Free Republic

So the Democratic National Committee (DNC) gave a walk-through Wednesday for network journalists planning on covering the party's nominating convention this summer in Charlotte. But while the DNC is trumpeting the convention as "the most open and accessible in history," the Charlotte Observer's Mark Washburn complained that the briefing, attended by some 500 journalists, was kept strictly off-the-record. What's more, Washburn notes, when he complained about what he saw as ludicrous ground rules for the briefing, the convention's chief operating officer, Theodore LeCompte snipped that

Victoria Jackson gives an account of the briefing she attended at the House Office Longworth Building. The briefing was given by an ex-FBI agent. He showed pictures, names, dates, Islamic law books, Korans and Surahs. Victoria shares how the Muslim Brotherhood has infiltrated our highest positions in government and how they are working with Hilary Clinton to get 'Islamophobia' punishable by law.

VINEYARD HAVEN, Massachusetts — The White House showed President Barack Obama absorbed in a security briefing with his top anti-terror aide Friday, countering Republican complaints about his summer vacation. Arguing the duties of his job follow him everywhere, aides released a picture of Obama, in a blue leisure shirt, receiving his daily intelligence briefing from John Brennan at rented Blue Heron Farm on Martha's Vineyard. Officials did not divulge contents of the briefing but it took place at a time of escalating fighting between Moamer Kadhafi's forces and Libyan rebels and followed a US call for Syria's President Bashar al-Assad...

Obama and Clinton wrapped up their private meeting in the Oval Office. Clinton wanted to publicly endorse the tax package. Obama is welcoming all the help he can get. So the two presidents headed straight for the famous briefing room with no warning. Except they couldn't get in. The door was locked because press staff members were at their holiday party in the Executive Mansion. Obama and Clinton went back up a hall and found a press aide at her desk. "Do you know how to open up the briefing room?" Obama asked. Press secretary Robert Gibbs heard the voices...

There is currently a fierce battle among several major news outlets to claim the front-row seat in the White House briefing room recently vacated by long-time White House correspondent Helen Thomas, who retired amid scandal in June. One of the news outlets battling for the seat is Fox News, which is currently the only TV-network without a front-row seat. It will ultimately be up to the nine-member White House Correspondents’ Association board to decide who gets the highly coveted placement. This morning, The Daily Caller’s Jonathan Strong reported how some members of the now defunct Journolist list-serv discussed how Fox...

President Barack Obama received a high-level briefing only three days before Christmas about possible holiday-period terrorist threats against the US, Newsweek has learned. The briefing was centered on a written report, produced by US intelligence agencies, entitled "Key Homeland Threats", a senior US official said. The senior Administration official, who asked for anonymity when discussing sensitive information, said that nowhere in this document was there any mention of Yemen, whose Al-Qaeda affiliate is now believed to have been behind the unsuccessful Christmas Day attempt by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab to bring down a transatlantic airliner with a bomb hidden in his...

WASHINGTON – New questions surfaced Wednesday about the accuracy of a CIA document meant to settle who in Congress knew about severe interrogation methods approved by the Bush administration. Three new errors appeared to emerge in the CIA's matrix of 40 congressional briefings on so-called enhanced interrogation techniques. Those techniques include waterboarding, a form of simulated drowning, which President Barack Obama has called torture. The CIA acknowledged one of the errors but continued to stand by its version of events in the other two cases.

Rep. Pete Hoekstra, House Republicans' point man on the burgeoning interrogation controversy, is seeking more documents from the CIA in light of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's assertion that the CIA lied to her. Hoekstra (R-Mich.), the ranking Republican on the House intelligence committee, is asking the agency for the documents that CIA staffers reviewed to prepare for their congressional briefings on the Bush administration's interrogation program. "I was greatly concerned at allegations made by Speaker Pelosi that intelligence professionals from the CIA 'misled' her and potentially other members of Congress," Hoekstra wrote in a letter sent Friday. "Accordingly I am...

Democrats on the House intelligence committee said Thursday that CIA officers broke the law in 2002 if they told Nancy Pelosi then that they had not yet engaged in waterboarding. "If they make a false report, absolutely it's illegal," said Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. "If they fail to make a report when they're obligated to that is also illegal — a violation of the National Security Act." Said CIA Spokesman George Little: “It is not the policy of the CIA to mislead the United States Congress.”

