Free Republic

The idea that life on Earth might have originated elsewhere, on Mars, for example, has gained currency in recent times as we’ve learned more about the transfer of materials between planets. Mars cooled before the Earth and may well have become habitable at a time when our planet was not. There seems nothing particularly outrageous in the idea that dormant bacteria inside chunks of the Martian surface, blasted into space by comet or asteroid impacts, might have crossed the interplanetary gulf and given rise to life here. But what of an interstellar origin for life on Earth? The odds on...

Quantum weirdness even stranger than previously thought.Two photons can be connected in a way that seems to defy the very nature of space and time, yet still obeys the laws of quantum mechanics. Physicists at the University of Geneva achieved the weird result by creating a pair of ‘entangled’ photons, separating them, then sending them down a fibre optic cable to the Swiss villages of Satigny and Jussy, some 18 kilometres apart. The researchers found that when each photon reached its destination, it could instantly sense its twin’s behaviour without any direct communication. The finding does not violate the laws...

My Brother-In-Law, my sister and their family have lived outside of Naples, Italy for years. He supports the Navy as a GS worker and their policy is that you can only spend so many years overseas before you have to come back to the states. One of their options is supporting a base in Corpus Christi, TX. My sister has looked online and found that a lot of people trash the place. Is the city really that bad (remember, they lived near Naples, home of mafiosi and piles of trash)? Are there safe towns with good schools are are a...

(IsraelNN.com) A survey carried out the Panels Research Institute finds that more than 75% of Israelis see partial or total transfer for Israeli-Arabs out of Israel in any final-status agreement that includes a Palestinian state. The poll asked whether it would be justified, in the framework of an agreement for the establishment of a Palestinian state, to demand the transfer out of Israel of all Arabs. Nearly 30% said yes with no reservations, while 28% said only Arabs who did not express loyalty to Israel should be expelled. In addition, another 19% said that Arabs who lived in areas bordering...

TAJI, Iraq, Jan. 17, 2008 – A ceremony here today marked the beginning of a program to refurbish and transfer more than 4,200 up-armored Humvees over the next 13 months. Some 627 vehicles now are staged in the holding yard ready to undergo a maintenance overhaul of brakes, belts and fluids before the appropriate paint scheme is applied. Once this process is completed, including quality assurance checks, the vehicles will be transferred to the government of Iraq for further distribution to the Iraqi security forces, U.S. officials said. “These vehicles are very important to the Iraqi National Police as well...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6, 2007 – The Pentagon is awaiting results of an Air Force investigation into the alleged improper transfer of weapons by air from a base in North Dakota to a Louisiana military installation last week. News reports say several nuclear-tipped cruise missiles were mistakenly attached to the wing of a B-52 bomber, which then flew for more than three hours across several states. Media reports state the aircrew did not know nuclear weapons were aboard. “The Air Force is currently investigating an error made last Thursday in the transfer of munitions … from Minot Air Force Base to...

N. Korea funds transfer issue 'has concluded': Macao finance chief (Kyodo) _ Macao's finance chief said Thursday evening that issue of some $25 million in North Korea-linked funds that were frozen at a blacklisted Macao bank "has concluded," apparently indicating transfer of the money that began earlier in the day has been completed. "The BDA issued has concluded," Francis Tam, secretary for economy and finance, said in a statement issued by the Macao government, alluding to Banco Delta Asia SARL.

N Korea still to recover frozen $25m By Demetri Sevastopulo in Washington and Anna Fifield in Seoul Published: May 3 2007 18:38 | Last updated: May 3 2007 18:38 North Korea is having trouble recovering $25m (£12.5m) in previously frozen assets that are crucial to implementing the six-party deal towards denuclearising the Korean peninsula. Almost three weeks since the agreed deadline for North Korea to shut down its Yongbyon nuclear reactor, Pyongyang still faces hurdles in obtaining the money from Macao’s Banco Delta Asia, which North Korea insisted be released as part of the nuclear accord reached in February. A...

