Free Republic

Best-selling author and Muslim dissident Ibn Warraq argues that freedom of expression is our western heritage and we must defend it against attacks from totalitarian societies. If the west does not stand in solidarity with the Danish, he argues, then the Islamization of Europe will have begun in earnest. The great British philosopher John Stuart Mill wrote in On Liberty, "Strange it is, that men should admit the validity of the arguments for free discussion, but object to their being 'pushed to an extreme'; not seeing that unless the reasons are good for an extreme case, they are not good...

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Tens of thousands of angry Muslims marched through Palestinian cities, burning the Danish flag and calling for vengeance Friday against European countries where caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad were published. In Washington, the State Department criticized the drawings, calling them "offensive to the beliefs of Muslims." While recognizing the importance of freedom of the press and expression, State Department press officer Janelle Hironimus said these rights must be coupled with press responsibility. "Inciting religious or ethnic hatred in this manner is not acceptable," Hironimus said. "We call for tolerance and respect for all communities and...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Washington on Friday condemned caricatures in European newspapers of Islam's Prophet Mohammad, siding with Muslims who are outraged that the publications put press freedom over respect for religion. "These cartoons are indeed offensive to the belief of Muslims," State Department spokesman Kurtis Cooper said in answer to a question. "We all fully recognize and respect freedom of the press and expression but it must be coupled with press responsibility. Inciting religious or ethnic hatreds in this manner is not acceptable."

New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) has long been rumored as desperately seeking the democratic nomination for president in 2008. And while many political observers fully expect the power hungry former First Lady to hit the campaign trail within only a few months of being re-elected as a US Senator in 2006, US News & World report claims to have a confirmation of sorts. From USNews.Com's Washington Whispers: Hillary's in… You don't have to take it from us about Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton 's desire to run for president. Her brothers, Hugh and Tony Rodham, say it's true. Friends...

Rowan Scarborough of the Washington Times writes an excellent summary of the institutional conflict between the Pentagon and the CIA. Since Porter Goss began to clean-up the troubled agency this past week, more and more Americans have are become aware of the of the CIA’s opposition to the President’s policies, and its decades-old incompetence in providing any intelligence of use to the executive branch or the military. Most importantly, the article confirms that high-level military commanders during the 90s were forced to adopt a Clinton foreign policy device called “engagement” in order to gain much needed information on our potential...

Remarks by the President at Event Commemorating End of Ramadan THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release January 10, 2000 REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AT EVENT COMMEMORATING END OF RAMADAN Presidential Hall 11:30 A.M. EST THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you very much, Eid Mubarak, and welcome to the White House. N'Imah Saleem, you did a fine job for a 14-year-old, or a 24-year-old, or a 44-year-old. I thought she was terrific. Thank you very much, thank you. (Applause.) And, Imam Hendi, thank you so much for your words, your prayer, and for serving as the...

FBI most wanted: new IT prioritiesBy Dan Fraber The controversy over who knew what when about the 9/11 terrorist attacks has the country buzzing. It's likely to make for an entertaining summer as the committees and subcommittees play the Beltway parlor whodunit game, partly for the political gain and partly to find remedies for systemic problems plaguing various government agencies tasked with protecting national interests. One point is clear. The FBI failed to execute on the most fundamental information technology principle--aligning its technology with business goals. In fact, it appears that until recently FBI executive management did not even view...