http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/ira/ en-us Fri, 11 Jul 2008 23:50:36 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2044200/posts Is war with Iran imminent? Local peace groups certainly hope not and are holding a town hall meeting Tuesday night to see what steps can be taken to diffuse the latest volatile situation in the Mideast."People don't understand just how serious the situation is," said peace activist Joy First. "Don't let the same thing happen in Iran that happened in Iraq."A panel will prime the pump for discussion, including Joe Elder on the history of U.S. policy in Iran, Allen Ruff on U.S. covert operations, Tsela Barr on the context of the Iran crisis within the bigger Middle East picture,... Madistan.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2044200/posts#comment Fri, 11 Jul 2008 23:50:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2030726/posts DUBLIN (Reuters) - Irish voters rejected a treaty on Friday to overhaul the European Union's unwieldy institutions, putting the entire bloc's reform plan in peril and humiliating Ireland's political leaders. The pact, known as the Lisbon treaty, failed by a margin of 53.4 to 46.6 percent in the only EU country to put it to a popular vote. "No" vote supporters cheered loudly for several minutes, interrupting an official as he read out the results. Prime Minister Brian Cowen called the vote "a source of disappointment to my colleagues in government and to me." "In a democracy, the will of... reuters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2030726/posts#comment Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:28:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2025017/posts My daughter is preparing for a debate. Her thesis is that the actions of the Provisional wing of the Irish Republican Army are unjustified. Any help is appreciated. Also, how do you counter the argument that the provisional IRA is the same as the 1776 American colonists? Thanks. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2025017/posts#comment Mon, 2 Jun 2008 23:00:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2011705/posts KOREAN VILLAGE, Iraq — When a Navy hospital corpsman becomes “green,” he is placed on the front lines with the trust of the Marine Corps infantryman. He runs through the trenches, engaging the enemy, all while putting his own life on the line providing medical care for the wounded. After four tours in two separate conflicts, Chief Petty Officer Truman A. Gartman, chief petty officer of the Battalion Aid Station, 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, Regimental Combat Team 5, has been a part of that trust for 14 years and counting. “What I love most about being with the Marines... Marine Corps News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2011705/posts#comment Tue, 6 May 2008 00:43:33 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2006124/posts BAGHDAD (AFP) - The US military on Wednesday denied reports it is holding Izzat Ibrahim al-Duri, the number two under Saddam Hussein. "We are aware of media reports that Izzat Ibrahim al-Duri has been captured," the military told AFP in an email. "At this point, we can say that he is not in coalition custody and we have no reports that he was captured by Iraqi security forces either." afp http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2006124/posts#comment Thu, 24 Apr 2008 03:53:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1994753/posts At the National Theatre, a new play by the former radical playwright Howard Brenton, Never So Good, paints a surprisingly sympathetic portrait of the Sixties Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, who as a young man opposed Neville Chamberlain's appeasement of Hitler. Chamberlain's claim that he could talk Germany out of war and produce "peace for our time" is, of course, a byword for craven weakness and earns only contempt. But in the very week the play opened, a second Chamberlain was revealed in the form of our Defence Secretary, Des Browne. In an interview on Saturday, Mr Browne said he thought... Daiy Mail UK http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1994753/posts#comment Tue, 1 Apr 2008 00:09:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1992643/posts WASHINGTON — Saddam Hussein's intelligence agency secretly financed a trip to Iraq for three U.S. lawmakers — possibly including Rep. Jim McDermott — during the run-up to the U.S.-led invasion, federal prosecutors said Wednesday. The three anti-war Democrats made the trip in October 2002, while the Bush administration was trying to persuade Congress to authorize military action against Iraq. While traveling, they called for a diplomatic solution. Prosecutors say that trip was arranged by Muthanna Al-Hanooti, a Michigan charity official, who was charged Wednesday with setting up the junket at the behest of Saddam's regime. Iraqi intelligence officials allegedly paid... Seattle Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1992643/posts#comment Thu, 27 Mar 2008 18:51:12 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1991491/posts The Zionist Organization of America has “called upon Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) to quit his racist, anti-American, anti-Israel church and repudiate his pastor, Jeremiah Wright.” Noting that the National Jewish Democratic Council condemned Mitt Romney for appearing at the museum of a long-dead EX-antisemite, we are confident that NJDC will support ZOA’s request. Henry Ford retracted and repudiated The International Jew, but Jeremiah Wright has never retracted, repudiated, or apologized for his own hate speech, his publication of a manifesto from a genuine Hamas terrorist, or his placement of quote marks around “state” of Israel, as if... The Husaria: For Our Freedom and Yours http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1991491/posts#comment Tue, 25 Mar 2008 21:44:18 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1982170/posts March 5, 2008: Britain's MI-5 (domestic intelligence service) has expanded its operations in the neighboring Irish Republic, after increased al Qaeda, and Islamic radical, activity was detected. Three Afghan men were recently arrested, in a room full of bomb making materials. There are dozens of similar suspects under surveillance. For the last three decades, Ireland