Free Republic

During Wednesday’s briefing by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, CBS national security reporter Jennifer Griffin asked the two about the decision to abandon Bagram Air Base in the weeks leading up to Afghanistan’s collapse. That decision has proven to be crucial, as it left Afghanistan with no U.S. military support and now leaves the civilians stranded there with one option: to try to get to the Kabul international airport through Taliban checkpoints. The U.S. government issued a statement saying that it cannot guarantee their safety and that even if they...

"Officials say the crash killed all seven crew members. And there is no word yet on their nationalities. "Emergency responders are still on the scene of the crash, at the sprawling base north of Kabul. Officials are still trying to determine the reason for the crash but say there's no indication of hostile fire.

During a December 3, 2010 surprise visit to Afghanistan, President Obama spoke to the troops at Bagram Air Base. Although most of what the president said would be expected from a United States president, there was one remark that was most troubling and could overshadow the whole trip. President Barry Hussein Soetoro told the young fighting men and women of the armed services that America is not defined by her borders but instead is defined by what he referred to as a common creed, which is in fact a statement from the Declaration of Independence.

On the way to India for his first visit there (which will include talks on a landmark deal on civilian nuclear trade), President Bush made his second surprise visit to US troops overseas, this time in Afghanistan, visiting with some of the approximately 19,000 US troops there, as well as President Hamid Karzai. Then it was on to India. Welcome to Sanity Island.