Free Republic

The main Western-backed Arab rebel group in Syria appears on the verge of collapse because of low morale, desertions, and distrust of its leaders by the rank and file, threatening U.S. efforts to put together a ground force capable of defeating the Islamic State and negotiating an end to the Syrian civil war. "After five years of this war, the people are just tired ... and so are our fighters," said Jaseen Salabeh, a volunteer in the Free Syrian Army, which was formed in September 2011 by defectors from the army of Syrian President Bashar Assad. The Free Syrian Army,...

A Syrian passport has been recovered near the body of one of the Paris attackers. You know what we need? More of this in the US: BERLIN - The Obama administration will increase the number of worldwide refugees the United States accepts each year to 100,000 by 2017, a significant increase over the current annual cap of 70,000, Secretary of State John Kerry said. "This step that I am announcing today, I believe, is in keeping with the best tradition of America as a land of second chances and a beacon of hope," Mr. Kerry said, adding that it "will...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama says FIFA made the "wrong decision" in awarding the 2022 World Cup to Qatar over the United States. The U.S. Soccer Federation spent millions of dollars on its bid. Former President Bill Clinton was highly involved in the process and participated in the closing presentation.