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Akbar Shahid Ahmed

@akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social
4.8K followers 242 following 914 posts

Diplomatic Correspondent at NOTUS // CROSSING THE RED LINE on Biden/Gaza (W. W. Norton, fall 2026) // he/him Say hi: akbar.58 on Signal or akbarshahidahmed@notus.com

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Reposted by Akbar Shahid Ahmed
Brian Finucane @bcfinucane.bsky.social · 18h
Also worth recalling that as Secretary of State, Pompeo continued to sign off on arms sales to Saudi Arabia even after the RSAF attacked a school bus full of Yemeni kids using a U.S.-origin PGM.
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Akbar Shahid Ahmed @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social · 18h
Wonderful to have a full house & an intelligent, inquisitive crowd for my discussion of CROSSING THE RED LINE at @msudenver today 🙏🏽 Next few stops for in-person discussions of US complicity in Gaza & lessons for a more humane foreign policy: MA & ME. Hope to see you there!
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Akbar Shahid Ahmed @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
">200 US intel + military analysts are assisting the Saudi government to analyze & select targets" in Yemen-NYT. Refueling too. The last time the US was involved this way, it was implicated in many alleged war crimes. Impunity then fueled brutal Gaza policy, which is fueling a redux of 2015/16...
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Akbar Shahid Ahmed @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
">200 US intel + military analysts are assisting the Saudi government to analyze & select targets" in Yemen-NYT. Refueling too. The last time the US was involved this way, it was implicated in many alleged war crimes. Impunity then fueled brutal Gaza policy, which is fueling a redux of 2015/16...
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Akbar Shahid Ahmed @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Just a little over 2 weeks until I'll be discussing CROSSING THE RED LINE at @harvardbookstore.bsky.social with the inimitable Indira Lakshmanan Hope to see Boston-area folks there- & if you have friends/contacts in the area who are eager for accountability for Gaza, please put this on their radar!
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Akbar Shahid Ahmed @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
The Denver Press Club is incredible! Thank you to “friends of journalism” & to those who came out last night to discuss CROSSING THE RED LINE & the truth about US complicity in Gaza I’m doing another talk in town on 10/5 if you couldn’t make it! msudenver.enterprise.localist.com/event/crossi...
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Akbar Shahid Ahmed @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
On the 8th anniversary of Jamal Khashoggi’s murder, I’m thinking about those who helped Saudi Arabia dodge accountability. I wrote in 2019 about the Saudi Seven: figures who helped undercut calls to pressure Riyadh+rethink US ties. Many have since joined their ranks. www.huffpost.com/entry/saudi-...
huffpost.com
Khashoggi's Murder Should've Made Saudi Arabia A Pariah. 7 Men Made Sure That Didn't Happen.
Meet the key figures behind the scenes, from a journalist-turned-lobbyist to an evangelical writer, in the effort to preserve the kingdom's image after the killing.
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Akbar Shahid Ahmed @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
See you this evening at the storied Denver Press Club! And if you’re local and can’t make this event, I’ll also be discuss the book on the Auraria campus on 10/5: msudenver.enterprise.localist.com/event/crossi...
msudenver.enterprise.localist.com
Crossing the Red Line: Biden, His Advisors, and Israel's War in Gaza
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Daniel Larison @daniellarison.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
It's very clear from @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social's book Crossing the Red Line that Biden's enabling of Israel's wars paved the way for everything Trump has done in the region. Biden shielded Israel from the consequences of its aggressive actions and abandoned diplomacy with Iran. He set the table
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Akbar Shahid Ahmed @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
I’m taking off for Denver shortly. So excited to share the message of CROSSING THE RED LINE with folks there tonight — please join us if you can! denverpressclub.wildapricot.org/event-6814350
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Akbar Shahid Ahmed @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
At 1pm ET, CNN will air my discussion of CROSSING THE RED LINE w/ @camanpour.bsky.social Probing horrific Biden-Trump continuity from Gaza to Iran + efforts by US officials to rewrite history & distract from bloodshed with one of the key chroniclers of our era was such a privilege. Tune in 🧿🙏🏽
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Akbar Shahid Ahmed @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Grateful to the many who turned out tonight — including the iconic Professor Rashid Khalidi 🙏🏽
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Akbar Shahid Ahmed @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Cannot wait to get into the processs of reporting out CROSSING THE RED LINE with @azmatzahra.bsky.social at @columbiajournalism.bsky.social tonight Join us! Spots have been claimed but worth trying through the waitlist 🙏🏽 journalism.columbia.edu/events/cross...
