Free Republic

"The investigative case has to take a back seat to preventing the next terrorist act," a senior law enforcement official said. "That comes right from the top, from the president of the United States on down." In preparation, the FBI has a plan in place to go "full tilt" for 72 hours whenever the president decides to make a move against bin Laden, al Qaeda or Afghanistan's ruling Taliban government, the official said. At the investigation's command center in FBI headquarters, a team of analysts and agents has been working around the clock sifting through reports of potential threats since ...

The Swiss ambassador to Iran, Tim Guldimann, is in Washington this week amid signs of a growing rapprochement between the Islamic state and the West. Behind the scenes, the Swiss embassy in Tehran has been building bridges, acting as a go-between for Iran and the United States, which severed diplomatic relations after the Islamic revolution in 1979. Iran was quick to condemn the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington, and both Iran and neighbouring Afghanistan have been at loggerheads for some time. The Swiss efforts are among several diplomatic missions taking place in Iran. The British foreign secretary, ...

Switzerland’s Ministry of Justice has confirmed that the US has formally asked for judicial assistance from Swiss authorities for its investigation into the September 11 terror attacks on New York and Washington. A spokeswoman for the ministry, Adrienne Lotz, confirmed a report that the US request for judicial assistance had arrived last Friday and had already been approved. “We are working on it,” Lotz said, “but in the interest of the inquiries both in the US and in Switzerland no further details can be given to the media.” Nobody at the US embassy in the Swiss capital, Bern, which would ...

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) -- With temperatures just below freezing, flurries falling and lingering snow crunching underfoot, Punxsutawney Phil -- the world's most famous groundhog -- saw his shadow Friday morning. According to legend, that means winter will stick around for six more weeks. In the past 155 years, Phil has seen his shadow 101 times. The prospect of six more weeks of winter wasn't welcome news to Miriam Wise, 11. ''I want spring so I can go barefoot and start planting,'' Miriam said as she walked along a downtown street toward the library, the groundhog's makeshift zoo. Bill Cooper, president ...

After lagging behind Gore, sometimes as much as 0.70 to 0.30, Bush has now pulled back into the lead in the Iowa Electronic Market's "Winner-takes-all" Presidential Election 2000 futures exchange. For graph, please click on this link: http://128.255.244.60/graphs/Pres00_WTA.gif

Please forgive the vanity, but this might be a worthwhile and effective suggestion. How about as many of us as possible doing the following? In addition to the usual Bush/Cheney signs in the front yard, try creating your own very special sign. What I have in mind is one which has in big letters: Clinton/Gore/_____ (fill in the blank with whatever slimeball is chosen as Gore's VP nominee). Then put a great big red circle with a slash through it on top of their names. At the bottom of the sign, in big black letters, the slogan: IT'S TIME FOR ...