Free Republic

Putin: Ally or Terrorist? by William F. Jasper Counting Vladimir Putin as an ally against terrorism ignores his career in the murderous KGB/FSB and his ongoing support for terrorist regimes and organizations. ‘‘Lena Goncharuk, aged 38, said that she was the only one to survive out of a group of six who were ordered out of the cellar where they had been hiding and shot at point blank range. Resting in her hospital bed, her voice barely rising above a whisper, she said she had survived only by pretending to be dead." So reported Paul Wood from the Chechen border...

THE government was drawn into a diplomatic row with the United States and Italy last night, after a senior British ambassador described President George Bush as "the best recruiting sergeant for al-Qaeda". Sir Ivor Roberts, the British ambassador in Rome, made the extraordinary comment during a weekend meeting of politicians and journalists. His remarks were designed to be off-the-record but they proved so explosive that Italy's leading newspaper, Corriere della Sera, decided to breach the rule and publish them. Corriere reported Sir Ivor as saying: "George W Bush is the best recruiting sergeant for al-Qaeda. If there is anyone ready...

Britain, Other U.S. Allies Defend Legal Basis For Invasion Of Iraq AFP: 9/16/2004 LONDON (AFP) - Leading allies of the United States defended the legal basis for the US-led invasion of Iraq and their involvement there after UN chief Kofi Annan reignited the debate over its legitimacy. The governments of Britain, Australia and Poland, which have supported the war by sending combat or humanitarian troops of their own, insisted the war was backed by international law, while Japan asked for clarification. They based their case on past UN resolutions requiring Iraq to disarm. In an interview Wednesday with the BBC,...

All Australians known to be in Iraq have been accounted for as Prime Minister John Howard said he was cautiously hopeful that a claim terrorists had taken two Australians hostage was a hoax. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) officials have contacted all 225 Australians known to be in Iraq in the two days since an Islamic terrorist group said it had seized two Australian and two Asian security contractors near the Iraqi town of Samarra. The Horror Brigades of the Islamic Secret Army said it would execute the hostages unless Australia withdrew forces from Iraq within 24 hours....

WASHINGTON, September 13 (Itar-Tass) - US President George W.Bush visited the Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C., on Sunday and made an entry in the book of condolences, expressing sympathy for people who had fallen victim to the recent monstrous school hostage seizure in Beslan, North Ossetia, and reaffirming his country's solidarity with Russia in resistance to terrorist threats. First Lady Laura Bush and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice accompanied the US President. In a open-page note in the book of condolences, George W. Bush and Laura Bush pointed out that they pray for the victims, their relatives and next-of-kin, and...

Poland Vows to Stay in Iraq The Polish peacekeepers will stay in Iraq despite the death of three of its soldiers, President Aleksander Kwasniewski said. In a live television interview on Sunday, Kwasniewski said Warsaw could not allow troops to withdraw "unilaterally, nervously and in disarray". Aleksander Kwasniewski spoke just hours after three Polish soldiers died and three others were wounded in an ambush near the Iraqi city of Hilla. Bulgaria is contributing a nearly 500-strong light infantry unit under Polish commandment within the multinational forces deployed in the south-center part of Iraq.

Thank you so much! I'm Italian and my English is bad, I know. In my last thread I've made some mistakes. And I'm sorry about it. I've recived a lot of mail from you, my dear American friends. Everybody said that they love Italy and that they are with my country in this orrible hours. Thank you so much for your words, dears. I'm so proud to stand with you today. I'm so proud to believe in the Republican American Party. We will not surrender. Never. Italy is with you in this war. We are in Iraq because we believed...

Listen to David Gollust's report (RealAudio) Gollust report - Download 380k (RealAudio)   AP Beslan residents dig graves for those killed in assault on school The United States Tuesday reaffirmed its "absolute solidarity" with Russia in its fight against terrorism, but also reiterated its support for a political solution to the Chechnya conflict. The comments followed charges by Russian President Vladimir Putin that U.S. meetings with Chechen separatists undermine Russia's efforts against terror. Officials here are defending past U.S. contacts with Chechen separatists in the face of sharp criticism by Mr. Putin following the terrorist attack last week that killed...

   Aussie serves with Stryker Brigade as a sniperBy Sgt. Fred Minnick Tall Afar, Iraq – In 2001, Spc. John Shore, 20, went to his hometown army recruiting station in Sydney, Australia, and requested a position in an Australian army combat arms unit. The recruiter told Shore that only combat support slots were available, but Shore didn’t want to serve as an administrative specialist or a cook. He desired a life jam-packed with adventure and danger. He knew he wanted to be an infantry soldier. Although he grew up in Australia, Shore had always held a dual citizenship because...

[HERALD INTERVIEW]Polish minister says Warsaw troops will stay in Iraq Poland's top foreign affairs official says South Korea and his country share common goals in their mission to Iraq. Foreign Minister Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz said both countries, which maintain among the largest forces in the U.S.-led coalition, have a great responsibility to help ease tensions in the war-ravaged country. "Poland and Korea participate in a difficult mission in Iraq. Of course we have a lot of common problems to talk about," the minister said in an interview with The Korea Herald yesterday. "Both our nations took some special responsibility for the...

