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There's no greater antidote for war than love. Feelings of hatred and distrust form the necessary basis of armed confrontation. Replace those negative feelings with love and you're halfway towards resolution of any conflict.

Received this note from a Paratrooper in the Korengal Valley in Afghanistan.  He serves in Battle Company under the command of Captain Kearney and wanted to responed to the New York Times article by Elizabeth Rubin (Deebow's reaction to the article is here).

Not too long ago, Blackfive readers, joined by thousands of readers from other blogs, sent over 30,000 emails of support to Marines in Iraq.  The Marines had to shut down the email address because you all were causing bandwidth issues with the support we were sending.

Blackfive has linked to Excalibur Forums: Otto comments on the NY Times magazine article-A Bloody Stalemate in Afghanistan Link here:...

My son "Baby Face Franklin Eckrode" is mentioned in this article. Had to try and fix his weapon, while shot 4 times and seeing and hearing everything going on. The SAW he had is so old it doesn't even have the gun blueing on it anymore. Lynsey Addario for The New York Times Eyes in the Sky: At Camp Blessing, battalion members — led by Lt. Col. Bill Ostlund, far right — watch a monitor showing Capt. Dan Kearney’s troops six miles away. More Photos >

If a society is judged by the way it treats its military veterans, then we who live in the richest nation in the world and those who lead us should be condemned for our shameful neglect and callous disregard for those who defend us.

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We already have a up to a 14 hour wait at a VA emergancy room, any cutbacks with the influx of new veterans is BS. WASHINGTON -- Democratic senators warned Wednesday that a Bush administration proposal to cut VA medical center construction funding and boost prescription drug co-payments would be devastating to former service members.

Update 1:49pm Eastern. Thought you’d like to see this sign from the Pinkos as they amass in front of Berkeley’s City Hall (hat tip - William Amos; source: CNN). No need to question their patriotism anymore. They have none:

FOB SALERNO, Afghanistan (Army News Service, Feb. 11, 2008) - Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Richard Cody talked to Soldiers at a forward operating base near Afghanistan's border with Pakistan Saturday about the Army's plan to alleviate some of the burden of long deployments. "We are standing up six new infantry brigades and eight other brigades," Cody said, explaining how the Army will grow over the next five years. "We would like to get to the point where we have 12-month deployments with 24 months back at home with your family and taking care of schools and training." Cody promoted, awarded and re-enlisted Soldiers this weekend at FOB Salerno in the Province of Khost, Afghanistan. He met with Soldiers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team, deployed from Vicenza, Italy; 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, from Fort Campbell, Ky.; and others from the 4th Squadron, 73rd Calvary Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C He also discussed operations with leaders, and talked with the troops about their effort and dedication. "I don't know about this war like you do, but I understand what it is like," said Cody. "I'm not just some bureaucrat from Washington. I have two sons in the Army with six deployments between them." "You joined because 300 million people back home depend on you," Cody said. "You're writing history. You'll be able to look back in 30 or 40 years and know you made a difference in this world." Cody spoke of the support from the people back home and how much they supported their Soldiers. He said America holds its Soldiers in high regard during this war and they understand the struggles and hardships the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq face daily. "I am very optimistic, regardless of the stress of six years at war," Cody continued. "People are behind you and support what you're doing. Where the American Soldier marches; freedom marches in his footsteps." (Spc. Nathan W. Hutchison serves with the 22nd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment.)

The response was so overwhelming it crashed the site within minutes after launching, fueled by intense coverage from bloggers, talk radio, Internet, television reports and pro-troops organizations like the American Legion and Vets for Freedom.

Society for years has endured the freakish antics of Berkeley dwellers. Naked people streaking in the streets; smelly hippies begging for money as they sing drunken renditions of '60s anti-war songs; adults sitting in trees like a bad zoo exhibit.