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Harrison Mann @harrisonmann.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
"I was frankly shocked by how cynical so many of the officials I talked to were ... 'if I question my peers ... will they hire me in the next administration?'" - @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social on justifications for doing the grunt work behind US support for Israel's genocide in Gaza
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Akbar Shahid Ahmed @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
At 1pm ET tomorrow I’ll be discussing CROSSING THE RED LINE live online with the talented @alexbkane.bsky.social for @jewishcurrents.bsky.social Join us if you can 🙏🏽🧿 secure.jewishcurrents.org/nx/portal/ne...
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Akbar Shahid Ahmed @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
An incredible 220 people came out last night to hear a discussion of accountability for Gaza. I’m grateful beyond words. A huge thank you too to @premthakker.bsky.social More talks soon in NY, Denver, Boston, Portland, Chicago & more! 🧿🙏🏽
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Matt Shuham @mattshuham.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
For @washingtonpost.com, I wrote about the wave of AI-generated ads this election cycle, what they could mean for the future of political communication, and why one has already sparked a police report:
washingtonpost.com
Secret weapon or ‘slopaganda’? How AI is revolutionizing campaign advertising.
The advancing technology offers campaigns the tools to make compelling, lifelike ads. That’s leading even seasoned political observers to take note.
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Akbar Shahid Ahmed @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I’ll be live on @theyoungturks.bsky.social discussing CROSSING THE RED LINE at 6pm ET 🧿🙏🏽 Tune in if you can for a discussion of accountably for Gaza, a political + moral reckoning among Democrats, devastating Biden-Trump continuity & more.
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Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
You MUST read Akbar's book "Crossing the Red Line," a vital investigation into the Biden administration's complicity in the Gaza genocide. I'm sad to miss the event tonight at @politicsprose.bsky.social in DC but @premthakker.bsky.social will be asking @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social some great Qs.
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Akbar Shahid Ahmed @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Tonight I’ll launch CROSSING THE RED LINE where its message is most needed: DC So excited to be at @politicsprose.bsky.social in conversation w/ the brilliant @premthakker.bsky.social 🙏🏽 (@mehdirhasan.bsky.social & I hoped to have this chat but circumstances mean we’ll have it at a later date)
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Akbar Shahid Ahmed @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
“As numerous Biden aides have asked me, can you really blame bureaucrats for implementing the whims of an obstinate president? In “Crossing the Red Line,” Akbar Shahid Ahmed offers the first comprehensive opportunity to evaluate this scapegoating exercise” responsiblestatecraft.org/biden-gaza-s...
responsiblestatecraft.org
Ex-Biden officials are desperate for a Gaza scapegoat
Journalist Akbar Shahid Ahmed's 'Crossing the Red Line' is a searing indictment of the former president's inner circle and its disastrous Israel policy
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Jose Pagliery @josepagliery.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
A year ago, @washingtonsun.bsky.social first reported that Lindsey Halligan was being flanked by U.S. Marshals everywhere she went — even in the office where she supervised career prosecutors. Now we know how much it cost. Reporting with @d-hawk.bsky.social: www.washingtonsun.com/whitehouse/l...
washingtonsun.com
DOJ Spent $1.1 Million on Lindsey Halligan’s Security Detail
The former personal defense attorney for President Donald Trump got extra protection in her 120-day stint as interim U.S. attorney.
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Akbar Shahid Ahmed @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
In 1.5 hours, I’ll be live with @imeupolicy.bsky.social discussing CROSSING THE RED LINE. Drawing on ~175 interviews, my book details how Biden’s team fueled horrors in Gaza & patterns that brought us the Iran war — countering their efforts to rewrite history Join us! zoom.us/webinar/regi...
zoom.us
Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Crossing the Red Line: Biden, His Advisors, and Israel's War in Gaza. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.
Join us for our second webinar of our new Book Club. We'll be joined by author Akbar Shahid Ahmed. Based on unprecedented access to former Biden administration officials, his new book Crossing the Red...
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Akbar Shahid Ahmed @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Looking forward to discussing Biden's team, their appalling choices on Gaza + efforts to launder their reputations & the future of US policy on Israel-Palestine in Denver! Please sign up to join us on 10/2 if you're in the area: denverpressclub.org/event/crossi...
denverpressclub.org
Crossing the Red Line author interview
Crossing the Red Line: Biden, His Advisors, and Israel’s War in Gaza Akbar Shahid Ahmed chronicles the long series of missteps made by the Biden-Harris administration as they enabled Israel’s…
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Akbar Shahid Ahmed @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
CROSSING THE RED LINE has been out for less than a week. The reaction’s already so gratifying (& slightly overwhelming). I’m humbled + eager to keep discussing my extensive reporting on the Biden team’s appalling Gaza choices, continuity with Trump & crucial lessons from their record. Tour details!