North Korea starts moving funds from BDA accounts Tokyo, April 19 (RIA Novosti) Holders of North Korean accounts at the Macao-based bank Banco Delta Asia (BDA) have started transferring their deposits, worth $25 billion, to other East Asian banks, the Japanese daily Yomiuri said Thursday. Under an agreement reached at the six-nation talks on denuclearising North Korea in February, Pyongyang was to shut down and seal its nuclear reactor, produce a list of other nuclear facilities and swap access to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors for energy supplies and other assistance within 60 days, a deadline which expired Saturday....

N. Korea nuclear talks break down POSTED: 4:08 a.m. EDT, March 22, 2007 BEIJING, China (AP) -- Talks on disarming North Korea's nuclear program broke down abruptly on Thursday with the country's chief nuclear envoy departing for home after a dispute over money frozen in a Macau bank could not be resolved. Kim Kye Gwan went to Beijing's airport after refusing to take part in six-party talks on ways to push forward a February agreement calling for North Korea to give up its nuclear program in return for energy aid and political considerations. Kim waved to reporters when he arrived...

(4th LD) Six-party nuclear talks stalled due to N. Korean boycott (ATTN: UPDATES with six-party talks stalled, minor changes; CHANGES headline) By Byun Duk-kun BEIJING, March 20 (Yonhap) -- Six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear weapons program stalled again Tuesday after the North refused to participate until its frozen funds at a Macau bank are released. An afternoon session of the six-nation nuclear disarmament talks was cancelled due to the North Korean boycott, according to Kenichiro Sasae, Japan's chief nuclear envoy.

Source: University of California - Berkeley Date: March 11, 2007 Gene Transfer Between Species Is Surprisingly Common Science Daily — Bacteria are known to share genes, spreading drug resistance, for example. But how common is it in other organisms, including mammals like us? Two new studies show that most bacteria have genes or large groups of genes shared by other bacteria. Even among higher organisms, shared genes are the rule rather than the exception, UC Berkeley and LBNL researchers say. Two new studies by University of California, Berkeley, scientists highlight the amazing promiscuity of genes, which appear to shuttle frequently...

California's prison secretary on Friday said the state will force the transfer up to 5,000 inmates to other states, an indication that an order signed last fall by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has fallen short of expectations. The involuntary transfers will start in 60 to 90 days. Corrections Secretary James Tilton said the action is needed to relieve overcrowding that threatens the safety of guards and inmates in the nation's largest state prison system. "We are severely overcrowded, and the need for more space is absolutely critical," Tilton said in a statement. "These transfers allow us to improve the safety of...

The Department of Defense announced today that it transferred seven detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to Afghanistan, five detainees to Yemen, three detainees to Kazakhstan, one detainee to Libya, and one detainee to Bangladesh. Additionally, one detainee was released to Yemen. These detainees were recommended for transfer or release by multiple review board processes conducted at Guantanamo Bay. Aproximately 85 detainees remain at Guantanamo who the U.S. Government has determined eligible for transfer or release through a comprehensive series of review processes. Departure of these remaining detainees approved for transfer or release is subject to ongoing discussions between the United...

SACRAMENTO A state judge decided Friday to let California send 2,260 inmates to other states to relieve prison crowding, though she said the transfers may be illegal. Two state employee unions "are reasonably likely" to win their lawsuit against the state next year, but can't prove they are suffering enough immediate irreparable harm to justify a preliminary injunction in the meantime, ruled Sacramento Superior Court Judge Gail Ohanesian. Any damages the unions suffer are more than offset by the "extreme peril" created by keeping more than 173,000 inmates in space designed for fewer than 100,000, Ohanesian said. Crowding could trigger...

The Department of Defense announced today that it transferred 16 detainees from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to Afghanistan, and one detainee to Morocco. These detainees were recommended for transfer following multiple review processes conducted at Guantanamo Bay. With today’s transfer, approximately 110 detainees remain at Guantanamo who the U.S. government has determined eligible for transfer or release through a comprehensive series of review processes. Departure of these remaining detainees approved for transfer or release is subject to ongoing discussions between the United States and other nations. The United States does not desire to hold detainees for any longer than necessary. The...

