Free Republic

The prison at Guantanamo must be closed. Even more important, "Gitmo" (as it is infamously known now) and everything it represents must be invalidated. This includes the military tribunal process, the human rights violations, torture, and the blatant disregard for the rule of law. This is President Obama's challenge. As Obama noted in his May 21 speech on the issue, Guantanamo and the activities that occurred there set back the "moral authority" of the United States. Closing Guantanamo would help restore that authority. But Republicans, led by former Vice President Dick Cheney, are opposing this, conjuring up fears that Guantanamo...

Desperate to find employment, some local residents are getting creative; posting on Craigslist with offers to do almost anything. For months, Kathryn Bruce has been looking for a full time job, but after getting no response she decided to post in the services category on Craigslist. Bruce says she offers her time to do laundry, filing, babysitting, or whatever. And she's been finding a lot of work, "For the most part (work has come from) people who are really, crazy busy and have the money, but not the time." Bruce says she's mostly had positive responses, but she warns that...

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The man accused of fatally shooting a soldier outside a recruiting center begged for FBI agents to free him from a Yemeni jail where he was "radicalized" by Islamic terrorists, his lawyer told The Associated Press on Thursday. Lawyer Jim Hensley described Abdulhakim Muhammad as an impressionable youth driven to public service in an impoverished Middle Eastern country. But teachings by "hardened" terrorists in Yemen and experiences with Afghan child refugees who were missing limbs drove him to become someone his parents didn't recognize, Hensley said. "Here comes the FBI, who may be able...

Interactive Collective Quiz GUESS WHICH COLLECTIVIST SAID IT... ... and find out on which side of the gulag fence you'll be tomorrow. (Warning: some questions are more equal than others, and some answers will make you want to slap yourself upside the head with a shovel).

While we have politicians like Mitt Romney making ignorant statements about jihad not being part of Islam, Geert Wilder who speaks the truth about Islam has lead his party to a strong second place finish in the Netherlands. The tide is turning.

The latest recipient of the Captain Louis Renault Award for shock,shock at the anti-business nature of Barack Obama and his administration goes to Steve Ballmer, Obama supporter and CEO of Microsoft. Ballmer provided substantial support for Obama’s presidential run, and also giving $100,000 to his inauguration, as did Microsoft founder Bill Gates. Now, however, Ballmer has balked at Obama’s tax positions and now says he’ll move Microsoft jobs overseas if necessary: Microsoft Corp. Chief Executive Officer Steven Ballmer said the world’s largest software company would move some employees offshore if Congress enacts President Barack Obama’s plans to impose higher taxes...

Germany is at the heart of a huge plan to prop up crippled EU economies - not that the German people would ever know ~snip~ Europe is now in the middle of a perfect storm - a confluence of three separate, but interconnected economic crises which threaten far greater devastation than Britain or America have suffered from the credit crunch: the collapse of German industry and employment, the impending bankruptcy of Central European homeowners and businesses; and the threat of government debt defaults from loss of monetary control by the Irish Republic, Greece and Portugal, for instance on the eurozone...

KABUL, June 4, 2009 – Following months of hard work by the people of Jalrez in Afghanistan’s Wardak province, security has improved to such a degree that development money is pouring into the district. Gov. Mohammad Halim Fidai of Afghanistan’s Wardak province, the Jalrez district sub-governor, members of administrative divisions, contractors and numerous district elders gather for a meeting to discuss future development projects in district, June 3, 2009. U.S. Army photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Wardak Gov. Mohammad Halim Fidai joined the Jalrez sub-governor, the president of the Jalrez community council, members from all of the...

The right-wing anti-immigration party of Geert Wilders was poised to become the second-biggest Dutch party in the European parliament, exit polls showed on Thursday night, a result that will send shockwaves through domestic politics and may point to wider European trends. The forecast – the first indication of results in pan-European polls that run across the 27-member bloc until Sunday – bore out predictions that large centrist parties stood to lose ground to smaller parties with closely targeted messages. Mr Wilders, who faces prosecution at home for inciting hatred and who has been banned from travelling to the UK, has...

It is patently false to claim that Chrysler has not made public the criteria that it used to determine which dealerships it would close. In a May 14th Motion, Chrysler attorneys outlined the criteria that were factored into those decisions. The criteria were initially defined in Project Genesis, which was an analytical and statistical data model developed by Chrysler in 2008 to improve its viability going forward. The following is taken from page 17 and 18 of that motion. The Debtors' Extensive Qualitative Assessment of Each Dealership 37. Project Genesis and the selection of dealerships to be included in the...

