Free Republic

MANTI -- For six years Troy James Knapp eluded authorities, moving from cabin to cabin across the Utah mountains, taking food and weapons and leaving notes to brag about it. It all ended Tuesday as lawmen made what they called a surprisingly easy capture outside a remote cabin after the suspect fired off a few harmless shots. "He was laughing with our guys. He said, `Boy, you really snuck up on me,'" said Sevier County Sheriff Nathan Curtis. "He threw his rifle down in the snow and said, `You got me.'"The 45-year-old survivalist is suspected of burglarizing dozens of Utah...

GRAPEVINE — After an intensive four-day manhunt, fugitive Alberto Morales was shot and killed near Grapevine Lake late Friday night, according to Grapevine police. Morales — considered armed and extremely dangerous — had been at large after stabbing a Miami-Dade County detective with a pair of eyeglasses Monday night as he was in transit to Las Vegas for a trial.The violent escape happened in the parking lot of a Walmart store in Grapevine.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 2, 2012 – An Afghan and coalition security force captured a Taliban leader and detained an additional suspected insurgent during an operation in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Afghanistan’s Helmand province today, military officials reported. The leader directed roadside-bomb attacks against Afghan forces throughout the district, officials said. In Afghanistan operations yesterday: -- In the Darah-ye district of Kunar province, a combined patrol found and destroyed about 880 pounds of hashish. In Jan. 31 operations: -- An Afghan-led and coalition-supported force detained two suspects and seized and destroyed two anti-tank mines, heavy machine gun ammunition and bomb components...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1, 2012 – An Afghan and coalition security force captured a Taliban leader today in the Kandahar district of Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, military officials reported. The leader executed attacks against coalition forces in the Tarnek wa Jaldak district of Zabul province, officials said. Multiple suspected insurgents were detained during the operation. In other Afghanistan operations today: -- An Afghan-led and coalition-supported force in Kandahar’s Maiwand district captured a Taliban leader who operated an attack cell in Helmand province and conducted attacks in the Nahr-e Saraj and Sangin districts. In operations yesterday: -- In the Shah Joy and Qalat...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 27, 2012 – A combined Afghan and coalition security force captured a Taliban facilitator and detained several suspected insurgents during an operation in the Lashkar Gah district of Afghanistan’s Helmand province today, military officials reported. The facilitator distributed weapons and explosives to insurgent fighters and coordinated roadside bomb attacks against Afghan forces throughout the area, officials said. In other Afghanistan operations today: -- A combined force in the Jalrayz district of Wardak province captured a Taliban facilitator who distributed homemade explosives and weapons to insurgent fighters throughout the Maidan Shahr district. -- In the Khost district of Khost...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 30, 2012 – An Afghan and coalition security force captured an al-Qaida facilitator in the Gardez district of Afghanistan’s Paktia province today, military officials reported. The facilitator coordinated insurgent activity t and provided reports to senior al-Qaida leaders in Pakistan, officials said. No civilians were harmed. In other Afghanistan operations today: -- A combined patrol found about 5,559 pounds of marijuana in the Panjwai district of Kandahar province. -- In the Qalander district of Khost province, a combined force detained several suspects and seized grenades and assault rifles while searching for a Haqqani network leader who attacks Afghan...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2012 – An Afghan-led and coalition-supported force captured a Taliban facilitator in the Ghazni district of Afghanistan’s Ghazni province today, military officials reported. The facilitator planned roadside-bomb attacks and distributed heavy weaponry throughout province. Multiple additional suspected insurgents were detained during the operation. In Afghanistan operations yesterday: -- A coalition patrol detained four suspects and discovered several drugs and weapons caches in the Reg-e Khan Neshin district of Helmand province. The caches totalled about 660 pounds of various compounds used to make homemade explosives, various bomb components and about 110 pounds of marijuana seeds. The security force...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9, 2012 – A combined Afghan and coalition security force captured two Taliban facilitators and detained a suspected insurgent in the Khugyani district of Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province today, military officials reported. The facilitators distributed weapons and supplies to insurgent fighters and coordinated attacks throughout the district. The security force confiscated multiple weapons during the operation. In other news in Afghanistan today: -- In Helmand province’s Nahr-e Saraj district, a combined force captured a Taliban leader who directed the placement of roadside bombs and coordinated attacks against coalition forces. The force also seized about 10 pounds of hashish. --...

LAPD officers swarmed and handcuffed what they described as a "person of interest" in the Los Angeles arsonist spree that has left thousands of residents scared out of their wits for days. Fire officials say "it is too early to speculate" if this is the person responsible for the fires. Police have already released surveillance video showing the alleged suspect -- a ponytailed Steven Seagal lookalike (below). As you can see in our video ... the man in custody sports a ponytail Cops previously said 39 fires could be linked to the recent rash of arsons ... and another...

KABUL, Afghanistan, Nov. 23, 2011 – A combined Afghan and coalition security force today captured a Taliban leader and four associates in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Afghanistan’s Helmand province, military officials reported. Wali Mohammad and four companions were returning to Afghanistan from Pakistan, officials said. The security force received information that the Taliban leader was visiting southern Afghanistan after being in hiding in Pakistan for several years. Mohammad directed attacks that killed multiple civilians in southern Afghanistan. He also is linked to high-level Taliban leaders within the insurgents’ network. Some bomb-making materials were confiscated during the operation. Also, a...

