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WASHINGTON, Sept. 12, 2008 – The economy in Iraq’s Salahuddin province has made significant gains over the past year due to the rise in agriculture and the improvement of Iraqi security forces, an Army colonel serving there said today. “What we’ve seen over the past year is a marked increase in security,” Col. Michael McBride, commander of the 101st Airborne Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team, told to bloggers and online journalists during a teleconference. “From this time last year to today, our attack levels are down approximately 75 percent.” McBride said the security continues to get better across the board,...

WASHINGTON, June 24, 2008 – U.S., coalition and Afghan security forces are hunting down the Taliban and other insurgents operating in Afghanistan, while vital reconstruction and governance programs continue to spread across the country, a senior U.S. military officer said today. Steady progress is being made in Afghanistan in the areas of security, development and governance, Army Maj. Gen. Jeffrey J. Schloesser, commander of Combined Joint Task Force 101 and 101st Airborne Division, told Pentagon reporters during a satellite-carried news conference. “We’re clearly not done, and I’m nowhere near yet able to say that we’ve reached irreversible momentum,” said Schloesser,...

BAGHDAD — U.S. Army Gen. David Petraeus said the courage of the Iraqi police and the Iraqi Security Forces while working together helped drive down the level of violence and level of civilians deaths in Iraq in the last 15 months at the Baghdad Police Summit last week. Speaking before a Baghdad Police Summit, Petraeus, commander of the Multi-National Force-Iraq, told an audience of approximately 180 participants that “the decrease in violence has been very significant.” He noted the Iraqi Police had also made huge gains in manning, training and equipping their force, all of which will strengthen the police...

For thousands of troops who have seen the war in Iraq first hand, the mission is a personal one even after they take off the uniform. Concerns about where that war may be heading is putting some local veterans face to face with lawmakers, fighting a different side of Operation Iraqi freedom. For retired Navy Veteran Chris Chilson, time with family is a luxury he's still getting used to. Afternoons spent together were few and far between during his 20 years on board aircraft carriers, some of them spent in the searing heat of the Iraqi desert. Chilson says, "It...

MOSCOW - This week's NATO summit in Romania will be Vladimir Putin's last appearance at a top-level international forum before he steps down as Russian president, still pushing to halt NATO's expansion into the stomping grounds of the former Soviet Union. The Kremlin realizes it doesn't have the power to force the West to reverse its recognition of Kosovo's independence or persuade Washington to drop its plan to deploy missile defenses in Poland and the Czech Republic. But Putin has had notable success in blocking NATO membership for its former Soviet neighbors — Ukraine and Georgia. "Georgia's accession into NATO...

WASHINGTON, March 27, 2008 – The surge of forces has enabled the Iraqi government to realize security, political and economic gains, President Bush said today during a visit to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, in Dayton, Ohio. “The surge is doing what it was designed to do,” Bush said. Last year’s deployment of about 30,000 extra U.S. troops to Iraq has provided security and breathing space so the Iraqi government can establish itself against its enemies, Bush said at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. Bush saluted Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s “bold decision” to send Iraqi security...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq, Feb. 5, 2008 – About 1,000 residents returned to a town southwest of Baghdad last week after learning coalition and Iraqi forces had secured the area. Residents of the Zambraniyah, Iraq, area move through a coalition checkpoint as they return to their homes. Residents fled the area in January when coalition and Iraqi forces moved in to clear out al Qaeda in Iraq terrorists. Photo by Staff Sgt. Michael Paredes, USA  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. When heavy fighting broke out in the Zambraniyah area in early January, coalition forces advised families to...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 25, 2008 – As Iraqis continue to organize at the local level to help with security, they are creating pressure on Iraq’s national leaders to build on momentum, a top military official said yesterday. Army Brig. Gen. Edward Cardon, deputy commander for support for Multinational Division Center and Task Force Marne, told online journalists and “bloggers” in a conference call that Iraqis seem to be more and more organized at the local level, with concerned local citizens working alongside Iraqi and coalition forces to make and keep their neighborhoods safe. “I think that organization is starting to put...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16, 2007 – The commander of U.S. soldiers posted east of Baghdad has seen tangible security improvements in his area of operations since his unit deployed there in March as part of the surge in forces. The current level of violence in his section of Baghdad province “is significantly decreased from what it was when we first got here,” Army Lt. Col. John S. Kolasheski told military analysts and reporters during a conference call today. Kolasheski leads 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, a component of 3rd Infantry Division’s 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team. The lieutenant colonel’s 700-member contingent...