WASHINGTON – It's a political squall that won't die: What did House Speaker Nancy Pelosi know about harsh questioning of detainees, and when did she know it? On Friday, the California Democrat was forced to issue yet another press release, reiterating her past assertions that she had been briefed in 2002 only on new interrogation techniques that had been deemed legal and were planned for future use. Pelosi had made the same comments in 2007 when word first leaked that she was aware of the interrogation program and had not objected to it.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Barack Obama will get his first intelligence briefing as president-elect on Thursday, a U.S. official said, as the first-term senator prepared to face security challenges from terrorism to a resurgent Russia. The official, who is familiar with the process, said on Wednesday that Obama would receive the same briefing as outgoing President George W. Bush. The briefing is more detailed and comprehensive than those given candidate Obama and the Republican opponent he defeated on Tuesday, Sen. John McCain. "He (Obama) will see the full range of capabilities we deploy for the United States," CIA Director Michael Hayden...

New Defence Secretary Robert Gates, just back from Iraq, has briefed US President George W Bush on his trip amid a report that some US military commanders had decided to recommend an increase in troops there. Mr Bush has said he would unveil a fresh plan for the increasingly unpopular Iraq war early in the new year. He has said a temporary increase in US forces was one option he was considering. Mr Bush met Mr Gates, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and other officials at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland, where he is spending the Christmas holiday....

Press Briefing by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, Border Patrol Chief David Aguilar, ICE Assistant Secretary Julie Myers, Assistant Secretary of Defense Paul McHale, and Chief of the National Guard Bureau Lt. General Steven Blum on the President's Immigration Reform Plan. Ms. Healy: I just wanted to thank you all for being here. I'm Erin Healy with the White House Press Office. I just want to introduce everyone very quickly. We have Secretary Chertoff from Homeland Security who is here with us today. We also have Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense Paul McHale who is also with us....

This one is delicious, and demonstrates quite vividly how today’s journalists say whatever they want whenever they want with total disregard for factual content or historical accuracy (hat tip to Expose the Left with video link to follow). During Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s Pentagon briefing on Tuesday, an unidentified reporter asked, “Mr. Secretary, getting back to the question of the CIA, the last time we had an active-duty military officer heading up the CIA was even before you were in government, 1953 I believe.” Rumsfeld quickly stopped the reporter in his tracks: “What was Vernon -- didn't Vernon Walters do...

MR. McCLELLAN: No, no, let's talk about how -- the way you're approaching things. This should be based on a person's record and qualifications and their judicial philosophy, and she greatly exceeds all the standards that have been set for meeting what is needed to serve on our nation's highest court. She is exceptionally well-qualified. And I would encourage you -- I know you don't necessarily want to do this -- but to look at her qualifications and record. MR. McCLELLAN: -- let's look at the qualifications. MR. McCLELLAN: Bob, anyone that knows Harriet Miers knows that she's exceptionally well-qualified...

For an object lesson on Old Media liberal bias, read the transcript of the May 17 press briefing by White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan. The recurrent themes jumping from the condescending reporters' questions were anti: President Bush, American military, U.S. Constitution, Republican Party, and pro: Democrat obstructionism, terrorist-sympathizing and Old Media arrogance, unaccountability and elitism. I can provide but a few examples in a short column, but they're telling. Question: "Scott, the Senate has managed to function -- or not function, as the case may be -- for more than 200 years without a ban on judicial filibusters. Is...

Debate Briefing Book –for– SENATOR KERRY Debate 1: Foreign Policy This is not a vote about a message, John. It is a vote about war.You are saying the removal of Saddam Hussein has left America less secure. Unfortunately, you also told Howard Dean, Those who doubted whether Iraq or the world would be better off without Saddam Hussein, and those who believe we are not safer with his capture, don't have the judgment to be president or the credibility to be elected president. You are saying the U.S. is spending too much money on Iraq, but in August 2003, you...

SPRING GREEN, WI -- Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani visited Spring Green, Wisconsin today where he unveiled the “Debate Briefing Book for Senator Kerry” (as prepared by Bush-Cheney '04) and issued the following statement. "Senator Kerry has taken so many different positions on the issues facing the country that we thought he would benefit from the overview of the most interesting debate -- the one John Kerry is having with himself.  He's been for the war, against the war and for it and against it again.  Last week, he became an anti-war candidate again.  This is a fatal...

Fox News exposes Richard Clarke for the lying scumbag he is... and a whole media can of worms opens up. Clarke briefing transcripts from 2002 to a group of reporters, including FoxNews' Jim Angle, confirms Clarke's book is a lie...