A terrorist released in the Shalit deal is reportedly hospitalized and under IDF guard. According to the family of a Jewish man hospitalized at Hadassah in Jerusalem, he has recently had to share his room with a terrorist who was apparently shot in the course of IDF counter-terror activity. The terrorist is under constant police and IDF guard. The relatives told Arutz Sheva that they have been told that the terrorist was freed in the recent Shalit deal, and was recaptured after engaging in terror activity against Israel. This claim is currently uncorroborated. The family members claim that the Arab...

KABUL, Afghanistan, Nov. 18, 2011 – A combined Afghan and coalition security force detained multiple suspected insurgents during an operation in the Nawah-ye Barakzai district of Afghanistan’s Helmand province yesterday, military officials reported. The force conducted the operation after receiving a tip that insurgent leaders were meeting at a compound in the area. After calling for the men inside to come out peacefully, the insurgents emerged and were detained without incident. In other Afghanistan operations yesterday: -- In the Now Zad district of Helmand province, a combined force discovered a weapons cache containing three rocket-propelled grenades, multiple improvised explosive device...

KABUL, Afghanistan, Nov. 17, 2011 – A combined Afghan and coalition security force captured a Taliban facilitator in the Daman district of Afghanistan’s Kandahar province yesterday, military officials reported. The facilitator coordinated with insurgent leaders to plan and conduct roadside bomb and suicide attacks in the province. The security force also detained two suspected insurgents. In other Afghanistan operations yesterday: -- A combined patrol burned a marijuana field containing about 500 pounds of the drug in the Reg-e Khan Neshin district of Helmand province. -- In the Arghandab district of Kandahar province, a combined force seized a weapons cache containing...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4, 2011 – A combined Afghan and coalition security force captured a Haqqani network leader and detained a suspected insurgent during an operation in the Zarghun Shahr district of Afghanistan’s Paktika province yesterday, military officials reported. The Haqqani leader operated a fighter cell in the Zarghun Shahr district, officials said. He also directed attacks against Afghan forces in western Paktika province. The security force seized two assault rifles during the operation. In Afghanistan operations yesterday: -- In the Nawah-ye Barakzai district of Helmand province, a combined force detained multiple suspects while searching for a Taliban leader. The insurgent...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 28, 2011 – Afghan and coalition forces killed 11 insurgents, detained 15 suspected individuals and seized a weapons cache during operations across eastern Afghanistan yesterday, military officials reported. In Kunar province’s Nari district, three insurgents were killed after they were spotted before a rocket attack against a coalition base. Another three insurgents were killed by airstrikes after they attacked a coalition observation post in the Bar Kunar district. Three more insurgents were killed in the Khost district center of Khost province after they engaged Afghan forces with mortar rounds. Two other insurgents were killed during an airstrike in...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 26, 2011 – A combined Afghan and coalition security force captured a Haqqani network leader in the Sabari district of Afghanistan’s Khost province yesterday, military officials reported. The Haqqani leader distributed bombs and coordinated attacks against Afghan forces. Several suspects were detained during the operation. In other Afghanistan operations yesterday: -- In the Aliabad district of Kunduz province, a combined force detained two suspects while searching for a Taliban leader who coordinates attacks with other insurgents in Afghanistan and Pakistan. -- A combined force detained multiple suspects during a search for a Taliban leader in the Marja district...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 25, 2011 – A combined Afghan and coalition security force captured a facilitator for the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan terrorist organization, along with two other suspected insurgents, in the Bangi district of Afghanistan’s Takhar province yesterday, military officials reported. The facilitator had coordinated attacks against Afghan government officials in northern Afghanistan, officials said. In other Afghanistan operations yesterday: -- A combined force detained two suspects during a search for a Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin and Taliban leader in the Alingar district of Laghman province. The insurgent leader plans attacks against Afghan forces. Six rocket-propelled grenade boosters were confiscated. --...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 20, 2011 – A combined Afghan and coalition security force today detained multiple suspected insurgents during a search for a Taliban leader in the Wali Muhammad Shahid Khugyani district of Afghanistan’s Ghazni province, military officials reported. The leader coordinates and plans insurgent attacks in Ghazni province. Also today, a combined patrol confiscated a cache of explosives in Zabul province. The patrol was conducting a clearing operation in the village of Arel when it came upon the cache located near an improvised explosive device. The cache contained two containers with 88 pounds of explosive material, 26 pounds of ammonium...

Libya's transitional council says 'Muammar Gaddafi captured' in his hometown of Sirte, which just fell yesterday.  Injured in both legs but still alive, the deposed dictator was thought to have been holed-up in the vast southern deserts of the country...  More at the (UK) Mirror -here-

KABUL, Afghanistan, Oct. 13, 2011 – A combined Afghan and International Security Assistance Force team detained multiple suspected insurgents during an operation in search of a Taliban leader in southern Afghanistan yesterday, military officials reported. The force was searching in the Musa Qalah district of Helmand province for the leader, who places mines throughout the region and uses military uniforms in ambush attacks against Afghan forces. Also yesterday, combined forces detained multiple insurgents in a separate operation in Helmand’s Kajaki district while searching for a Taliban leader who distributes explosives for insurgent attacks and oversees the taxation of illegal narcotic...