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US general reiterates "insignificant progress" in ME peace process. US Gen. David Petraeus reiterated Tuesday that "Israel is - has been, is and will be a - an important strategic ally of the United States." In an address to Washington based think tank the "Woodrow Wilson Center," Petraeus, commander of the US military’s Central Command, said reports claiming that he was seeking to relocate both Israel and Palestinian Territories from the European Command to his Central Command were “not correct".

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Wednesday that victory in Iraq and Afghanistan won't come in one glorious battle. Instead, Adm. Mike Mullen told a Kansas State University audience, success in the long wars will be determined by use of military and diplomatic powers, along with support from U.S. allies. Mullen said there won't be a day when commanders "stand up and say 'That's it, it's over. We won."' "We will win, but we will do so only over time and only after near-constant reassessment and readjustment," Mullen said. "Quite frankly, it will feel a lot less...

Who knew? Ally Bank is running all those TV ads belittling the “fine print” used by other banks. But as the Wall Street Journal detailed on Tuesday, the ads do not disclose that Ally is a unit of troubled GMAC  Financial Services, the former financing arm of GM, now seeking its third multi-billion taxpayer  bailout.Ally had been offering some of the highest CD interest rates in the nation until federal bank regulators pressured Ally to reduce them. Lower rates are one thing but there is another compelling consideration when shopping CD rates. When you deposit your money with Ally, you...

The Dow Jones reached a significant milestone yesterday, and news outlets were abuzz with excitement. Olympia Snowe's vote for the Baucus bill was plenty fodder for the 24-hour news cycles. But, for Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists in the United States, an epochal event transpired at the White House afternoon that should not slip notice. Lead me from Untruth to Truth. Lead me from darkness to light. Lead me from death to immortality. (from the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad -- I.iii.28) As the ethereal sounds of a Hindu priest's chanting of this Sanskrit prayer from ancient Hindu scripture filled the East Room,...

Since its creation, Israel has been one of America’s greatest allies and visa-versa. America has provided Israel with much of their defenses and armory. In return Israel has provided America with a place for democracy in the Middle East. In the past, there have been instances where the relationship has been tested. For instance, Jimmy Carter blamed the Israelis (Jews especially) for every single problem in the Middle East and that Israel should be two states with a Muslim Majority. Carter even went as far as to write a book called ‘Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid’ which, as you may have...

U.S. Intelligence Official about Israel: "This is just the beginning". U.S. Intelligence official "breaks silence" on Israel situation"Homeland Security 31 December 2008: Northeast Intelligence Network director Doug Hagmann interviewed a highly-placed U.S. intelligence official late yesterday who not only confirmed rumors about escalated and more intensive Israeli military operations against the Muslim terrorists in Gaza, [but] warned of the increasing probability of abandonment of Israel by the U.S. and other Western countries based on what he termed "malicious intelligence.""Remember that term," advised this well-placed intelligence official, "you'll be hearing it again." "This is just the beginning," stated this intelligence official,...

BAGHDAD – The Lithuanian armed forces contingent officially brought its mission in Iraq to a close Dec. 16 during a ceremony at Al Faw Palace. The Lithuanians have provided an infantry platoon and multiple staff officers in support of Multi-National Force – Iraq, Multi-National Corps – Iraq, Multi-National, Division – South East and Multi-National Division – Central South since 2003. The contingent, with the use of its infantry platoon deployed to Forward Operating Bases Delta and Echo, has provided security and a quick reaction force in support of U.S. and coalition forces. They also provided essential training to members of...

Japanese Air Self-Defense Force and 447th Air Expeditionary Group Airmen pose for one last photo together on the flightline at Sather Air Base on the west side of Baghdad International Airport, Dec. 8, 2008. After the photo was taken, the Japanese C-130 Hercules transport aircraft made its final departure from theater, concluding the Japanese military mission here. Photo by Master Sgt. Brian Davidson, 447th Air Expeditionary Group Public Affairs. BAGHDAD — The Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force held an end of mission ceremony at Al Faw Palace to commemorate the conclusion of their operations in Iraq with Coalition forces, Dec. 6....

Video Available: Japanese Defense Forces End-of-Mission Ceremony  CAMP VICTORY, Iraq – B-Roll of the Japanese End-of- Mission Ceremony at Camp Victory is now available. Video includes footage of the Deputy Commanding General of Multi-National Corps – Iraq Maj. Gen. Michael Ferriter speaking about the contributions of the Japanese Defense Forces to the coalition. The video also includes the presentations of awards for the Japanese soldiers by Ferriter. The video entitled “Japanese End-of-Mission Ceremony” is located on the Digital Video and Imagery Distribution System website at: http://www.dvidshub.net/?script=video/video_show.php&id=50839 or http://www.dvidshub.net/ keywords “Japanese End of Mission”. For the broadcast quality version of this video, please contact the...

Charles Krauthammer: The barbarism in Mumbai and the economic crisis at home have largely overshadowed an otherwise singular event: the ratification of military- and strategic-cooperation agreements between Iraq and the United States. They must not pass unnoted. They were certainly noted by Iran, which fought fiercely to undermine the agreements. Tehran understood how a formal U.S.-Iraqi alliance endorsed by a broad Iraqi consensus expressed in a freely elected parliament changes the strategic balance in the region. For the United States, it represents the single most important geopolitical advance in the region since Henry Kissinger turned Egypt from a Soviet client...