and Britain have cooperated on domestic security issues, initially because of a mutual need to keep an eye on the IRA (Irish Republican Army) terrorists. The IRA has devolved into a criminal gang, but al Qaeda, and other Islamic radical groups have found Ireland a... Strategy Page http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1982170/posts#comment Fri, 7 Mar 2008 22:30:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1976321/posts The following was an exchange between two persons on opposite sides of the aisle. As Rod Serling would quip, "Presented for your perusal... from the Midnight Zone." **************************** Ron, I agree that there are some fundamental problems with social security, but I still think that it’s a sound idea that needs updating because of the change in demographics. When social security was in its infancy in the 1930s, the life expectancy of an adult was much lower than it is now. I truly believe that it was a great idea, but with no concern about future generations. It was a... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1976321/posts#comment Tue, 26 Feb 2008 05:50:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1962731/posts SARITA — U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested a man Monday at the Sarita checkpoint who fled a Northern Irish prison in an infamous escape 24 years ago, the agency said. The man, whose name Border Patrol refused to release late Wednesday night, is expected to soon be transferred to British custody. Reportedly a member of the Irish Republican Army, the man is accused of making a violent escape from the Maze prison in Northern Ireland in September 1983 along with 38 other IRA members. He was arrested at the Sarita checkpoint outside of Brownsville on Monday after he was unable... The Monitor http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1962731/posts#comment Thu, 31 Jan 2008 19:29:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1927882/posts Question: My employer offers a 401(k), but no match. Given that I'm already maxing out my Roth IRA, would I be better off investing in a taxable account rather than contributing to my no-match 401(k)? - Luis Gonzalez, Denver, Colorado Answer: Life would indeed be a sweeter if your 401(k) plan came with a matching employer contribution, as most plans do. But remember: A 401(k) offers a nifty tax break in that the funds you contribute, as well as all of your account's earnings, aren't taxed as long as they stay within the account. And that tax-deferred compounding is a... Yahoo Finance http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1927882/posts#comment Mon, 19 Nov 2007 15:46:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1924621/posts The body of Edward Burns, 36, - who was shot in the head - was found near Falls Road and the beaten body of Joe Jones, 38, was discovered in Ardoyne. Irish police said that three men and a woman had been arrested by detectives in Dublin and Dundalk on Sunday. The Police Service of Northern Ireland said three men and a woman were being questioned in Antrim over the killings. Police said the killings took place against the backdrop of tension within dissident republicanism. BBC http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1924621/posts#comment Mon, 12 Nov 2007 18:06:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1921341/posts One of the many tragic consequences of the Iraq war is that it has made it harder to act against Iran. The geographical and alphabetical proximity of the two countries tempts us into false comparisons. Look at the mess the neo-cons made in Iraq, we think. We surely can't let those clots try the same failed strategy against Iran. Nor do you hear this argument only from tousled students. Mohammed El-Baradei, who heads the International Atomic Energy Agency, says that Iraq should serve as a warning to those who want a forward policy against Teheran. Well, I am no neo-con.... UK Telegraph http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1921341/posts#comment Mon, 5 Nov 2007 21:53:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1919759/posts WASHINGTON, Nov. 1, 2007 – Coalition forces detained 12 suspects during operations early today targeting al Qaeda networks in central and northern Iraq. Surveillance elements led coalition forces to a location in Mosul, where they captured a wanted individual and three suspected terrorists. The wanted individual reportedly is an associate of al Qaeda members involved in foreign terrorist facilitation, to include one who was captured in a coalition operation in Bayji on Oct. 26. Reports indicate one of the suspect's associates, a senior facilitator residing outside of Iraq, is attempting to communicate with terrorist leaders in the country. During the... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1919759/posts#comment Thu, 1 Nov 2007 23:20:56 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1915820/posts Former United Nations' chief weapons inspector Hans Blix has challenged U.S. President George Bush's assertion that Iran poses a nuclear threat and the world should take pre-emptive action. Bush has recently renewed calls for a missile defence shield in Europe, issuing grim warnings that Iran could have a ballistic missile capable of reaching Europe and the U.S. by 2015. Blix, who is the executive chair of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission and headed the search for WMDs in Iraq prior to the U.S. invasion, acknowledged Iran has a nuclear enrichment program and has long-range missile capability. But he told... CTV.ca http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1915820/posts#comment Wed, 24 Oct 2007 20:50:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1914757/posts MADRID, Spain (AP) - Nobel laureate Doris Lessing said the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States were "not that terrible" when compared to attacks by the IRA in Britain. "September 11 was terrible, but if one goes back over the history of the IRA, what happened to the Americans wasn't that terrible," the Nobel Literature Prize winner told the leading Spanish daily El Pais. "Some Americans will think I'm crazy. Many people died, two prominent buildings fell, but it was neither as terrible nor as extraordinary as they think. They're a very naive people, or they pretend to be,"... The