'The tax on capital gains directly affects investment decisions, the mobility and flow of risk capital . . . the ease or difficulty experienced by new ventures in obtaining capital, and thereby the strength and potential for growth in the economy." John F. Kennedy, 1963 When it comes to taxes, Barack Obama is no Jack Kennedy. The Illinois Senator recently announced that he wants to raise the capital gains tax to restore "fairness" That makes it a three-peat: All of the leading Democratic contenders for President have endorsed higher taxes on stock ownership. Hillary Clinton is the "moderate" in that...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 2, 2007 – The way forward in Iraq must be pursued in a manner that sustains the “hard-fought gains” made by coalition troops and Iraqi forces, a senior official in Baghdad said today. Army Brig. Gen. Kevin J. Bergner, Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, appeared on CNN’s Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer. Bergner discussed the situation in Iraq as Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, and Ryan Crocker, U.S. ambassador to Iraq, prepare to deliver their assessment on progress in Iraq. Bergner said Petraeus “will provide a very candid and forthright assessment -- a first-hand...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 22, 2007 – Efforts to resuscitate Iraq’s electrical power grid are making progress despite challenges posed by insurgent-generated attacks on power lines and fuel pipelines, U.S. and Iraqi officials said at a Baghdad news conference today. (Video) As part of its national plan, the Iraqi government has earmarked $40 million in annual spending over the next several years to increase electric power-generation capacity, Karim Wahid al-Hassan, Iraq’s minister of electricity, told reporters. The Iraqi government seeks to add power-generating units in every province, Hassan said. Current estimates say Iraq now requires about 9,500 megawatts of electricity to...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 1, 2007 – Ongoing, tangible progress is being made in Iraq across security, economic and political fronts, U.S. officials said in Baghdad today. (Video) Ongoing anti-insurgent operations conducted by U.S. and Iraqi security forces and Iraqi citizens’ growing rejection of insurgent-instigated violence are producing gains against al Qaeda and other extremists, Army Brig. Gen. Kevin Bergner, a spokesman for Multinational Force Iraq, told reporters at a Baghdad news conference. “We are now in the sixth week of the surge in operations, and we’re seeing some tactical momentum,” Bergner said. Operations by Iraqi and U.S. forces “have made...

WASHINGTON, July 27, 2007 – Iraqi and coalition forces are consolidating gains they have made in Iraq’s Anbar province, the coalition’s ground commander in the region said today. “A gunshot heard right now in the city of Ramadi is a rare thing,” Marine Brig. Gen. Mark Gurganus said during a phone interview. Ramadi was the site of pitched fighting between Sunni insurgents and coalition forces. Al Qaeda in Iraq directed the fighting, and thousands of innocent Iraqis paid the price. Today, Ramadi is safe enough to bring the U.S. chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff into downtown for a...

BAGHDAD - Sen. John McCain criticized reports out of Iraq he said focused unfairly on violence, saying Sunday that Americans were not getting a "full picture" of progress in the security crackdown in the capital. McCain, who is seeking the Republican presidential nomination, was combative during a press conference in the military's media center in the heavily guarded Green Zone, and responded testily to a question about remarks he had made in the United States last week that it was safe to walk some Baghdad streets. "The American people are not getting the full picture of what's happening here. They're...

Germany's far-Right set for poll gains By Kate Connolly in Berlin (Filed: 15/09/2006) Germany's far-Right is set to increase its power base in state elections this weekend, securing a historic foothold in a regional parliament for the third time in two years. The leading candidates for the National Democratic Party (NPD), Germany's oldest neo-Nazi party, have swapped their skinheads and combat boots for smart suits and gelled hair, in their attempt to attract a wider vote by shedding their thug-like image. A supporter of Germany's far-Right NPD holds a flag in Berlin Some of their campaign slogans, such as "working...

