Free Republic

The United Nations’ top human rights official, Michelle Bachelet, on Tuesday said her office had received credible reports of grave human rights abuses by the Taliban in Afghanistan. Though the ultraconservative Islamists have sought to present themselves as more moderate since taking control of the country, evidence gathered by the UN suggests otherwise. Bachelet said there were reports of summary executions from areas under Taliban control — against both civilians and Afghan soldiers. She also said there was evidence that the Taliban were restricting women’s rights — such as their right to freely move around — blocking girls from attending...

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), a leading ally of President Donald Trump, told reporters in a brief conference call after a meeting with the president on Wednesday that Trump is planning withdrawals of U.S. forces from Syria and Afghanistan and will instead reinvest U.S. resources wasted there in rebuilding the United States. In Syria, U.S. armed forces have been fighting the Islamic State or ISIS, a terrorist group that once controlled significant territory and resources, but the administration insists that ISIS has been defeated. As such, Trump is moving to withdraw all U.S. forces from Syria. In Afghanistan, U.S. troops have...

Washington (AFP) - Donald Trump described his foreign policy as an "America first" approach that will stop the US from being systematically "ripped off." The Republican frontrunner, who has spent his entire career in business, gave the most in-depth discussion so far on foreign policy in a phone interview with the New York Times. During the conversation, he detailed his views on issues ranging from East Asian security to Syria, the Islamic State group and relations with allies such as Saudi Arabia. Trump said he was not an isolationist, but described the United States as a poor debtor nation that...