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The Brian Lehrer Show @thebrianlehrershow.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
@akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social, diplomatic correspondent at The Washington Sun, talks about his new book "Crossing the Red Line: Biden, His Advisors, and Israel's War in Gaza." Listen: wnyc.org/browse/shows...
wnyc.org
Biden's Record on Gaza | WNYC
Akbar Shahid Ahmed, diplomatic correspondent at The Washington Sun and the author of Crossing The Red Line: Biden, His Advisors, and Israel’s War in Gaza (W.
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Democracy Now! @democracynow.org · 25/09/2026
“The policies that we've seen entrenched and frankly worsened and become more dangerous and deadly under Donald Trump were really established by Biden's team,” says @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social, author of "Crossing the Red Line: Biden, His Advisors, and Israel's War in Gaza.”
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Akbar Shahid Ahmed @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
"The reason we need to look at the Biden admin's atrocious policymaking on Gaza is exemplified by this week at the UN.. The biggest event yesterday was [his advisor] Brett McGurk [on Syria]—which shows you architects of this policy are coming back to shape our era" www.thenation.com/article/poli...
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Jack Mirkinson @jackmirkinson.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Today in @thenation.com: I had a great chat with @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social about his essential new book on Joe Biden's support for the Gaza genocide. It is as damning a portrait of a president and his administration as you will ever read. www.thenation.com/article/poli...
thenation.com
How Joe Biden Helped Cause a Genocide In Gaza
An interview with reporter Akbar Shahid Ahmed about his new book, “Crossing the Red Line.”
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Akbar Shahid Ahmed @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Starting at 10:05 ET, I'll be discussing CROSSING THE RED LINE live on NPR's 1A — linking the book's themes to Gaza developments at UNGA, the foreign policy establishment's continued reliance on figures like Brett McGurk + Tony Blair & alarming new revelations about Jake Sullivan. Tune in!
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Akbar Shahid Ahmed @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Going live with @joyannreid.bsky.social shortly to discuss CROSSING THE RED LINE - tune in! www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWDK...
youtube.com
Live from Trump TV! | The Joy Reid Show LIVE!
YouTube video by The Joy Reid Show
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Akbar Shahid Ahmed @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Part of why the US could sustain a horrific Gaza policy: credulity in the press corps around Dems post-Trump "A lot of journalists were willing to believe Biden's team could somehow bring this under control.. [because of] green-room coziness+an assumption of good judgment" nymag.com/intelligence...
nymag.com
The Long Shadow of Biden’s Gaza Fiasco
Can Kamala Harris chart a new course on the Israel-Palestinian conflict?
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Akbar Shahid Ahmed @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
I'm honored an excerpt from CROSSING THE RED LINE is out in @us.theguardian.com My reporting found the patterns among Biden-Harris officials which fueled atrocities in Israel-Palestine also shaped the doomed Biden-Harris campaign. Votes driven by Gaza since have demonstrated why a reckoning is key.
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Akbar Shahid Ahmed @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
I'm honored an excerpt from CROSSING THE RED LINE is out in @us.theguardian.com My reporting found the patterns among Biden-Harris officials which fueled atrocities in Israel-Palestine also shaped the doomed Biden-Harris campaign. Votes driven by Gaza since have demonstrated why a reckoning is key.
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Akbar Shahid Ahmed @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
The New York Times on CROSSING THE RED LINE: “Indispensable... Ahmed doesn’t merely document decisions [by Biden & his aides on Gaza]. He also illuminates the habits of mind that underlay those decisions—habits that will require a political revolution if the Democrats want to uproot them."
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Michael Calderone @calderone.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
I spoke with @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social about how the Biden administration bungled Gaza and the ongoing political fallout for Democrats ahead of Tuesday’s launch of “Crossing the Red Line” nymag.com/intelligence...
nymag.com
The Long Shadow of Biden’s Gaza Fiasco
Can Kamala Harris chart a new course on the Israel-Palestinian conflict?
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American Prestige @amprestigepod.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
E266 - The Biden Administration’s Complicity in Gaza w/ @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social Journalist and author Akbar Shahid Ahmed returns to the show to talk about his book covering the Biden administration's handling of Gaza. americanprestigepod.com/episodes/390...
