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WASHINGTON, Oct. 3, 2008 – Continuing to build the capacity and the strength of the Afghan National Army is strategically important to progress in Afghanistan and eliminating the insurgency’s influence over the population, an official there said yesterday. If the Afghan army can provide security on its own, it would help to remove the relationship between the insurgents and the populations they still influence, Marine Corps Col. Jeffrey Haynes, commander of Regional Corps Advisory Command Central, said in a teleconference with bloggers. “As we continue to drive the wedge between the population and the insurgents, it will be harder and...

I wish you all the best. I have tried to post tributes to the Army, info on Obama's horrendous run for office and McCain's slightly less horrible attempt. I wish you all the best but FR is just as likely to exclude people from the deabte as anyone else. They have that right, freedom to cleave to whoever you like is a right I agree with but I am guessing I am not one Jim wants associate with. I wish you all the best but I am bowing out of this forum. Have a great life. God bless u all!

It seems there are more and more religious posts every day on Free Republic. Posts bashing this belief or that one...posts on Mormons, on Catholics, who's going to Heaven...who's going to Hell...theology, etc. Has the site turned into "Free Religion?" There are hardly any conservative topics in News anyore. It's degenrated into a bunch of religious people trying to convince others whose beliefs are best. Why is that?

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16, 2007 – The United States has stood as a friend and partner of Israel since its independence in 1948, and that situation won’t change, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said here yesterday evening. Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates receives the Henry M. Jackson Distinguished Service Award from Robert Stevens, chairman of Lockheed Martin, at the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs annual dinner in Washington, D.C., Oct. 15, 2007. Defense Dept. photo by Cherie A. Thurlby   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. In an age of Middle Eastern-sourced terrorism with global reach that is...

Story told in a nursing class, to lighten the mood. One day,the body parts were conversing about their status for importance. The heart proclaimed, "well, I'm most important. I pump the blood through the veins in order to furnish the body with vital nutrients and necessary air and oxygen." The lungs took a clue from this and announced; "well, I do all of the work of bringing the necessary air and oxygen into the body so I am the most important." The brain said; "I, am the most important. All of you are dependent on my guidance and direction, like...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13, 2007 – Afghanistan is an important country in the Middle East, and engagement in the region is crucial to U.S. and NATO success there, a top Defense Department leader said in congressional testimony today. “It is important to remind ourselves that our involvement in Afghanistan should be viewed in a broader context, and not just simply our troop presence as a result of 9/11 and the place where the terrorists came from,” Mary Beth Long, principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for international affairs, said before the House Armed Services Committee. Long pointed out the important...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7, 2007 – Considering budget requests in their historical contexts is important when experiencing "sticker shock at their combined price tags," Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told the Senate Armed Services Committee during testimony yesterday. Gates said that the funds requested this year, including the money needed to fight the global war on terror, total about $700 billion. These funds are needed to accomplish several objectives. The funds "will make the strategic investments necessary to modernize and recapitalize key capabilities in the armed forces," Gates said. They will also "sustain the all-volunteer military by reducing stress on...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 2007 – The detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, remains a valuable asset in the war on terror as a place to hold enemy combatants and a source of useful intelligence to prevent future terrorist attacks, a top Defense Department official said here today. “It’s important during a time of war to have a place where, number one, you can take people off the battlefield and not allow them to go back to the battlefield … but also, exploit intelligence that they may possess,” Charles Stimson, deputy assistant secretary of defense for detainee affairs, said in...

BAGHDAD, Dec. 20, 2006 -- Succeeding in Iraq is the Defense Department’s top priority, newly sworn-in Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, said here today. Defense Secretary Robert Gates is greeted at the aircraft by Gen. John Abizaid, center, commander of U.S. Central Command, and Gen. George Casey, commander Multinational Forces Iraq, upon his arrival in Baghdad, Iraq, Dec. 20, just two days after being sworn in as the 22nd secretary of defense. Defense Dept. photo by Cherie A. Thurlby   '(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “I’m confident we can do so,” Gates said in a news briefing at...

TOKYO - Japan is ready for North Korea to carry out its threatened nuclear test as soon as this weekend, officials said yesterday. Japanese Vice-Foreign Minister Shotaro Yachi, on a visit to Washington, said Pyongyang's resolve to test its first atom bomb should not be underestimated. "We discussed the possibility that the test would occur this weekend," Mr Yachi said after talks with US Deputy National Security Adviser Jack Crouch. North Korea issued a statement on Tuesday saying it would test a nuclear bomb, dramatically raising the stakes in its standoff with the US on its quest for atomic weapons....

DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, July 10, 2006 – Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld met here today with the Tajikistani president and defense officials in an effort to foster an ongoing military-to-military relationship between Tajikistan and the United States. Tajikistani President Emomali Rahmonov (left) welcomes U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld to Dushanbe, Tajikistan, July 10 before the two met to discuss defense issues. Photo by Staff Sgt. Gary Hilliard, USA  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. "Tajikistan is an important Central-Asian country. ... They've been very cooperative in the global war on terror and helpful since almost the beginning," Rumsfeld told...

BAGHDAD, April 24, 2006 — Last week, the Iraqi Ministry of Defense marked the founding of the Iraqi Air Force. Seventy-five years ago, on April 22, 1931 at a small airport in the Washash neighborhood of Baghdad, five pilots and 32 aircraft mechanics officially became the Iraqi Air Force. Today’s Iraqi Air Force is an efficient and growing member of Iraq’s Joint Security Forces, making important contributions to the safety and liberty of the Iraqi people. The five operational squadrons of the Iraqi Air Force provide key reconnaissance and transportation support to Iraq’s civil and military security forces. One transport...

WASHINGTON, April 23, 2006 – After months of deadlock, Iraq reached an "important milestone" in its journey toward democracy with an agreement on top leadership posts for a national unity government, President Bush said yesterday. The parliament elected a president, two vice presidents, a parliament speaker and two deputies yesterday. President Jalal Talabani then named Jawad al Maliki as prime minister-designate. "This agreement represents compromise and consensus among many different Iraqi groups and it came after months of patient negotiations," Bush said in a speech at the California Highway Patrol Academy in Sacramento. "The agreement reflects the will of the...

New discoveries point to 'cave of John the Baptist' as important site in the time of Isaiah The interior of Suba Cave New Discoveries Point to "Cave of John the Baptist" as Important Site in the Time of Isaiah Recently completed digging at Israel's Suba Cave, an archaeological site that is possibly connected with John the Baptist, or Jewish groups of his time has revealed features that deepen the mystery of the site's ancient origins, according to University of North Carolina at Charlotte archaeologist James D. Tabor, associate director of the excavation. The site was brought to international attention in...

WASHINGTON, March 29, 2006 – Though training Iraq's warfighters and front-line security forces will remain the top priority, training the cooks, clerks and medics who allow the forces to operate against the enemy is an important part of the equation, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said this week. During a trip to Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, Marine Gen. Peter Pace spoke about establishing the institutions to run Iraq's military. "Priority No. 1 is always going to be training the trigger pullers," Pace said to reporters traveling with him March 26. "Priority No. 2 is training those...

3/28/2006 - WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- Space is an integral part of the Air Force mission. Whether someone is flying an airlifter, sending an e-mail or surveying a new runway, chances are space-based weather forecasting, navigation or communications systems helped make it possible. In fact, the Air Force is boldly developing new systems that will revolutionize how warfighters worldwide conduct operations, said Dr. Ronald Sega, undersecretary of the Air Force. One of his responsibilities is to oversee the Air Force’s space operations, something he is uniquely familiar with, having spent six years working for National Aeronautics and Space Administration and, after...

WASHINGTON, March 9, 2006 – The military's persistence in determining the identity of an airman missing in action since World War II sends an important message to families of all missing servicemembers and all men and women serving in uniform today, the commander of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command told American Forces Press Service. The remains of a World War II-era U.S. airman found in October 2005 in a California glacier are shipped to the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command at Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, to be identified. Experts at the command later identified the airman as Aviation Cadet...

Black minister, Nagin critic enters mayor's raceBy CHEVEL JOHNSON Associated Press Writer February 17. 2006 4:50PM The Rev. Tom Watson III, an influential black pastor and frequent critic of Mayor Ray Nagin, declared his candidacy for mayor Friday, saying Hurricane Katrina exposed the weaknesses of Nagin's administration. "We have put up with the political foolishness for a long time and the impact from poor leadership was not shown until the storm showed it," Watson said to about 50 supporters on hand for the formal announcement. Watson is the first black challenger to Nagin, who also is black. Nine others, all...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 24, 2006 – In the so-called "Long War," information will be as important as ammunition, a senior military officer said. "It is clear ... in a global perspective how important information is and its ability to influence people and their ideas," Army Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said. "We have to understand that." Odierno called the Jan. 19 Osama bin Laden statement claiming preparation for another terrorist attack and carried by all Western media as "information warfare, pure and simple." Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld has often spoken about...

Vatican Says Jerusalem "Issue" is Too Important to Leave to Israel, PA 19:15 Jan 03, '06 / 3 Tevet 5766 (IsraelNN.com) The legal counsel of the Vatican in Israel, the priest David Jaeger, said today that Jerusalem is too important of an "issue" to be left to Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Jaeger further expressed criticism of Israeli policy regarding holy sites in the country. "The issue of Jerusalem," the representative of the Roman Catholic Church said, "is to important to leave in the hands of the Israelis and the Palestinians." The Catholic Church has been making efforts to obtain...