Free Republic

General Hassan Shateri was killed on Tuesday in an ambush on the way from Damascus towards the Lebanese capital, the Iranian authorities said. They blamed the attack on Israel. Gen Shateri was also in charge of the Iranian of the Iranian Committee for the Reconstruction of Lebanon, set up after the devastating war in 2006 between Israel and the Iran supported Shiite Hezbollah militia.

War On Terror: Victims of the Fort Hood shooting, including a prior SOTU guest, say they've been neglected by the military, "betrayed" by the president and denied full benefits in the name of political correctness. Kimberly Munley was one of two police officers who confronted Fort Hood shooter Major Nidal Hasan when he shouted "Allahu Akbar" and opened fire on U.S. soldiers. Thirteen people were killed, including a pregnant soldier, and 32 others shot in the Nov. 5, 2009, rampage at the Army base in Killeen, Texas. Munley was shot three times as she and her partner, Sgt. Mark Todd,...

The passengers of the Carnival Triumph (probably) never imagined that they’d get to extend their trip by several days. They certainly didn’t picture themselves living like 19th-century steerage passengers, if 19th-century steerage passengers had cans of Pringles and defecated in plastic bags. The cruise ship, as you may recall, had an engine room fire on Sunday, stranding the ship in the Gulf of Mexico with minimal power, sanitation, and access to hot food. If the passengers of the Triumph needed anything, it was for their return to shore to be delayed even further. Naturally, earlier this afternoon the rope attaching...

Sen. Marco Rubio’s delivery of the GOP response to the State of the Union shows he’s a force the Democrats must reckon with, says former White House advisor Van Jones. The Florida Republican poses a “dangerous” political threat to Democrats because of his keen ability to emotionally connect with voters, Jones said.

"I'm going to leave this up to you guys," he said, explaining that if the couple decided against his choice, the girl would forever think the president of the United States didn't like her name. "Tell Eleanor or Alice not to forget to be awesome." ~~SNIP~~ "If it’s a boy and you want to name it Barack," he said, "that’s fine."

Up to 200 smuggling tunnels shut since Egyptian President Morsi took office; some 30% of all goods reach Gaza through tunnels. Egyptian forces have flooded smuggling tunnels under the border with the Palestinian-ruled Gaza Strip in a campaign to shut them down, Egyptian and Palestinian officials said. The network of tunnels is a vital lifeline for Gaza, bringing in an estimated 30 percent of all goods that reach the enclave and circumventing a blockade imposed by Israel for more than seven years. Reuters reporters saw one tunnel being used to bring in cement and gravel suddenly fill with water on...

An Arab Muslim mother from northern Israel who is aspiring to a life in politics called out fellow Arab women on Tuesday for failing to differentiate between the Jews and Arabs with whom they are in conflict. Commenting on a Facebook event page protesting the sexual harassment and torture of female activists in Egypt, Anet Haskia (who was interviewed in the latest issue of Israel Today) said Palestinian women should take a close look and realize how humane their Jewish "enemies" really are. To the Palestinian women who commented on that event page, and apparently tried to draw Israel into...

Students at University of Missouri don't need to cram for exams that fall on Wiccan and Pagan holidays, now that the school has put them on par with Christmas, Thanksgiving and Hanukah. The university’s latest “Guide to Religions: Major Holidays and Suggested Accommodations” -- designed to help faculty know when and when not to schedule homework and exams -- lists eight Wiccan and Pagan holidays and events right alongside more mainstream occasions. It's all part of the school's effort to include everyone's beliefs, although some critics say listing every holiday associated with fringe belief systems is a bit much. [Snip]...

College probes ejection of Jewish students Brooklyn college launches investigation after students claim security removed them from pro-Palestinian BDS event. NEW YORK -Brooklyn College launched a probe into allegations that Jewish students were wrongly ejected from an event hosted by the school in support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. Karen Gould, the college's president, on Wednesday ordered officials to conduct a "thorough independent review" of allegations that four members of the Jewish student group Hillel were told to leave the gathering organized by a pro-Palestinian group on campus last week. The college's political science faculty was an official...

Making progress!! Still lagging a bit behind the pace from last quarter, but we're getting there. Please keep those donations coming in, folks, so we can end this thing soon. If we can raise a minimum of 10% per week, we can be done within the next three weeks!! We can do this!! FR is funded solely by contributions made by like-minded liberty loving patriots who enjoy and use it and think it's a worthwhile endeavor to support. We are self-funded, fiercely independent and enjoy our freedom to speak plainly in the defense Liberty. Free Republic stands for God and...

Following are excerpts from a video-clip featuring a Syrian child singing a song of praise for Osama Bin Laden. The clip was posted on the Internet on February 9, 2013. Syrian child: "Allah is what we strive for, and He is our goal. "Our Sheik Jolani has raised the banner. "Our Sheik Jolani has raised the banner. "Our Emir Mullah [Omar] did not renounce his religion. "All the soldiers have pledged their souls to Allah. "All the soldiers have pledged their souls to Allah. "Our leader is Bin Laden, the Americans’ worst nightmare, "With the power of faith, and our...