Officials Transfer Authority of Base Iraqi Security Forces assume control of Forward Operating Base Duke. By Maj. Anna Friederich 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq, Oct. 3, 2006 -- Iraqi officials and Multi-National Division - Baghdad leaders transferred responsibility of Forward Operating Base Duke to Iraqi Security Forces during a press conference Oct. 1. Col. John Tully, commander, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, officially signed documents to sign the FOB to the Ministry of Interior, which was represented by Maj. Gen. Hussein Aooyiz Al Ghazali, commander, 5th Department of Border Enforcement,...

When you enter a boxing ring, you agree to abide by the rules of boxing. But when you are attacked from behind in a dark alley, you would be a fool to abide by the Marquis of Queensbury rules. If you do, you can end up being a dead fool.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6, 2006 -- For the first time since the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime, the Iraqi prime minister, through the Iraqi minister of defense, will take operational control of the Iraqi ground forces command structure and the country’s air forces and navy tomorrow, a U.S. military spokesman in Iraq said today. “This is such a huge, significant event that's about to occur tomorrow,” said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman. “It's the one event that puts the prime minister directly in the operational control of his military forces as his role as the...

High Court approves weapons transfer to Abbas JPost.com Staff, THE JERUSALEM POST Jun. 15, 2006 The High Court of Justice ruled on Thursday against three pleas demanding that weapons not be transferred to Palestinians. The pleas were submitted by various groups representing terror victims. The government decided several weeks ago to hand over weapons to security forces protecting Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

China may abandon Shanghai-Hangzhou maglev line if talks with Germany fail China may abandon the construction of the four-billion-euro Shanghai-Hangzhou high-speed meglev line if talks with Germany on technical transfers and other issues fail, the 21st Century Business Herald said Friday. "The line will not be built if they keep saying no," Wu Xiangming, director of the China national magnetic levitation transportation technology research center was quoted as saying in Germany. Wu is believed to be a key figure involved in bilateral talks on the building of the 200-km-long maglev track, which will be designed to allow a maximum speed...

5/23/2006 - KIRKUK AIR BASE, Iraq (AFPN) -- The 506th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron has begun the transfer of its mission to the Iraqi government. Following the transfer of authority to the Iraqi Army by the U.S. Army in April, security forces Airmen here are now shifting their combat patrol mission of the base defense zone to the Iraqi army, Iraqi police and security infrastructure battalion. “The security forces mission here is evolving,” said 1st Lt. Justin Banez, flight leader. “Ultimately we want to ensure Iraq’s independence lies in the hands of the Iraqis. “We have moved from the Air...

More than half of Israelis think the government should encourage its Arab citizens to emigrate from Israel, according to an annual survey by the Israel Democracy Institute. A poll published Tuesday on the state of democracy in Israel found that 62 percent of Israelis support government-backed Arab emigration, compared to the 40 percent detailed by Geocartography Institute poll in March. The annual survey of the status of democracy in Israel was published Tuesday morning, in preparation for the Israel Democracy Institute conference to be held Wednesday sponsored by President Moshe Katzav.

------------------------------------------------------INVASION USABan on wire transfers by illegals proposedSupporters believe it will remove major incentive for crossing border------------------------------------------------------ Posted: March 6, 2006 2:32 p.m. Eastern James L. Lambert © 2006 WorldNetDaily.com A Republican candidate for a vacated congressional seat in southern California is proposing a ban on wire transfers by illegal aliens from the U.S. to Mexico. The plan "will remove a major incentive for illegal immigration and increase national security," said Howard Kaloogian, a well-known California activist who launched the effort to recall Gov. Gray Davis. Kaloogian is the front-runner for the San Diego-area congressional seat held by Republican Rep....

Iraqi army soldiers from 3rd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, stand tall during a transfer of authority ceremony March 2, 2006 at Forward Operating Base Constitution. The Iraqi army brigade assumes the security responsibilities from U.S. Army 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Jason Thompson Transfer Ceremony Marks Accomplishments U.S. Army 10th Mountain Division hands over operations to 3rd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division. By U.S. Army Pfc. Jason Jordan 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mtn. Div. CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq, March 3, 2006 — “We are comrades. The Iraqi army and the American...

A survey published by the Smith Institute on Thursday showed that 40 percent of Israelis supported the transfer of Palestinians to an Arab country. The survey was conducted at the request of Herut Party leader Michael Kleiner.