KABUL, Afghanistan, March 14, 2006 – Afghan vendors won 84 percent of contracts awarded by the U.S. military's regional contracting centers in February, up from 55 percent in October, military officials here reported. Their gains in contract values were even more impressive, to 81 percent in January from 31 percent in October, they added. Coalition officials attributed the gains to efforts emphasizing Afghan businesses, changes in contract solicitation language and efforts to educate Afghan vendors on how to compete for U.S. military contracts. Such contracts involve office furniture and supplies, construction materials and work, hauling, interpreting and other products and...

BEIJING, March. 7 -- The motivation of US President George W. Bush's whirlwind visit to Afghanistan, India and Pakistan between March 1-5 boils down to three elements: Promoting regional balance, countering terrorism and preventing nuclear proliferation. Regional balance has double connotations. First, US-led strategic interest in Asia; second, balance in the South Asian subcontinent itself. The United States attaches special importance to India's role in "maintaining regional strategic balance," which is a component vital to "Asian strategic stability" in the eyes of the Bush administration. India enjoys a unique geo-political position, which is favoured by the United States in its...

At one time, only the staunchest advocates for cracking down on illegal immigration backed the idea of putting National Guard troops along the porous Arizona-Mexico border. But now the idea that was rejected in the past as being outside the National Guard's responsibilities has the blessings of Arizona's Democratic governor and cleared one half of the Republican-led Legislature. --- snip ---

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (AP) - He didn't have to go, it wasn't his job and nobody paid him to do it. But Michael Yon says he went to Iraq because he wanted to see for himself what was happening in the war zone. The 41-year-old former Green Beret and author was embedded as a freelance journalist with troops last year and used an Internet blog to report on car bombs, firefights and fallen soldiers. He also wrote about acts of compassion and heroism, small triumphs in the country's crawl toward democracy and the gritty inner workings of the military. Yon's...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 2006 – The military is transforming to ensure the right number and balance of forces are in place to fight the battles of the 21st century, President Bush said in a White House news conference today. He refuted charges that actions in Iraq and Afghanistan and other commitments around the globe have overstretched the military. "After five years of war, ... there is a need to make sure that our troops are balanced properly, that ... threats are met with capability," he said. "And that's why we're transforming our military." He said he looks at troop morale,...

AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq, Jan. 1, 2006 – Securing gains made and training local police are keys to victory over terrorists here in Anbar province, the commander of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force Forward said today. In the past few months, U.S. Marines and soldiers have aggressively attacked insurgents throughout the province, Marine Maj. Gen. Stephen Johnson, who is also commander of Multinational Force West, said. Coalition forces went into known insurgent areas and remained in those areas to ensure insurgents did not come back, Johnson said. "We are able to do this now because we have trained Iraqi...

AL ASAD, Iraq (Dec. 30, 2005) -- On Sept. 11, 2001, a young Trinidad native who relocated to New York with his family three years earlier was sitting in a U.S. Military Entrance Processing Station, waiting to take his first steps toward his future as a Marine. The terrorist attacks that day delayed his trip to Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., but steeled his resolve to become a Marine. "It was like watching something from a movie," said Sgt. Andre G. Joseph, a personnel administration chief with Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 26. "I was upset about it, especially...

5 Marines were killed in Iraq yesterday. The more than 2000 U.S. troops lost in Iraq makes me want to vomit. But now, as calls to pull our troops out of Iraq grow, I fear that a premature withdrawal will lead to an even greater disaster than the sacrifices already made. Cutting and running now would render this ultimate in human toll meaningless. Unfortunately, the great gains that have come from American sacrifices go under-reported. Iraqis are learning the intricacies of democratic politics, as “accountability has taken root.� Coalitions are being formed and reshuffled. Pundits are speculating on party endorsements....