Date Released: Monday, March 01, 2004 Source: NASA HQ Significant findings from NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity, now exploring Meridiani Planum on Mars, will be announced at a press briefing at 2 p.m. EST, Tuesday, March 2, 2004, at NASA Headquarters, Washington. The briefing will originate from the James E. Webb Auditorium, 300 E St., S.W., Washington, and will be carried live on NASA TV with two-way question-and-answer capability for reporters covering the event from participating NASA centers. Dr. Ed Weiler, Associate Administrator, Office of Space Science at NASA Headquarters, will make opening remarks. The panelists include: Professor Steve Squyres,...

(Participating were Army Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, deputy director of operations, Combined Joint Task Force 7, and Dan Senor, senior advisor to the Coalition Provisional Authority.) Senor: Good afternoon. I just have a couple of quick announcements, after which General Kimmitt has a brief opening statement, and then we'll be happy to take your questions. Earlier today Ambassador Bremer met with a Turkish business delegation, led by the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey. The delegation, which also includes the Turkish ambassador to Iraq, are in Baghdad for the day to look at the foreign investment climate and...

Coalition Provisional Authority Briefing from Baghdad (Participating were Army Brig. Gen. Mark Kimmitt, deputy director of operations, Coalition Joint Task Force 7, and Dan Senor, senior advisor to the Coalition Provisional Authority.) Senor: Good afternoon. A couple of quick administrative items. Following this press briefing, there will be a backgrounder at 3:00 around the corner here in the International Press Center. It is a backgrounder on an Iraqi policy that's being announced, I think within the next 24 hours. Members of the Governing Council asked us to organize here a backgrounder on it. The information in the backgrounder will be...

Chairman Hunter: Folks, we had a great briefing for the members of the House. We had lots of questions on the update, on the theatre, Iraq, Afghanistan. We kept the Secretary over he has time for one question. Q: Mr. Secretary, what do you think about the new proposal to put some predictability back in the lives of the reservists? Rumsfeld: That proposal? Q: Are you familiar with it? Rumsfeld: I may be, but not from that definition. We have a situation with the guard and reserve that is uneven. Because of an imbalance between the active force and the...

MR. SENOR: Good afternoon. We have a slight technical glitch. Only one of the plasma screens here will be working. So we should have that fixed within the next couple days. I've just got a brief few words, brief opening statement. Then General Kimmitt will do a short presentation, and then we are happy to take your questions. We are joined by Hamid al-Kifa'i, who, as you -- many of you know, is the spokesperson for the Governing Council. And he is here to answer any questions you have with regard to the Governing Council. Ambassador Bremer today welcomed the...

Staff: Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to this evening's press conference. Tonight Major General Swannack will be speaking to you about the 82nd Airborne Division Area of Operations during his opening comments. When he's concluded his comments he will take your questions. If you have a cell phone or radios, please turn them off at this time. Cameramen, please do not walk in and among the journalists that are seated. When you are given the opportunity to ask your question, please state your name and the news agency that you work for, and then after you've asked the question,...

<p>U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson said Monday the Bush administration last year told him and other senators that Iraq not only had weapons of mass destruction, but they had the means to deliver them to East Coast cities.</p> <p>Nelson, D-Tallahassee, said about 75 senators got that news during a classified briefing before last October's congressional vote authorizing the use of force to remove Saddam Hussein from power. Nelson voted in favor of using military force.</p>

Truth and consequencesNew questions about U.S. intelligence regarding Iraq's weapons of mass terrorBy Bruce B. Auster, Mark Mazzetti and Edward T. PoundOn the evening of February 1, two dozen American officials gathered in a spacious conference room at the Central Intelligence Agency in Langley, Va. The time had come to make the public case for war against Iraq. For six hours that Saturday, the men and women of the Bush administration argued about what Secretary of State Colin Powell should--and should not--say at the United Nations Security Council four days later. Not all the secret intelligence about Saddam Hussein's misdeeds,...

US rejects N Korea concessions The United States has rejected the idea of making economic concessions to North Korea in exchange for a commitment to abandon its nuclear programme. White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said the US would not "reward North Korea for bad behaviour". North Korea had earlier said nuclear talks with the US were pointless if Washington continued to insist Pyongyang first scrapped its suspected nuclear programme. The comments come a day after US Secretary of State Colin Powell said Washington was reviewing Pyongyang's offer to give up its nuclear programme in exchange for substantial economic concessions. Mr...

