Free Republic

WASHINGTON, Oct. 5, 2008 – Two U.S. helicopters collided Oct. 4 as they were landing at a coalition force base near Adhamiyah in northwest Baghdad. One Iraqi soldier died. Three U.S. soldiers and two Iraqi soldiers were injured. Hostile fire is not suspected to have caused the crash, officials said. The cause of the accident is under investigation. Officials did not release the make of helicopters involved. This accident comes on the heels of a crash just two weeks ago that killed seven soldiers when CH-47 Chinook helicopter they were traveling in Sept. 18 went down near Tallil in southern...

Two worlds collide as Tenerife sunbathers rush to help migrants By Fiona Govan in Tenerife (Filed: 05/08/2006) The sun was sinking towards the west and the bathers were packing up and gathering in a bar at the end of the beach for a chilled beer when someone shouted: "Oh my God, there's another boat." Within moments, the calm of the beach was shattered as a large canoe-shaped fishing vessel pitched through the breakers and ran aground, tipping its cargo of African migrants into the surf. A civil guard with two migrants, as holidaymakers walk past While many of the sunbathers...

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Navy submarine accident that killed one sailor and injured 24 others occurred when the vessel -- traveling at high speed -- hit an undersea mountain head-on, Pentagon officials said Monday. Saturday's accident caused part of the sonar dome, which is part of the submarine's nose, to flood, officials said. The commander of the USS San Francisco, Kevin Mooney, has not been relieved of duty while the investigation of the accident continues. Mooney could be relieved of duty if officials determine there is enough evidence that the accident could have been averted. The investigation will look...

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - When Arnold Schwarzenegger takes the stage at the Republican National Convention on Tuesday, he'll be praised as a vanquishing hero - a wildly popular Republican who, like the party's most beloved icon, Ronald Reagan, parlayed Hollywood fame and cheery optimism into political power. But recently, Schwarzenegger has started to resemble Reagan in another way - his tendency to say things that bear only a passing resemblance to reality. Just as the genial Reagan infuriated his critics with outlandish claims - such as suggesting trees cause more pollution than cars or inventing Cadillac-driving welfare "queens" - Schwarzenegger's...

Kerry/Rassmann swift boat stories collide In a major gaffe, Camp Kerry was caught today with colliding stories concerning Kerry’s Vietnam heroics. [see FreeRepublic thread] In a much touted tale, Kerry is credited with saving the life of Green Beret veteran Jim Rassmann while they were on a 5-boat patrol during the Vietnam War. The group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth vehemently denies Kerry’s story and has supplied proof that Kerry lied about the circumstances behind his pulling Rassmann out of the river. In an Aug. 10, 2004, editorial published in the Wall Street Journal, Green Beret veteran Jim Rassmann...

After reading the article on being a Democrat in Orange County, it was clear to me that Americans suffer from the malady of perception over reality ["United for opportunity," Front Page, July 25]. But where to begin? How about core beliefs and policies? First, as a Republican, I believe the U.S. Constitution has made us the greatest nation the world has ever known. Unlike the Democrats, I do not believe the Constitution is a "living document." Republicans want judges who interpret the Constitution. Democrats want judges who change it. A liberal judiciary is the greatest threat to our Constitution. Abortion...

<p>As Arnold Schwarzenegger acknowledged the cheers of supporters and claimed the governorship last October, he pledged to shake up the back-scratching, corrosive politics that had made the Capitol a well-deserved laughingstock.</p> <p>"For the people to win, politics as usual must lose," Schwarzenegger declared.</p>

NASHVILLE -- Astronomers have peered through a secretive cloak of dust to find five exploded stars in a region of space believed to be among the most energetic in the universe. They're calling it a supernova factory, the first of its kind ever witnessed. The supernovae, forged at the intersection of two merging galaxies, help confirm a long-held theoretical expectation that galaxy collisions generate episodes of intense star birth and rapid death. Astronomers call these merging objects starbirth galaxies, and they are thought to be a primary driving force of cosmic evolution. The work represents an initial step toward a...

Two Air Force planes from Whiteman clipped each other Wednesday afternoon over Cannon Gunnery Range in south central Missouri. They both returned safely to the base and neither pilot was injured. The A-10 Thunderbolt IIs were flying a routine training mission when the incident happened. Planes fly over Cannon Gunnery Range on a daily basis. Minor damage was reported on both planes. Until the inspection is complete, no one is aware of the cost to repair the planes. "[The] planes will eventually be able to fly again," said Lt. Brian Bowman from Whiteman. An ongoing investigation into the incident continues...