Free Republic

His only qualification was giving lots of money to the Clinton Foundation A few weeks ago, ABC broke the story of Raj Fernando, a big-money donor to the Clinton Foundation - as well as past campaigns of both Obama and Hillary - and how he managed to land a spot on the prestigious International Security Advisory Board. That’s a board generally populated by former generals, governors and top diplomats, who advise the Secretary of State on international security matters. Lots of eyebrows were raised when a securities trader with no background in any of this was introduced as a new...

Multiple-session early psychological interventions are no better at reducing posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms than no intervention at all and might even increase symptoms in some individuals, a review of 11 randomized controlled studies shows. “There was no evidence that a multiple session intervention aimed at everyone following a traumatic event was effective. There was a trend that just failed to reach significance for no intervention to result in less self-reported PTSD symptoms at 3 to 6-month follow-up than a multiple session intervention,” wrote Neil P. Roberts, D.Clin.Psy., of the Traumatic Stress Service at Cardiff and Vale National Health Services (Wales),...

BAGHDAD - In a cramped, wooden shack behind the 688th Engineer Company headquarters at Camp Liberty, about 30 combat engineers sit on beat-up couches and poke fun at each other before another route clearance mission begins. “We sit around and listen to music and play cards after our mission prep is done,” explains Sgt. Zach Rostan, the truck commander for the “Buffalo”, a mine resistant ambush protected vehicle assigned to the Army Reserve unit from Fayetteville, Ark. “We all like to have fun and relax; we’re going out looking for bombs you know, so we try to stay relaxed.” After...

WASHINGTON, May 25, 2007 – In its first deployment to Iraq, one of the Army’s newest modular light infantry brigade combat teams is making its mark under the president’s troop surge plan, the brigade’s top officer said today in a briefing to Pentagon reporters. The 1st Infantry Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team from Fort Riley, Kan., is deployed as part of the troop surge to the east and west Rashid security districts in the Multinational Division Baghdad area. It is partnered with the 2nd Infantry Division’s 3rd Stryker Brigade from Fort Lewis, Wash., and three Iraqi security force brigades. Together,...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Back when federal lawmakers legally could be paid for speaking to outside groups, John Kerry collected more than $120,000 in fees from interests as diverse as big oil, tobacco, the liquor lobby and unions, records show. Between 1985 and 1990, Kerry's first five years in the Senate from Massachusetts, he pocketed annual amounts slightly under the limits for speaking fees set by Congress. Unlike many colleagues, he donated a speaking fee to charity only once, according to annual financial disclosure reports reviewed by The Associated Press. One of the companies to pay Kerry $1,000 for a speech...