BRIEFING: AT WAR WITH IRAQBY WORLD TRIBUNE.COM WITH MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE Day 15 — April 3, 3003See Previous Briefings: Day 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 U.S.: Saddam has lost control of his military ABU DHABI — The United States has assessed that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein lost control of his military. U.S. officials said advancing coalition forces have encountered little to no resistance along the outskirts of Baghdad. They said Republican Guard formations around the capital show little will to defend the city. "There is increasing evidence that the regime...

A tip to the Command Post from a source 'in the business'Developing..

(Russian Military Intelligence Language Translation )A meeting was held at the main coalition headquarters, at which an analysis of the maintence force was presented.In a personal telephone conversation with a colleague in the United States, one of the meeting participants described that status as 'deplorable' and in his words 'one third of our equipment can fearlessly be taken to the dump.''We are holding on only thanks to round the clock repairs. Our heroes aren't the Marines on the front but the 'worms' in the repair companies.Without them we would be fighting from the backs of camels long ago.' On the...

Presenter: BRIGADIER GENERAL VINCENT BROOKS, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS TIME: 7:07 A.M. EST DATE: FRIDAY March 28, 2003 Our coalition special operations forces continue their actions throughout all of Iraq. A particularly effective operation occurred last night in An-Nasiriyah involving special operations aircraft destroying two paramilitary headquarters. Our land component consolidated territory gained over the last several days, and conducted active security operations to eliminate identified terrorist death squads. The First Marine Expeditionary Force continued its advance beyond Kulat (sp) Sukhayr (sp), which you see on the right side of the map. Fifth Corps, also from the land component, defeated...

Ongoing now....

WASHINGTON (GOPUSA News) -- The military action in Iraq has been going on for only a matter of days, but from the tone of the questions hurled at White House Spokesman Ari Fleischer lately, one might think that the war is not going well for coalition forces. Tuesday's briefing began with intense questioning by Bill Plante of CBS about the delay in the humanitarian aid President Bush said would begin flowing to Iraq. Fleischer responded by saying the aid to Iraqis has been delayed by the regime's mining of the harbor. Fleischer added, "This serves, once again, as a reminder...

Looking at the latest 4 PM EST Pentagon briefing... What is it with Victoria Clarke? That outfit she's wearing is bizarre? She looks like The Riddler in an old episode of Batman.

Last minute briefing summoned by President Bush is attended by Vice President Richard Cheney, Secretary of State Colin Powell, Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld, CIA Director George Tenet and all chiefs of staff of the United States Armed Forces.United States President Bush's address at 0300 IST will be broadcast by all networks. He is expected to anounced that the diplomatic window is closed and Saddam must leave the country immediately.White House sources report after top level briefing: Saddam may be given 48 hours to leave the country.

Helen Thomas, the senior White House correspondent who is nicknamed the “Dean of the White House Press Corp”, has made some astoundingly flippant remarks about President George W. Bush that leads one to believe that her time as an effective journalist has passed and that certainly her ability to at least offer the illusion of being an objective reporter has vanished. Recently, at the Society for Professional Journalists’ annual awards banquet, this once celebrated reporter, who in the beginning of her career possessed the clear vision that every honest journalist embraces, the goal of being an unbiased reporter, has through...

Q: Mr. Secretary, Happy New Year to you, and General Myers too, sir. I have an off and off question; off for you and off for General Myers. Your stated military capability is to -- regarding two major regional wars -- to go to a nation's capital and win the first one decisively. Even though General Myers says we are posed to meet any threat, is America's military now capable, if asked, to go to Baghdad and win decisively? And to General Myers, a Marine Corps -- Rumsfeld: Wait a second, let's just take that one. And -- now, the...

Wednesday Sept. 18, 2002; 11:13 p.m. EDTClinton Briefing on '98 WTC Hijack Plot to Stay Secret CIA Director George Tenet refused on Wednesday to permit the House-Senate Select Committee probe into the 9-11 attacks release information about intelligence briefings to the White House on terrorist activities, including whether the president was briefed on plots to use hijacked airliners as weapons. Tenet's directive would cover whatever President Clinton was told about a 1998 plan to load an airliner with explosives and crash it into the World Trade Center. "The Director of Central Intelligence has declined to declassify two issues of...

May 17, 2002 1:10 p.m. EDT) - The Democrats are trying to make political hay out of the report that President Bush heard the word "hijack" in a briefing prior to Sept. 11, but the facts hardly justify their suggestions of possible negligence and a cover-up. The presidential briefing last August was based on 1998 information from just one source, according to The New York Times. It contained nothing specific and pointed to the possibility of hostage-taking hijackings of the kind that had occurred in the past, not suicide hijackings in which planes are aimed at buildings. In response to...