Free Republic

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28, 2006 – Two Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers were killed in separate incidents over the past two days, and five Iraqi patrols resulted in the detention of three suspected insurgents in Ramadi. West of the capital, a Multinational Division Baghdad soldier was killed by small-arms fire yesterday, Multinational Force Iraq officials reported. The other died Feb. 26 in central Baghdad. The soldiers' names are being withheld pending notification of the family, and both incidents remain under investigation. On Feb. 25, soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division, conducted five security patrols leading to the...

The state government continues to spend beyond its means, with Republicans calling for cuts in government, or at least cuts in its rate of growth, and Democrats pushing for tax and fee increases to make up the difference. But apparently there is one area of agreement between members of both parties: They would like to cut down on so-called tax cheats who are estimated to cost the state $6.5 billion a year. A particularly dismaying plan now being pushed by Controller Steve Westly would encourage Californians to snitch on people who might not be paying their proper amount of taxes....