Lady, you are entitled to your comments because thousands of service members men and women have served, given their lives and limbs to protect your butt sitting at home waiting for a handout. Ya, you can critic foreign policy and speak FREELY against our administration. But you only do so on the backs of the men and women who fight in your place. Shame on you. In any other foreign nation your defending they would either beat you, imprison you, some may torture and rape you. Enjoy your freedom, sadly you have no idea what that means. Col R. Baker Ret. | 12.03.07 - 3:35 pm | #

173rd, soldier's mom: Diana Toci is leading what she calls Christmas in October, a campaign that collects and sends supplies to soldiers who are serving in Afghanistan. Her son, Eric Ortegren, is a paratrooper there. (IJ photo/Frankie Frost)

The bad weather has hit, hopefully slowing down the Taliban and providing some relief from daily attacks. KABUL, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Dozens of people have been killed by heavy snow and freezing weather in recent days in Afghanistan, an official said on Saturday. The snow falls have also blocked roads connecting remote districts to urban areas in several western provinces, said Ghulam Mohammad Mujahid, an official of the Afghan Red Crescent Society. Some 35 employees of a construction company, including Iranian nationals, have been trapped by an avalanche in Herat province close to the border with Iran, Mujahid said. "Efforts are underway to rescue them," he told Reuters. More than 15 people and thousands of head of sheep perished in various parts of Herat, while 20 people were killed in the rugged province of Uruzgan in the south by cold weather and snow. A convoy carrying emergency food and other supplies for the affected families was trapped in Badghis due to heavy snow, Mujahid said. (Reporting by Sayed Salahuddin; Editing by David Fox and Sanjeev Miglani)

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan welcomed on Thursday U.S. plans to send an extra 3,000 troops to fight the Taliban insurgency, but Washington's move highlights divisions between Western allies over how much to commit to the country.