Associated Press http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1914757/posts#comment Mon, 22 Oct 2007 20:36:23 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1914292/posts Madrid - Nobel prize winning author Doris Lessing said in an interview published on Sunday that the September 11 attacks had not been "so bad" when compared to Irish Republican Army action. "September 11 was terrible, but if one re-examines the history of the IRA, what happened in the United States wasn't so bad," Lessing - who captured this year's Nobel literature prize - told Spain's leading El Pais daily. The IRA waged a lengthy armed struggle against British rule in Northern Ireland. It declared an end to its armed campaign in 2005. "Some Americans believe I'm crazy. Many people... AFP on News24 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1914292/posts#comment Sun, 21 Oct 2007 19:05:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1902661/posts London, Sep. 26 – The Iraqi army confiscated Iranian mortars in an operation in central-southern Iraq on Tuesday, the Multi-National Corps – Iraq (MNC-I) said in a statement on Wednesday. Scouts from the 8th Iraqi army division confiscated and destroyed the mortars along with roadside bombs which were part of a large weapons cache following an intelligence driven operation September 25 in Diwaniyah “Iraqi forces learned that criminal elements were hiding the cache of explosively formed penetrators and mortars in a secret storage facility. The deadly weapons are responsible for many Iraqi and Coalition fatalities”, the MNC-I said. The forces... Iran Focus http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1902661/posts#comment Wed, 26 Sep 2007 21:41:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/585123/posts BELFAST (Reuters) - British police had information that renegade republicans were planning to attack the Northern Irish town of Omagh 11 days before a bomb in 1998 killed 29 people in the province's worst guerrilla atrocity, the BBC has reported. An investigation by the Police Ombudsman found that days before the August 15 bombing, police had been warned by an informant that an attack by republican dissidents was imminent, while another warning had mentioned Omagh and the planned date, the BBC said. A police detective was said to have spoken to an anonymous caller on August 4 for more than ... Reuters via BBC http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/585123/posts#comment Thu, 6 Dec 2001 18:41:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1875275/posts <...snip...> ... do you think the Democratic Left really wishes us to lose in Iraq? ......I think the answers are something like the following. The liberal Democratic leadership believes that Iraq can fail, thereby repudiating the Bush doctrine and the current war on terror, discrediting conservative candidates at large, teaching the American people about the limits of empire and foreign adventurism, restoring humility to foreign policy, ushering in a Democratic renaissance under which higher taxes, more entitlements, and greater government intervention promote egalitarianism and "correct" the past mistakes of the unenlightened electorate—and do so without serious or lasting harm to... pajamasmedia.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1875275/posts#comment Thu, 2 Aug 2007 15:51:41 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1874582/posts N Ireland SAS hero looks back  The Falls Road then ... In the summer of 1969, a young soldier warily patrols the troubled area of Belfast - the start of the Army's 38-year operation     August 01, 2007       SAS hero Andy McNab learnt his Army trade on the streets of Northern Ireland. During the 1970s it was one of the most dangerous places in the world.Today British troops officially pull out of Northern Ireland after 38 years.Operation Banner was the longest-running continuous campaign in Army history, with 300,000 soldiers serving and 763 killed by paramilitary terrorists.Here, as... The Sun (U.K.) http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1874582/posts#comment Wed, 1 Aug 2007 05:41:41 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1841683/posts What can the West offer the Islamic Republic of Iran in return for giving up its nuclear ambitions and kenneling its puppies of war? The problem calls to mind the question regarding what to give a man who has everything: cancer, AIDS, Alzheimer's, diabetes, kidney failure, and so forth. Iran's economy is so damaged that it is impossible to tell how bad things are. Except perhaps for the oilfields of southern Iraq, and perhaps also northern Saudi Arabia, there is nothing the West can give Iran to forestall an internal breakdown http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1841683/posts#comment Wed, 30 May 2007 01:36:59 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1803551/posts The echo from the shots which rang out some twenty-six years ago near the intersection of Locust Street and 12th Street in Philadelphia can still be heard today. In fact, on Sunday, March 18th they will be especially loud. Exactly 85.9 miles from the spot where Philadelphia Police Officer Daniel Faulkner fell, masses will be gathering and preparing to march in the Newark St. Patrick's Day Parade. However, for the first time in many years a deeply entrenched tradition will be broken: there will be no police officers among the participants. To serve as this year's parade honoree, organizers chose... NJLawman.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1803551/posts#comment Tue, 20 Mar 2007 03:51:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1823492/posts Tehran, 26 April (IPS) As the Law enforcement Forces continue the widely unpopular crackdown on women and young men wearing dresses not conform with Islamic dress code, more voices are heard calling on the Police to be more tolerant and more equitable in imposing the hejab, or the Islamic dress code. According to the latest figures offered by the Police, hundreds of women have been detained on what is generally called as “bad hejabi”, or wearing loose headscarves or tight coats, prompting warnings in the press that the authorities should be focusing on other more pressing issues. At the same... Iran Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1823492/posts#comment Wed, 25 Apr 2007 21:18:37 GMT