The Massachusetts Department of Revenue began notifying 48,000 taxpayers yesterday that they owe capital gains taxes on the sale of assets that occurred nearly four years ago, outraging consumer advocates and business leaders who called the retroactive taxation plan unfair.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2005 – Iraqi security forces are increasing in size and capability, and American forces are constantly adapting their tactics to fight the ever-changing tactics of terrorists in Iraq, President Bush said here today. After being briefed by Army Gen. John Abizaid, commander of U.S. Central Command, and Army Gen. George Casey, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, Bush spoke about the war on terror and emphasized the importance of a congressional briefing Abizaid and Casey are scheduled to give today. "The support of Congress for our troops and our mission is important, and Americans need to know about...

After 2,600 years, the world gains a fourth poem by Sappho John Ezard Friday June 24, 2005 The Guardian (UK) Plato believed Sappho should be honoured not merely as a poet but as a Muse. Photo: Getty A newly found poem by Sappho, acknowledged as one of the greatest poets of Greek classical antiquity and seen by some as the finest of any era, is published for the first time today. Written more than 2,600 years ago, the 101 words of verse deal with a theme timeless in both art and soap operas; the stirrings of an ageing body towards...

WASHINGTON - Head Start helps poor, disadvantaged children narrow a gap in reading skills compared with other preschoolers, but the program doesn't help them catch up in math or their ability to comprehend what people say to them. The findings, according to a government report released Thursday, were based on research in which the skills of 3- and 4-year-olds who had been in Head Start for a year were compared with those of children the same age outside the program. "What these results suggest is that while this program has some benefits for kids, it can still be improved," said...

Over the last few weeks, Afghanistan has been in the news again--unfortunately, for all the wrong reasons. The media pack has made a brief reappearance in Afghanistan to report on carefully staged "spontaneous" riots, which briefly erupted around the country, ostensibly in protest over a report in Newsweek (later retracted) about desecration of Koran. Sadly, in the rush of commentary about Afghanistan's slide into anarchy and America's deteriorating position in Kabul, most of the international media again missed or downplayed many other stories, some of them arguably far more consequential than an antigovernment rampage whipped up by opponents of President...

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush made increasing his support among Hispanic voters a leading goal in 2004 and he apparently achieved that aim largely because of gains among Hispanic men, a tracking poll suggests. Hispanics are the nation's fastest growing minority group, though they made up only 8 percent of the overall vote nationally. They are a key voter group in swing states like Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Florida and Nevada. Democrat John Kerry hoped to win enough support from Hispanics to win in a couple of those states, but Bush swept all five. The National Annenberg Election Survey...

The UNthinkable has become the UNbelievable as the Unashamed UN has committed UNconscionable acts against the interests of the UNited States, UNdoubtedly hindering our efforts in waging the War On Terror. The scandalous conduct of the organization of nations housed in New York City, the site of the 9/11 Terror attack on the Twin Towers and on all Americans, cannot be UNderestimated. It is UNprecedented and UNacceptable. Billions of Dollars in graft and bribes have UNduly changed hands in the UNderhanded dealings of Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the UN who conspired with member nations such as France, Russia and...

CONSTITUTION PARTY GAINS STRENGTH WITH PEROUTKA/BALDWIN TICKET - The Constitution Party was the only alternative party that increased it's vote totals this year compared to the 2000 election! Constitution Party members have cause to celebrate! Their 2004 presidential ticket – Michael A. Peroutka for President and Dr. Chuck Baldwin for Vice President – received 30% more votes this year than in the previous election! Nationally, the Peroutka-Baldwin ticket received 132,067 votes compared to 101,278 for the Constitution Party’s 2000 candidate, Howard Phillips. The increase in Peroutka's tally is particularly significant when compared to the decline in voter support for other...

Faith Factor Proves Key in U.S. ElectionsWednesday, November 03, 2004 By Sam KastensmidtIn an election that recorded the highest rate of voter turnout since the controversial 1968 Presidential election (Richard Nixon vs. Hubert Humphrey), President George W. Bush has been reelected with the highest number of popular votes in U.S. history. Amidst this flood of voters, pollsters have been thoroughly surprised by the number one issue cited by American voters — “moral issues.” The “Values Vote” Drives Results The morning following the election, the Washington Post summed up the Bush victory. “The Bush campaign super-charged the ‘moral minority.’ Exit polls showed...

