And They Say Academics Have Little Practical Advice to Offer

As members probably know, much of policing of British areas of influence in the Middle East during the 1920s was turned over to the Royal Air Force. However, whenever a British plane had to make a forced landing in places like Iraq or Afghanistan, crews were often subjected to hideous torture by locals. Their favorite torment was to castrate any captured infidels, then known colloquially as having your"goolies cut off". The RAF came up with the precaution of issuing flyers with a leaflet [chit] written in Arabic, promising to pay natives a reward in gold when a downed airman was returned unharmed. (Meaning, with his"goolies" intact.) It would be wise for the Allies in Afghanistan to now re-issue this old protective document.

Sidney Allinson