Free Republic

For months, a small team of U.S. Navy investigators and federal prosecutors secretly devised options for a high-stakes international manhunt. Could the target be snatched from his home base in Asia and rendered to the United States? Or held captive aboard an American warship? Making the challenge even tougher was the fact that the man was a master of espionage. His moles had burrowed deep into the Navy hierarchy to leak him a stream of military secrets, thwarting previous efforts to bring him to justice. The target was not a terrorist, nor a spy for a foreign power, nor the...

The US Navy's Seventh Fleet command ship USS Blue Ridge arrive in Vladivostok on Friday to take part in festivities dedicated to the 65th anniversary of the Allied victory in the World War II. Seventh Fleet Commander, Vice Adm. John M. Bird who also arrived in Vladivostok will attend the Victory Day celebrations. RIA Novosti quoting a spokesman for the US Consulate-General in Russia's Far East said, the Blue Ridge crew would take part in a military parade in downtown Vladivostok to symbolize the allied relations between the United States and Russia during the Second World War. The cultural agenda...

USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19), U.S. 7th Fleet flagship, arrived in Chinhae Mar.12 to continue participating in combined forces Exercise Key Resolve/Foal Eagle 2010. Blue Ridge departed Busan, Republic of Korea, carrying 7th Fleet staff Sailors, Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team, 1st Company Marines, Republic of Korea (ROK) service members, and many other participants in the exercise. The move to Chinhae adds realism to the exercise and allows the participants to work together from a different operational vantage point. "In addition to allowing our Sailors to see more of Korea," said Blue Ridge Commanding Officer Capt. Rudy Lupton. "Being in Chinhae...

Rumsfeld: Thank you, Captain [inaudible]. [Applause] If they serve food like this every day I'm about ready to rejoin. [Laughter] Captain and distinguished guests, members of the press that are traveling with us here, and the crew of the USS Blue Ridge. I am delighted to be here. We've been in Guam and we head from here to Okinawa and then over to Korea. The reason I'm here and those that are traveling with me are here is because this part of the world is so enormously important to our country and to this region. We feel the events...