ANOTHER FORMER HIGH-RANKING IRAQI OFFICIAL CONFIRMS WMD WENT TO SYRIA The Changed Baathist: Interview with Ali Ibrahim Al-Tikriti By: Ryan Mauro TDCAnalyst@aol.com Ali Ibrahim al-Tikriti was a southern regional commander for Saddam Hussein’s Fedayeen militia in the late 1980s and a personal friend of the dictator. Units under his command dealt with chemical and biological weapons. He was known as the “Butcher of Basra” due to his campaigns and defected shortly before the Gulf War in 1991. This interview aims to gain some insight into the current situation in Iraq. RM: Is there a single incident that you can point...

A Syrian sidestep? About those Iraqi WMDs: More signs are pointing to a neighborly transfer Last week a man who had been deputy chief of Saddam Hussein's air force claimed Iraq moved weapons of mass destruction into Syria before the war began. SNIP SNIP But Mr. Sada's is only the most recent of a series of accounts by people in a position to speak with authority who say (some of) Saddam's chemical and biological weapons wound up in Syria. Last month Moshe Yaalon, who was Israel's top general at the time, said Iraq transported WMD to Syria six weeks before...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6, 2006 – Two Army divisions are preparing for a transfer of responsibility in Baghdad tomorrow, and the search for an unmanned aerial vehicle near Mosul has been suspended, military officials said. The 3rd Infantry Division will turn over authority for Multinational Division Baghdad to the 4th Infantry Division. Army Maj. Gen. William Webster Jr., 3rd ID commander, will case the "Marne" Division's colors during the transfer ceremony, and Maj. Gen. J.D. Thurman, 4th ID commander, will uncase the "Ironhorse" Division's colors. In other news, the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team has suspended its search for a Raven...

The voices heard from circles of Israel's extreme right on the matter of ejecting Arab communities from Israel to Palestine have been joined recently by Dr. Uzi Arad (The New Republic, November 28). These perverse voices are calling for "exchanges of populated territories," so that a large proportion of the Israeli Arab public will leave the areas under Israeli sovereignty. These voices are rising from the margins in a sporadic way, and it is fitting that they be answered by those who strive to ensure the firm foundation of a Jewish and democratic state on the ideological infrastructure of Zionism....

COMMENTARY Base Transfer Part of March Toward Democracy By U.S. Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr. Multinational Force-Iraq Commanding General BAGHDAD, Iraq, Nov. 23, 2005 — The other day, Coalition forces transferred the largest base in Tikrit, Forward Operating Base "Danger" to the Ministry of Finance. Also known as the Tikrit Palace Complex, FOB Danger is perhaps the most significant of all the installation transfers. About 30 military compounds have changed from coalition to Iraqi control. The massive complex is more than 1,000 acres with 136 buildings. In addition to the buildings, there are more than 60 additional structures...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21, 2005 – In what's being regarded as a highly symbolic development in Iraq, coalition forces will turn over former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's palace in Tikrit to the new Iraqi government during Nov. 22 ceremonies. The sprawling palace complex in Saddam's hometown, 90 miles north of Baghdad, is the largest and most elaborate of his presidential sites, a senior military official in Iraq said today on background. The U.S. Army's 4th Infantry Division initially secured the complex in 2003, dubbing it Camp Iron Horse. The camp served as the division's headquarters when its members captured Saddam in...

Excerpt: ... However; we have refugees. The prison alone which usually runs about 875 inmates has already gotten in 300 prisoners and we expect another 200-300 before we max out. Right now we are looking everywhere for tents and other things to put up. The prisoners are out of the Orleans Parish Jail (population about 5000). We are in a disaster mode. We give them a mattress, dry clothes, food and only the medications the need to survive. We are down to the (war time) basics. Some of the prisoners stood in water chest deep for 2 or more days,...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 4, 2005 – The United States and the Afghan government have agreed to eventually transfer Afghan citizens now in U.S.-coalition custody to Afghan control, a senior DoD spokesman said here today. Arrangements will be made before any such detainee transfer to ensure that the Afghan government can assume custody of its citizen-detainees, spokesman Bryan Whitman said. "We intend to assist the government of Afghanistan in building a capacity to detain these individuals," to include "ensuring that the government of Afghanistan has the necessary facilities and appropriately trained personnel to handle them," Whitman noted. The transfer could affect 100...