Social Security: The Real Risks By Peter Ferrara on 10/20/2004 This op/ed was originally published in the New York Post. John Kerry's bitter denunciations of President Bush over Social Security are craven, opportunistic and false. Worse yet, Kerry's approach to the program's crisis risks disaster. Kerry charges that Bush secretly plans to cut benefits or hike Social Security taxes to fund his "scheme" to privatize the program. In fact, Bush has spelled out seven principles of reform, including no tax hikes or benefit cuts. Kerry's claim that Bush's plan will cost trillions is another canard. Consider just one plan —...

WASHINGTON - Republican leaders, eager to deliver a pre-election victory to President Bush (news - web sites), moved closer to agreement Monday night on legislation needed to extend three popular middle-class tax cuts that are set to expire this year. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley announced that a joint House-Senate conference committee, which will work out differences between the two chambers, will meet on the tax legislation for the first time Tuesday. Officials reported agreement was close on the major provisions of the legislation. Under one optimistic scenario, the conference committee will be able to reach agreement on a...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The powerful U.S. gun lobby seems poised for victory in a high profile battle to end a ban on some assault weapons and experts say it has also been piling up numerous quiet victories at the state level. A federal ban on certain military-style semi-automatic weapons enacted in 1994 is due to expire on Sept. 13. The Republican congressional leadership, backed by the National Rifle Association and other gun groups, seems determined to allow the law to lapse. Gun control groups say only vigorous intervention by President Bush (news - web sites) could change congressional minds. They...

SACRAMENTO — The renewed legislative push to issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants has prompted disagreement among law enforcement officials about whether the permits would make it easier or harder for would-be terrorists to infiltrate California. The license fight, which helped Arnold Schwarzenegger unseat Gov. Gray Davis in last year's recall, has been resurrected in the Legislature, where a Democratic-controlled Senate panel Tuesday voted 7 to 4 to approve a bill that would grant licenses to immigrants who passed a criminal background check.

The California economy added 5,200 jobs in March but failed to keep pace with the rest of the country in employment growth, according to state figures released Friday. Nationally, the number of jobs grew by 308,000 last month. "The March numbers were certainly disappointing compared to what the nation has done in the last couple of months," said Stephen Levy of the Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy. "It sure would be something to worry about if it persisted," he said.

LOS ANGELES - Prodded by many Republicans to pull out of the gubernatorial recall race, state Sen. Tom McClintock found strength Friday in new poll numbers that show him gaining on both Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democratic Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante. The Los Angeles Times poll released late Thursday also showed support growing for another underdog: Democratic Gov. Gray Davis (news - web sites). Likely voters were nearly split over whether to recall the governor, after weeks of polls showing heavy support for his removal. The survey of 922 likely voters, conducted Sept. 6-10, found that 50 percent would vote yes...

<p>California's most likely voters want to see Gov. Gray Davis dumped from office in an unprecedented recall vote, a Field Poll released today shows.</p> <p>While the 51 percent to 43 percent split is grim news for a Democratic governor who was re-elected only eight months ago, it's far too early to write Davis' political obituary, said Mark DiCamillo, the poll's director.</p>

Former President Bill Clinton on Tuesday pointed his finger at the Bush administration, saying it is erasing accomplishments that he worked hard to achieve. Clinton said the United States cannot be strong abroad, a reference to the war on terrorism, and weak or divided at home over social issues. "Terror cannot defeat us," he said at the 32nd annual Rainbow/ PUSH Coalition Convention. "We can hurt ourselves by responding to the threat of terror in a way that compromises the character of this country and the future of our children." Although Clinton began several sentences with the phrase, "When I...

NEW YORK (AP) -- Wall Street extended its big rally Monday, propelling the Dow Jones industrials up 122 points despite the absence of economic or earnings news to guide investors. The blue chips scored their second straight triple-digit win. As the market gains in upward momentum, analysts say investors are afraid of being left behind. "Last week, you had people chasing stocks for the first time in quite a spell, and it is a good sign," said Michael Murphy, head trader at Wachovia Securities in Baltimore. Murphy added: "It ain't 1998 or 1999, but it feels pretty good. You can...