Marine Maj. Gen. Paul Lefebvre (center left) and Macedonian Soldiers come together one last time for an end of mission ceremony at the Schoolcraft Pavilion, Nov. 26, 2008. Photo by Maj. Allen Hing, 2nd Stryker Brigade 25th Infantry Division. CAMP TAJI — After eleven rotations since the beginning months of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Macedonian Soldiers are ending their part of the Coalition forces mission here. The end-of-mission ceremony was “bittersweet” for Coalition forces, as this longtime partner was closing a chapter on its partnership in Iraq.“Around 450 troops have passed through this mission, and a lot of experience has...

WASHINGTON — A growing al Qaida -backed insurgency, combined with the Pakistani army's reluctance to launch an all-out crackdown, political infighting and energy and food shortages are plunging America's key ally in the war on terror deeper into turmoil and violence, says a soon-to-be completed U.S. intelligence assessment. A U.S. official who participated in drafting the top secret National Intelligence Estimate said it portrays the situation in Pakistan as "very bad." Another official called the draft "very bleak," and said it describes Pakistan as being "on the edge."

Leadership: If anything shows how Democrats are beneath their office, it's how they snubbed the visiting leader of Colombia on his current trip. Sarah Palin, by contrast, shows respect.Based on their treatment of President Alvaro Uribe, who is here to plead for a free trade pact, it's almost as if Democrats don't want the U.S. to have allies. Uribe made a rare visit to Washington, and shamefully few Democrats agreed to meet him. Uribe didn't come asking for much — only that Congress keep its word on an agreement that will drop tariffs on American goods sold in Colombia and...

This truck (BELOW) came through the intersection proudly displaying the American Flag and a 9/11 Remembrance Flag. The list of 8 Patriots getting wet to support our troops were: Legionnaire Glenn (USMC - WWII), Dave (Army - WWII), Frank (Army - Korea), FReepers and Lurkers - Lurker Bill, Cindy_True_Supporter, Eager, Sensei Ern, [Mrs] Trooprally, aka [Mrs] T, and myself, [Mr] T. Pics are by [Mrs] T BELOW LEFT: Cindy_True_Supporter and Eager. BELOW RIGHT: Sensei Ern, Dave and Frank BELOW LEFT: Glenn, Frank and Dave. BELOW RIGHT: Lurker Bill BELOW LEFT: Cindy_True_Supporter BELOW RIGHT: Me BELOW: And the Clueless Moonbats got...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15, 2008 – President Bush today pledged the United States will support the former Soviet republic of Georgia in its time of need, as Russian troops still occupy parts of the country. Video “The United States and our allies stand with the people of Georgia and their democratically elected government,” Bush said at the White House. “Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected. Moscow must honor its commitment to withdraw its invading forces from all Georgian territory,” Bush declared, noting the United States is working closely with its European allies and other members of the G-7...

A girl looks out from the Numaniyah, Iraq, Handicap Association's new facility, soon after it opened, Aug. 8. Photo by Sgt. Daniel West. FORWARD OPERATING BASE DELTA — The Numaniyah Handicapped Association celebrated the opening of a new facility, Aug. 8. The facility, which was built with coalition funds, will be used by the association for administrative purposes, and will also have rooms dedicated to therapy.Soldiers of El Salvador’s Battalion Cuscatlán supervised construction of the 200 square meter building, which cost about $200,000.“It’s good that it will be open to help people with special needs,” said Ahmed, a local citizen...

SDEROT, Israel (Reuters) - U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama assured Israel and its U.S. Jewish supporters on Wednesday he was a friend who would not press for peace concessions that would compromise its security. Hailing Israel as a "miracle," he vowed staunch support and held only a low-profile meeting with Palestinian leaders in the occupied West Bank. Obama, seeking to allay wariness among some U.S. Jewish voters about his policy towards Israel, flew to Sderot, a town hit by rockets fired from the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, saying he hoped to bring peace but would not dictate the terms of...

5 years on, Iraq as an ally?Posted By Uncle Jimbo One of the themes that Pete Hegseth has been pointing out is that while Iraqis have killed many US service members, Iraq is not our enemy. As a matter of fact we need to start looking at them as a developing ally. The left, and far too many who have drunk the poison being published and broadcast, focus on the casualties in Iraq and the fact that we have been there for 5 years as the salient facts. Sadly no, those factors certainly matter but they fail to take a...

JOHN Howard says he has left Australia with a stronger, less ambiguous sense of national pride than before the Coalition won government in 1996. "I think we were having a pointless debate about our identity in the early 1990s," the former prime minister said after a speech to Harvard University students yesterday. "I think we've shed that. We have now got a very positive view of Australian history and Australian achievement. I think our sense of national pride is stronger now than it was in the 1990s and less ambiguous. And that's tremendously important." Mr Howard, who in Washington last...

JAKARTA, Indonesia - Former Indonesian President Suharto, the U.S. Cold War ally who led one of the 20th century's most brutal dictatorships over 32 years that saw up to a million political opponents killed, died Sunday. He was 86. Suharto had been ailing in a hospital in the capital, Jakarta, since Jan. 4 when he was admitted with failing kidneys, heart and lungs. Finally toppled by mass street protests in 1998, Suharto's departure opened the way for democracy in this predominantly Muslim nation of 235 million people and he withdrew from public life, rarely venturing from his comfortable villa on...