With the majority of precincts reporting, San Diegans voted overwhelmingly yesterday to transfer the historic Mount Soledad cross site to the federal government. The site contains a 43-foot concrete cross that has been at the center of the controversy since a 1989 lawsuit. The city-owned land has long been recognized locally as a war memorial. Surrounding the cross are more than 1,600 plaques commemorating military veterans who have participated in the defense of America. By attaching an amendment to a military appropriations bill last November, area congressmen Duncan Hunter and Randy "Duke" Cunningham provided a way where a federal transfer...

WASHINGTON, March 12 - A federal judge on Saturday prohibited the government from transferring 13 Yemeni prisoners from the military's detention facility at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, until a hearing could be held on their lawyers' fear that they might face torture if sent to another country. The ruling by Judge Rosemary M. Collyer of United States District Court was the first action on at least five emergency petitions filed since Friday by lawyers for Guantánamo detainees after they learned from news reports that the government is seeking to transfer hundreds of prisoners to their home countries. "We're relieved," said Marc...

OTTAWA (Reuters) - After insisting it would not buy "hot air" from Russia and other countries, the Canadian government said on Tuesday it would have go abroad to buy green credits in order to meet its emissions targets under the Kyoto accord. Environment Minister Stephane Dion said the government's plans so far were not enough to meet the targets laid down by the international Kyoto treaty on climate change, which comes into force on Wednesday. Dion said most of the plan he is developing to cut greenhouse gases, blamed for global warming, would bring about reductions in Canadian emissions. But...

The purpose of FreeRepublic.com's multiple message boards is to limit the topics for each board to particular topics. Posting the same message on all the boards defeats the purpose of multiple-boards for special topics. It is very annoying to see the same message on every bulletin board. PLEASE! DO THE READERS A FAVOR. STOP CROSS-POSTING YOUR MESSAGES!

Lod vice mayor Emil Haddad has called for the state to finance the evacuation of the Jewish residents of the Ramat Eshkol neighborhood, where 70 percent of the residents are Arabs. Haddad is certain his plan is the best way "to save the Jews" living there from "harassment," as he says, from the Arabs. "In any case, there are 700 housing units needed for Arabs in Lod. The Housing Ministry should just buy those apartments from the minority of Jewish families still living in Ramat Eshkol, and move them to a new neighborhood that will be built in the northern...

Russia - Masque Of The Red Death Vladimir Putin has been hailed perhaps as the pivotal post cold war Russian leader. He has executed a skillful dog and pony show, convincing both the Bush and Blair administrations that the former Soviet Union was not only no longer a military threat to the West but was indeed now becoming a close ally. Obviously Russia's cooperation with the French and German UN delegation's intransigence in dealing with Iraq has done much to throw cold water on this heretofore-budding union. It's important to note that such a relationship offered hope, though ultimately unfounded,...

(One of many articles here on this site on this topic) Ex-CENTCOM No. 2: Intel Showed Iraq Smuggled Out WMDs Sept. 26, 2004, NewsMax.com Lt. Gen. Michael DeLong (USMC Ret.), who until last September was the No. 2 in command of the Iraq war under Gen. Tommy Franks, revealed Sunday that U.S. military intelligence had determined that weapons of mass destruction were being smuggled out of the country as the U.S. prepared to invade. "I do know for a fact that some of those weapons went into Syria, Lebanon and Iran," Gen. DeLong told WABC Radio's Steve Malzberg... "Two days...

Assessment is mixed at bestPRINCETON, NJ -- The transfer of governing authority in Iraq to the Iraqis last month represented a major shift in America's role and responsibilities in that country. But it has triggered no change in Americans' basic attitudes about U.S. involvement in Iraq. According to a July 8-11 Gallup survey, that assessment continues to fall somewhere between tepid and critical in nature. Americans remain as divided now as they were just prior to the June 28 transfer of power over whether the U.S. military intervention in Iraq was worth it: today, 47% say it was worth going...

