Reply #9: I agree with you - your comment there is fantastic

[karynnj]

All of them, including Reyes, gave very thoughtful testimony speaking both of things that worked and things that limited their effectiveness. The anti-war people actually distorted both John Kerry's and Reyes' testimonies extracting only what they wanted to hear from each. Brave New Worlds is using both Reyes and the hearing for their own agenda - and in doing so they could hurt both. I think this hearing, unlike the 1971 one, is actually more useful for those who believe we need to succeed here, but feel that changes are needed from what we did in the past. I hope that Kerry can get Gates or someone high under him to view this hearing.

Like you, I heard many describing things that could or did work. Couple that with Kerry's comments that unlike Vietnam what happens here does impact our security. It actually impacts the world's security and it allows us to help the Afghan people. It is significant that the BU professor, who is anti-war, spoke of how while the vets of Vietnam included many who became antiwar, most from Afghanistan "tuned out".

I though Genevieve Chase's comments of working with Village elders and the need to provide security simultaneously with asking them to get their village to change and her comments about trust being something won over time and given to the individual was very interesting. I wonder if placing people in one place for their entire tour would not only be more effective, but safer on the individual level as it would seem as you build trust you gain people more likely to watch your back.

Kerry did a wonderful job selecting these people. They were all extremely thoughtful, serious people, clearly committed to doing a good job, and all had clearly very intelligently reflected on their experiences and had pulled insight out of them. There were many well developed thoughts and suggestions that really should be considered. This was clearly a difficult hearing for him - emotionally it had to bring back much of Vietnam and I think he really cringed at points when young John Kerry was mentioned so often. I know the SFRC hasn't had a hearing like this before, has the Armed Services Committee?