Free Republic

On standby ... RAF Tornadoes like these THREE dozen RAF bombers are on standby to lead an air blitz on Iraq. Tornados, Jaguars and Harriers have a fortnight to prepare to fly to the Gulf. The RAF package will be beefed up by reconnaissance aircraft, refuelling tankers and early warning AWACS jets. Defence chiefs have ordered 60 extra aircraft to fly to Kuwait and Turkey ready for an air war. They will be armed with the latest "fire and forget" laser and satellite-guided missiles, making them 100 times more powerful than those used in the Gulf War. Britain already...

Germany's president wants the word Luftwaffe removed from official aircraft used on government business. Johannes Rau believes the word was once a symbol of the country's proud military past and is tarnished by its Second World War associations. Instead he wants Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Federal Republic of Germany) written on the fuselage of official Airbus planes. Mr Rau's inspiration is the US president's plane, Air Force One, which is emblazoned with the words United States of America rather than US Air Force. German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has also reportedly expressed a wish to depose the tradition of identifying VIP aircraft with...

Support H.R.5193, "The Back To School Tax Relief Act"H.R.5193, "The Back to School Tax Relief Act," provides a tax cut for low to moderate income families, allowing them to deduct up to $3000 in expenses related to elementary and secondary education in public or private schools. The legislation is currently being debated by the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington with significant opposition coming from the expected sources - the National Education Association and the public school PTA. Continuous support in the form of telephone calls, e-mails, and faxes to the members of the NJ Congressional House Delegation is...