Have mixed expectations for future of Iraq PRINCETON, NJ -- A CNN/USA Today/Gallup Poll conducted about one week before yesterday's handover of governmental authority in Iraq found three in four Americans favoring the transfer. A slim majority think the change will generally improve the situation in Iraq, as well as believe a democratic government is likely to be established there within five years. Americans are divided on whether, in five years, the Iraqi government will be friendly to the United States, and are generally skeptical that it will succeed in bringing about peace and stability in Iraq.According to the June...

<p>June 28 (Bloomberg) -- The dollar gained in London against most major currencies after the U.S. handed over its authority in Iraq to a transitional government two days early.</p> <p>The dollar advanced to $1.2138 per euro as of 8:15 a.m. in London from $1.2178 in New York late on Friday, according to EBS, an electronic foreign-exchange dealing system. The U.S. currency also rose against the Swiss franc and 14 of 16 major currencies tracked by Bloomberg after Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said the date of the handover will be brought forward to today from the previously scheduled Wednesday.</p>

For Immediate Release June 26, 2004 President's Radio Address      Audio THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. This week I'm traveling to the U.S.-EU summit in Ireland, homeland to so many Irish Americans, and one of the fastest growing and modern economies in the European Union. I will also be attending the NATO summit in Turkey, a proud nation that successfully blends a European identity with secular democracy and Islamic traditions.  Radio Address 2004200320022001  Radio Interviews 2004 I will discuss with our European allies our common struggle to defeat the forces of global terror, our common interest in the spread of prosperity...

A key pillar of the President's five-point plan to help Iraq achieve democracy and freedom is to transition authority to a fully sovereign Iraqi government. On June 30, the Iraqi people will assume full sovereignty. Only fifteen months after the Coalition liberated Iraq: America is more secure, and the murderous regime of Saddam Hussein will never return to power. The Iraqi people are free, they have full sovereignty, and they have an interim government that is governing Iraq and preparing the nation for free elections. A clear signal has been sent to our enemies of our resolve in the war...

TED: 2:55 pm EDT June 16, 2004 UPDATED: 3:03 pm EDT June 16, 2004 In a step toward making ultra-powerful computers, scientists have transferred physical characteristics between atoms by using a phenomenon so bizarre that even Albert Einstein called it spooky. Such "quantum teleportation" of characteristics had been demonstrated before between beams of light. The work with atoms is "a landmark advance," H.J. Kimble of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif., and S.J. van Enk of Bell Labs in Murray Hill, N.J., declare in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature. Two teams of scientists report similar results in...

An organization working on behalf of Israel's Arab citizens is calling for legislation making the mere discussion of "transfer" illegal. INN spoke with one of its representatives about the "transfer" of Jews from Yesha. The release of a new report today by the Mossawa Advocacy Center for Arab Citizens in Israel regarding the treatment of Israeli Arabs was covered extensively in the Israeli press. The report's authors accuse Israeli authorities, the police and the judicial system of creating a climate of violence and racism against Arab citizens of Israel. Mossawa’s report comes days after Transportation Minister Avigdor Lieberman (National Union)...

The WMD Question From a column written for StrategyPage.com on January 7, 2004 Compiled by: Ryan Mauro tdcanalyst@optonline.net Iraq's weapons of mass destruction remain missing. Although American national security was undoubtedly strengthened because of the success of the Iraq War, the failure to find banned weapons limited this success. As a result many people are asking where these weapons are. The Iraqi preparations to hide the WMDs (Weapons of Mass Destruction, chemical, nuclear and biological weapons) were enormous. Hidden in civilian homes, mosques, man-made lakes, in sealed wells, and under the desert, the WMDs couldn't be used not in the...

The Defense Department's top money manager told Senate officials March 1 that DoD wants to transfer about $1 billion within its budget to fund three security, humanitarian and reconstruction programs in Afghanistan and Iraq. DoD Comptroller Dov Zakheim met on Capitol Hill with members of the Senate Appropriations Committee's Defense Subcommittee to discuss details of DoD's proposed $401.7 billion fiscal 2005 budget. The fiscal 2005 budget, Zakheim noted to members of the subcommittee, "does not request specific appropriations for these three (spending) authorities, and therefore, the department would need to reprogram funding to use them." The first program, Zakheim said,...