CNSNews.com) – The men and women charged with enforcing federal immigration law are being prohibited from doing so by the Obama administration, according to Chris Crane, president of the union that represents officers and agents employed by the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “I think most Americans assume that ICE agents and officers are empowered by the government to enforce the law,” Crane said on Wednesday at Senate Judiciary Committee meeting on immigration reform. “Nothing could be further from the truth. “With 11 million illegal aliens in the U.S., ICE agents are now prohibited from arresting...

RUSH: Now, the poor Carnival Cruise Line. They've got the cruise ship out there that's lost all power. Apparently it is a floating sewer. It's a floating pigsty. I'm sorry, I just can't help it. The media is focusing on this ship. They've actually been focused on it for the last three days as it has been drifting aimlessly out there in the Gulf of Mexico. But now it's got a tow. They're towing the thing and it's heading to Alabama. CNN is gonna anchor the arrival of the sewer, the floating sewer live tonight. Erin Burnett at seven o'clock...

By offering unproven therapies, a Texas biotechnology firm has sparked a bitter debate about how stem cells should be regulated. Ann McFarlane is losing faith. In the first half of 2012, the Houston resident received four infusions of adult stem cells grown from her own fat. McFarlane has multiple sclerosis (MS), and had heard that others with the inflammatory disease had experienced improvements in mobility and balance after treatment. The infusions — which have cost her about US$32,000 so far — didn't help, but she knew that there were no guarantees. It is McFarlane's experience with Celltex Therapeutics, the company...

The current push toward gun control is being presented in a particularly dangerous and dishonest manner. It is being framed in terms of mental health and packaged in a way that almost guarantees victory for the advocates of control. The debating point proffered is, “How do we keep guns away from the mentally ill?” Thus far, President Obama’s answer has been vague and administrative enough to avoid the need for Congressional approval. (snip) State-controlled psychiatry is a terrifying weapon, especially when it is used to determine who has rights. Every individual should be able to be eccentric, different, and even...

Violence against Syria’s centuries-old Christian community from the government as well as Islamic radicals in the rebellion of the Syrian civil war is driving thousands of those Christians from their homes, with many fleeing to their ancient homeland in neighboring Turkey, the New York Times reported. Syriac Christians make up one of the oldest Christian communities in the world. First established by the Jesus’s Apostle St. Peter in Antioch, the Church uses the world’s oldest liturgy—the Liturgy of St. James—and many adherents still speak Aramaic, the ancient Semitic language that was believed to be spoken by Jesus and his followers....

President Obama on Thursday hailed his administration for its transparency. “This is the most transparent administration in history,” Obama said during a Google Plus “Fireside” Hangout. “I can document that this is the case,” he continued. “Every visitor that comes into the White House is now part of the public record. Every law we pass and every rule we implement we put online for everyone to see.” The president said this holds true even on the issue of Benghazi, a controversy which he said was “driven by campaign” year politics and one that Congressional Republicans were clinging to even though...

- FrontPage Magazine - http://frontpagemag.com - Dorner, Folk Hero of the LeftPosted By Matthew Vadum On February 14, 2013 @ 7:54 am In Daily Mailer,FrontPage | 30 Comments Nobody loves cop killers more than left-wingers do.The grotesque outpouring of love for cop killer Chris Dorner, an ex-cop now presumed dead in a fiery shootout at Big Bear Lake, California, should make all sane Americans fear for the future of their country.Dorner is suspected of killing at least one police officer and two others. He allegedly gunned down 28-year-old Monica Quan and her husband-to-be 27-year-old Keith Lawrence outside their home. Quan’s...

I recall Obama talking a lot about “Nation-Building at Home” instead of abroad, but like every other word that comes out of his mouth, that was another lie. While Barack Hussein Obama is firing 20,000 Marines as part of his massive purge of the United States military to “save money”, he’s also fighting to send $700 million to the terrorists of the Palestinian Authority. On Feb 8th, Obama issued yet another waiver for Palestinian Authority aid, claiming that sending money to the corrupt undemocratic terrorist kleptocracy that refuses to negotiate a peaceful solution was “important to the national security interests...

A Way for Your Voice to be Heard at Speaker Madigan's Public Hearings on Proposed Right to Carry and Other Gun Issues. Public Invited to Speak and/or File Witness Slips Speaker Mike Madigan has called for two public hearings for Illinois residents to voice their support or opposition to proposed Right to Carry legislation. This is an opportunity to speak out against a Chicago-style carry law and in support of a fair and reasonable law. It is also an opportunity to speak against firearm and magazine bans and other firearm related issues. Please plan to attend one of these meetings...