For the life of me, I can't figure out how closing Gitmo will be better for the detainees. To suggest that they are coddled in the Caribbean is an understatement. Let's go through some details.

Army News video: Pipes and drums bands play at curling championshipThursday, June 04, 2009 Moncton, NB – Soldiers show their musical talents at the World Men’s Curling Championship. Project Number: 09-0194

Today, the Tennessee State Senate approved Senate Bill 1610 (SB1610), the Tennesse Firearms Freedom Act, by a vote of 22-7. The House companion bill, HB1796 previously passed the House by a vote of 87-1.On its way to the Governor’s desk, the bill states that “federal laws and regulations do not apply to personal firearms, firearm accessories, or ammunition that is manufactured in Tennessee and remains in Tennessee. The limitation on federal law and regulation stated in this bill applies to a firearm, a firearm accessory, or ammunition that is manufactured using basic materials and that can be manufactured without the...

PARIS (AP) — A reservation mix-up, an overbooking and a Brazilian cabbie's passion for soccer are all that saved some would-be passengers on Air France flight 447 from the fate of 228 others who lost their lives in the mid-Atlantic. The survivors say their relief is overshadowed by the immense sense of loss they feel for those who didn't make it. "It feels miraculous and sad at the same time," said Amina Benouargha-Jaffiol, who tried to get on the flight Sunday night, even enlisting a diplomat friend to try to pressure Air France to let her and her husband on....

WICHITA - At least two Wichita billboard companies say they will not run billboards from an animal rights group that were prompted by the death of a local abortion provider. "It's in poor taste considering the crisis that's going on in the community right now," said John Lay, president of George Lay Signs Inc. "I don't see anything patently offensive about the ads, but the timing is just not appropriate." The proposed billboards, designed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, urge people on both sides of the abortion debate to go vegetarian. One says, "Pro-Life? Go Vegetarian"; the...

WASHINGTON, June 4, 2009 – Inbound soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team will be a welcome addition for the Combined Joint Task Force Phoenix mission of mentoring and training Afghan soldiers and police officers, the task force commander said. “I think the additional soldiers, mainly the 4th Brigade out of the 82nd, which is going to be the second brigade to fall under Phoenix, is going to be a great help to allow us to meet the requirements to staff the different … embedding training teams and police mentor teams,” Army Brig. Gen. Steven Huber told...

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) “dared” members of his own Conference to vote against the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court during a meeting Thursday with Latino leaders. During a brief press conference after the session, Reid reaffirmed his support for Sotomayor’s nomination and issued his challenge to Democratic lawmakers: “I dare any one of them to say they’re not” supporting Sotomayor. Reid’s statement comes on the heels of comments by Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) — a moderate Member with a strong independent streak — in which he questioned some of Sotomayor’s statements on race and the...

Ever since reading the years-long trials and tribulations of Nebraska's greatest writer, Mari Sandoz (ca. 1893-1967), who could never sell her stories the the eastern establishment elitist publishing houses because they feared her "Nebraska Sandhills English" was too alien, I've sort of been wondering if Nebraska Sandhills English is, really, any different from Florida English or New Jersey English or Montana English or Long Island English. Of course, being deaf, I have a different perspective on language, than do hearing people. One is free to disagree with me, but I'm not coming up with any significant differences. I'll bet even...

It’s hard to believe that that the United States of America could have elected a president who thinks that Muslims in the Middle East want to end attacks against Israel in order to achieve a two-state solution. It’s hard to believe that the United States of America could have elected a president, who thinks that the solution to Iran’s nuclear threat is to have all countries voluntarily surrender their nukes. It would be nice to have been a fly on the wall while Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was watching the speech. What is really hard to believe is how someone who has...

WASHINGTON, June 4, 2009 – During this season of graduation celebrations, high school seniors heading off to college normally are held in high regard by their teachers, families and friends. Sometimes overlooked are those seniors choosing to bypass college to serve their country. A man from Camden, N.J., started a crusade in his community to make sure these seniors also were recognized for their “honorable” career choice of joining the U.S. military. “To join the military and serve your country is an awesome feat,” said Ken Hartman, founder of Our Community Salutes, a troop-support group. “To serve your country at...