John G. KrensonThe Bush Administration has begun to shift some new focus to Afghanistan for fear that it has lost some of its focus there in the last year. If the Bush administration has indeed lost focus there, then it must be true most of the rest of us have as well. Since 2003 Iraq has consumed us and Afghanistan become an oft referred to “forgotten war”. So with a positive turnaround in Iraq, current events in Pakistan such as they are and the start of a new year it behooves us to look back at Afghanistan and think about what lies ahead there.First a little - and simplistic - recapAfghanistan, a land-locked country that is a “you can’t get there from here” kind of place, has never known true stability, peace, or prosperity. It’s best years in modern times where during its monarchy particularly between World War II and the early 70s. Then the king was overthrown in 1973 by a relative and the communists saw an opening to push for power. That happened in 1978. When this new communist regime seemed threatened the Soviets were “invited in” to prop them up.First Jimmy Carter and then Ronald Reagan encouraged and supported mujahedeen freedom fighters from sanctuaries inside Pakistan to fight the Soviets there and Afghans fled the country in droves. The mujahedeen were successful, the Soviets fled, the refugees stayed in their camps, the west said “thanks and see ya later” and the mujahedeen groups went after each other destroying much of Kabul in the process.Chaos reigned in the country causing Pakistan to seek some sense of stability there by supporting and building up the Taliban, a fundamentalist Islamic movement in the Pashtun southeast that eventually gained control of 95% of Afghanistan. An Islamic State was established with severe enforcement of strict Sharia law. The country remained isolated from much of the world, Pakistan was relatively happy with the situation; yet, oddly enough, the Afghan refugee camps there (which never emptied after the Soviet withdrawal) began filling up with more Afghans seeking to escape the Islamic state at twice the rate as when they fled the godless Soviet infidels. Tens of thousands of others - namely women, Hazaras, etc. - were massacred. Remember the 2 Buddha statues the Taliban blew apart? Most of us do as it was widely covered by our media. Remember the thousands of Hazara Muslims who lived nearby and who were massacred at the same time? I thought not; the media seemed to neglect that little detail in their coverage.But the world would have probably been able to live with such a situation for a long time until Osama Bin Laden needed refuge and the Taliban were needing a little extra cash. So he came there in the late 90s but it was not an always harmonious relationship. During one spat Saddam Hussein invited Bin Laden to take refuge in Iraq but Osama and the Taliban worked things out. It made sense as Osama had more leverage and clout in Afghanistan and would always be under the thumb of Saddam should he ever move to Iraq.Then came 9-11For us the War on Terror began with the attacks on 9-11 though for Bin Laden it was only the latest in a series of attacks over a decade. The US came in, the Taliban went out as did Osama but unfortunately not in a box or even in chains.The Good News for USBut the good news is there have been no further terror attacks in the US or against US direct interests outside the war zone. Roughly 75% of al-Qaeda leaders have been captured, killed or isolated. Bin Laden is stuck in a cave somewhere and al-Qaeda is further away than ever from establishing a caliphate under its influence. There are two new democracies in the Muslim world (Afghanistan and Iraq) and democracy has made significant gains in many parts of the Mideast (Kuwait, Qatar, Lebanon, to name a few) though it has a long way to go. Most overlooked is the great success in prompting Libya, one of the greatest terror sponsors in the 80s, to switch sides with its WMD sitting now in Oak Ridge Tennessee. While not completely desirable, the Islamic world is in turmoil and that is strategically much more desirable than a hegemonic jihadist Islamic enemy bent on our destruction. Better to keep them divided than unified against us. At least that gives time for the long process of education and liberty to seed, take root and grow - a long process.The Good News for the AfghansThe good news for the Afghans is that they have more stability and opportunity than they have had for over two decades. Consider:Two elections with 50-70% turnout despite the threat of rain - that is, the rain of rockets (liquid rain keeps our own turnout to less than half of theirs).68 of 188 seats in parliament occupied by women.The refugees are returning, at least 5 million to date - people go where hope is.Annual GDP regularly increases by over 10% with incomes doubling since 2001.There are at least 14 new banks (a sign of economic liberty) and 32 radios stations (a sign of political liberty).There are 9500+ schools (real ones, not just madrassas teaching memorized hate) with over 5 million students - 40% of them female.Kabul University opened not long after the fall of the Taliban and the American University of Afghanistan opened in 2006.Reconstruction along the main road arteries of the country has decreased travel time by at least 50%.80% of the population has access to health care.See more good news at http://www.defenselink.mil/home/dodupdate/For-the-record/documents/20061006.html

If I only had high speed internet: The House Armed Services Committee is holding a hearing on the “Assessment of U.S. Strategy and Operations in Afghanistan and the Way Ahead” on January 17th from 10:00-1:00 in the Rayburn Building, room 2118. Dr. Barnett Rubin, Dr. Anthony Cordesman (CSIS), Ambassador Karl Inderfurth, and General Barno will be testifying. We encourage you to attend or you can watch the hearing live on the Committee’s website, click here.

THE FACTS Hawai'i National Guard in AfghanistanHow many: About 75 Hawai'i soldiers attached to an Arizona battalion; 16 additional soldiers sent to work with Afghan police; about a half-dozen Hawai'i Air Guard airmenWhere: Troops are spread out in Afghanistan, but operate in eastern provinces including Nuristan and Laghman

This is a collection of information about each Oregon service member who died while serving in Operation Enduring Freedom and the War in Iraq. 101 Oregon Fatalities* 16 from the Oregon National Guard 1 from the Washington National Guard1 from the New York National Guard 55 from the United States Army 3 from the United States Army Reserve 19 from the United States Marine Corps 1 from the United States Air Force5 from the United States Navy  *The majority of these soldiers are from Oregon, based on their "Home of Record." The remaining soldiers have strong ties to Oregon. They may have gone to college or high school in Oregon, been born in Oregon, or were laid to rest in Oregon. Another soldier (Ogburn) is listed because he was a State of Oregon employee, his home of record is Idaho.