The CIA, The Brothers Karzai and Spinning our COIN Wheels
In what could be understated as a bombshell, Dexter Filkins, Mark Mazzetti and James Risen have reported a dubious connection between the CIA, the brother of the Afghan President and the illicit opium trade: KABUL, Afghanistan -- Ahmed Wali Karzai, the brother of the Afghan president and a suspected player in the country's booming illegal opium trade, gets regular payments from the Central Intelligence Agency, and has for much of the past eight years, according to current and former American officials. The agency pays Mr. Karzai for a variety of services, including help

If Deryl Metcalfe Thinks I'm a Traitor, He Must Resign
On a frigid afternoon in the middle of the desert of Helmand Province, Afghanistan, I walked between halted trucks in our logistics convoy trying to find a buddy who had a box of MRE's that hadn't yet been raided for all of the good meals. My fellow Soldiers milled about, either napping to recover from driving all through the previous night, playing cards or dominoes, or like me, looking for some sustenance. Then, a high pitched descending shriek rang out of the sky and voices all around echoed the shout "incoming!" I reacted quickly, jumping under the closest truck for cover. The mortar round landed a good 100 meters beyond our position, and I climbed out from under the truc

Cannibal Conservatism: Author Makes Up Charges Against Secretary Gates
The Conservative movement has, for the last several months, started to remind me of the Donner Party. In a time of crisis, they begin to eat their own. The infighting has been going on for months and has occasionally touched the national security establishment, such as Congressional Republicans holding up the nomination of then-Republican Congressman John McHugh to be Army Secretary over issues that would not be within his purview in that post. Increasingly, Republicans are beginning to direct their ire at their own Defense Secretary, Robert Gates. Such is the case with

What Happens When the VA Actually Cares About Vets
Yesterday, I sat on a blogger roundtable call with Assistant Secretary of Veterans' Affairs Tammy Duckworth and Deputy Director of Education Services Lynn Nelson. The topic was the much-publicized problems Veterans are encountering in being payed the benefits to which they are entitled to under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The call was respectful, but heated. Vets from several different new media outlets and organizations aired their grievances candidly. To their credit, the VA representatives on the call took the criticism in stride, acknowledged fault and

My Life with Public Health Care
I must admit: Until a few years ago, the idea of a health care crisis never crossed my mind. I have never had to worry about my health care, as it has, as long as I can remember, been provided by my government. I don't know where my health care came from before the age of three. I don't know because, I don't really have detailed memories before then, and I'm not sure where my Dad worked or what benefits he received. What I do know is this: when I was three my parents moved to Northwest Florida with my brother and me. My Dad had gotten hired as a poultry inspector for the Department of Agriculture. He went to work every day at 5:30 AM, and didn't come home some days until dinner