I've been biding my time on this plot thread, trying to figure out when (and whether) to bring him home. Given the way the war is dragging on, it's handy having a character in Afghanistan. But I couldn't let him languish there forever. I'll find other ways to comment on Operation Enduring Warfare.