WASHINGTON - Stung by criticism about its role in fighting terrorism, Saudi Arabia has launched a radio advertising campaign in 19 U.S. cities citing the Sept. 11 commission report as proof that it has been a loyal ally in the fight against al-Qaida. The two advertisements quote the commission's conclusion that the Saudi government did not fund al-Qaida. One ad cites the report's finding that Saudi Arabia stopped a 1998 plot to attack U.S. troops; the other cites a finding that Saudis were not flown out of the United States right after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The ads don't...

Here come the Hummers - the Polish Army's new heavyweight fleet From Poland A.M. The Polish army will soon receive 217 famous American armor-plated Hummer vehicles, bought using money from a $22 million indefinite loan from the States. "The first cars will be here by August 23-25 and later deliveries will arrive every month," said Lieutenant-Colonel Krzysztof Kokoszka. The first Hummers will not be ready for use until fall, as they have to be adapted to Polish road conditions first. The vehicles are 4.6 m long, 2 m wide, carry six soldiers and are the U.S. light infantry's primary transport....

No Breakthrough By M.M. 18 August 2004 "This is the moment when Poland progresses from a consumer of U.S. policy to a real partner," said Prime Minister Marek Belka, after conducting a series of talks in the United States in early August. However, most commentators agree that the visit produced no real breakthrough. During his working visit to the United States, which ended Aug. 9, Belka met with officials including U.S. President George W. Bush (see photo) and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. He discussed issues including a reduction of Polish troop presence in Iraq and a gradual reorganization of...

FORT CARSON, Colo. — In the Iraqi border town of Al Qaim, U.S. forces were getting pounded by insurgents up to 10 times each day. Tankers from the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment (search) knew that intelligence was key to battling the enemy. Capt. Chad Roehrman was at a checkpoint when he thought another dodgy informant walked up.

Details now emerging. In Japanese..... North Korean MiG locked on to Japan EP-3 surveillance craft over Sea of Japan in March 2003, during joint work over international waters between Japan and North Korea, with US Navy. US Navy RC135-S "Cobra Ball" surveillance aircraft was also locked on for shootdown by DPRK Airforce in international airspace.Japan Air Self Defense forces scrambled (several) F-15s from Komaki Air Base in Western Japan to challenge the DPRK MiGs, which backed down and released their radar "Lock On". Later and soon after, the DPRK enemy aircraft harrassed US Navy Aircraft for nearly 20 minutes,...

Nearly a quarter of the RAF is to be axed, with the loss of more than 100 front-line aircraft, Geoff Hoon, the Defence Secretary, said yesterday. Overall, the Armed Forces will be reduced by a tenth in what the Tories described as "a political and moral betrayal". Many ships and tanks will be scrapped. The RAF is to be cut from 53,800 personnel to 41,000 and will lose all 108 Jaguar ground attack aircraft. A fifth of its Tornado F3 fighter aircraft are to go, plus its base at Coltishall, Norfolk. It will also lose nine of its Nimrod maritime...

While attending several anti-Bush/anti-War demonstrations recently, I have managed to get a fairly decent grip on the arguments, fallacious though they may be, of the Left. I call this “opposition research.” Many of their arguments are conspiracy theories of various kinds (i.e. an oil pipelines in Afghanistan) and are not worthy of a response. However, the following represents the most reasoned issues raised and the answers I have provided. In all cases in which one of the demonstrators has agreed to discuss their issues, the conversations ended in their promise to research the issue further and get back to...

To those who do not want to face up to hard and brutal choices in a nuclear age, the magic formula is to turn to something called "the international community" -- or, more concretely, the United Nations or "our European allies." As with so many rhetorical solutions to hard problems, the specific realities behind the rhetoric get very little attention. What is the actual track record of the UN or Europe? Is it something to rely on, in life and death decisions? The UN stood idly by in Rwanda while mass slaughters went on. The UN passed resolution after resolution...

Rumsfeld Thanks Moldova For Support in Terror War By Donna MilesAmerican Forces Press Service CHISINAU, Moldova, June 26, 2004 — Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld today became the highest-level U.S. official to visit Moldova, thanking members of this former Soviet state for their support for Operation Iraqi Freedom and encouraging continued participation in the Partnership for Peace program. Rumsfeld made a brief stop here today en route to the NATO Istanbul Summit to praise Moldova, the poorest nation in Europe, and to thank President Vladimir Voronin and the Moldovan people for their role in maintaining stability in the region....

President Bush met with Peter Medgyessy, Prime Minister of Hungary today to discuss the war in Iraq. Both leaders answered a few questions from the media. Later in the day, First Lady Laura joined President Bush to celebrate black music month. Enjoy your daily dose of Dubya!