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Akbar Shahid Ahmed @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Watch my full discussion with @owenjones.bsky.social now - and order your copy of CROSSING THE RED LINE to counter efforts to deny the reality of America's horrific role in Gaza. www.youtube.com/watch?v=duTm... www.waterstones.com/book/crossin...
youtube.com
Biden's Officials Tell All About Gaza. It Is Beyond Damning
YouTube video by Owen Jones
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Akbar Shahid Ahmed @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
CROSSING THE RED LINE, the definitive record of the Biden admin’s horrific choices on Gaza, is out in 1 week 🙏🏽🧿 Per Ben Rhodes, it’s “meticulously reported.. essential reading to account for what happened & to hopefully ensure it doesn’t happen again” Secure your copy: bookshop.org/p/books/cros...
bookshop.org
Crossing the Red Line: Biden, His Advisors, and Israel's War in Gaza
Following Hamas's horrific October 7 attack, Israel launched an offensive of staggering violence in Gaza, saying it targeted militants while regularly striking hospitals, schools, and homes. Criticall...
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Akbar Shahid Ahmed @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Thrilled to celebrate @mehdirhasan.bsky.social’s launch of @zeteo.uk - subscribe today!
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Akbar Shahid Ahmed @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Wonderful to discuss CROSSING THE RED LINE with the brilliant @owenjones.bsky.social - interview out soon! Amid increasing efforts to rewrite history on Gaza, the Biden era & American complicity, secure your copy of the book telling the true story now: www.waterstones.com/book/crossin...
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Akbar Shahid Ahmed @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Speaking with MPs in Parliament this week, I explained how the UK’s shift on Israel-Palestine is a start to addressing the patterns that drove horrors as the Biden administration crafted its post-Oct 7 policy. My book CROSSING THE RED LINE highlights history that’s key for a more humane approach.
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Akbar Shahid Ahmed @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Tonight is the London launch of CROSSING THE RED LINE—the definitive account of how the Biden administration fueled bloodshed in Gaza & chaos today. It’s a resource for posterity and, I hope, more humane future policy Please join us at the iconic Frontline Club! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/book-talk-...
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Akbar Shahid Ahmed @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Tonight is the London launch of CROSSING THE RED LINE — the definitive account of how the Biden administration fueled bloodshed in Gaza & chaos today. It’s a resource for posterity and, I hope, more humane future policy 🙏🏽 Join us at the iconic Frontline Club! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/book-talk-...
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Akbar Shahid Ahmed @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Biden administration officials are determined to deflect responsibility for the tens of thousands of preventable deaths among Palestinians, Israelis+Lebanese that they fueled. The views from Blinken reported here echo what my in-depth reporting found. Much more in CROSSING THE RED LINE, out 9/22.
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Akbar Shahid Ahmed @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Pinching myself: after umpteen visits to @shakespeareandcompany.com as a reader, I walked in today as an author. I got to sign inserts that will soon go into copies of CROSSING THE RED LINE. In Paris or beyond, I hope you’ll order your copy soon! The definitive probe of Biden & Gaza is out 9/22. 🥖📚
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Akbar Shahid Ahmed @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
The US is again striking Iran. The stalemate Trump is now trapped in makes tit-for-tat violence + possible escalation a constant possibility—a dark outcome for the Gulf governments who drew close to his admin. Details on the grim prospects for Saudi, UAE, Qatar & more: www.notus.org/foreign-poli...
notus.org
Iran War Threatens the Economies of Trump's Gulf Allies
The freshly renewed conflict continues to stymie efforts by Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the U.A.E. to expand their non-oil revenue and global reach.
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Akbar Shahid Ahmed @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
More on McGurk’s plans and information about the Biden administration that they tried to keep me from sharing with the public in CROSSING THE RED LINE - out September 22! bookshop.org/p/books/cros...
bookshop.org
Crossing the Red Line: Biden, His Advisors, and Israel's War in Gaza
Following Hamas's horrific October 7 attack, Israel launched an offensive of staggering violence in Gaza, saying it targeted militants while regularly striking hospitals, schools, and homes. Criticall...
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Akbar Shahid Ahmed @akbarshahidahmed.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Biden advisors spent their final months in office working with Trump’s team to enshrine US regional policies aligned with Netanyahu — rejecting advice to finally break their pattern of doing so. Now Brett McGurk is being promoted by the admin. Much more on his interactions with them in my book.
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