Free Republic

Shocking news about secret arms-for-hostage deals rocked Washing­ton in late 1986. The first hint came with a White House announcement on November 2, that David Jacobsen, an American held hostage in Lebanon by Iranian-directed Islamic forces, had been released. As Secretary of State George Shultz read a draft White House statement about the development, he noted that it referred to freed “hostages,” with the “s” crossed out. That told him that the White House had expected Jacobsen would not be alone. Shultz suspected that the news meant that clandestine White House efforts to free captive Americans in the Middle East...

Ukrainian forces battled Friday to repel waves of Russian soldiers trying to break through their defense lines in the east, as they pleaded for more weapons before the first Western battle tanks arrive. Ukrainian officials confirmed that brutal battles were underway, a day after at least 11 people were killed and as many people were injured in missile and armed-drone strikes across the country, including in the capital of Kyiv, which were widely viewed as retaliatory after the US and European countries pledged to send modern tanks. “Fierce fighting continues along the front lines,” said Oleh Synehubov, governor of the...

Consolidated from US news sources ( hard to find the complete list on western MSM). “ DOD has announced the largest single US military aid package, via presidential “drawdown” authority for Ukraine worth $3bn ($24.2 billion so far). DOD said it welcomes Germany’s new commitment to provide Ukraine with one Patriot air defense battery (in coming months). The United States has already committed one Patriot battery to Ukraine(several months away). “The Biden administration will continue to encourage Allies and partners to make additional donations of air defense systems, artillery, combat vehicles, and other critical capabilities to support Ukraine in defense...

On October 1, 1997, school principal Joel Myrick (a U.S. Army Reserve Major) stopped a shooting at the Pearl Mississippi High School by holding the killer at gunpoint until police arrived. A student had assisted by blocking the killer’s car with their car. The killer attempted to drive around the other vehicle but became stuck. At that point, Joel Myrick pointed his .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol at the killer, and the killer surrendered. At the time, it was illegal for Joel Myrick to bring his personal weapon onto the school property. He had to retrieve it from his car. No...

In a district of about a half million people in southwest India, not far from the West coast, the residents have the right to keep and bear arms. Kodagu (earlier Coorg) is about 20% larger than the smallest American state, Rhode Island, with about half as many residents. The Kodavas have a longstanding martial tradition similar to Switzerland. From the quint.com:“When it comes to the issue of kovi (gun), in Kodagu, it is an integral part of the identity of a Coorg. It has become a part of our culture. The right to own guns came in the 1800s from...

Incoming House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) called for arms to Ukraine to help destroy the Russian military as public officials have increasingly warned about the prospect of a “major war” between the West and Russia. CBS News asked McCaul about House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) claim that a House Republican majority would not send a “blank check” to Ukraine.

The Biden administration on Monday notified Congress it has approved a possible $323 million arms sale to Finland as the country seeks to join NATO. The administration approved the potential sale of 40 tactical missiles and 48 Joint Standoff Weapons, made by Raytheon, in addition to accompanying equipment, training and support, the State Department said in a release. Finland, which shares a border with Russia, is in the process of joining NATO along with Sweden. Both countries sought to enter the alliance earlier this year. This State Department said the proposed sale “will support the foreign policy and national security...

CNN anchor Chris Wallace said Friday on “New Day” that after the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot, it was apparent that some of former President Donald Trump’s supporters would hear a “call to arms” in his comments about the possibility he will be indicted. Thursday on Hugh Hewitt’s nationally syndicated radio show, when asked about being indicted, Trump said, “I think if it happened, I think you’d have problems in this country the likes of which perhaps we’ve never seen before. I don’t think the people of the United States would stand for it.”

Democrat extremism in the wake of President Joe Biden’s “Dark MAGA” speech heated up some more on Wednesday when Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) issued a “call to arms” on the Senate floor while debating a national abortion ban. “When I hear my colleagues talking about how, you know, ‘it should be state rights’ or ‘government should not be telling us what to do,’ the word ‘hypocrites,’ it doesn’t even go far enough to call them out on what they’re doing,” said Hirono.

God gave mankind two arms, each ready to be injected with vaccines pushed by government officials, President Biden’s coronavirus adviser Ashish Jha said this week. “I really believe this is why God gave us two arms — one for the flu shot and the other one for the COVID shot,” Jha said during the administration’s COVID-19 press briefing:

BRUSSELS (AP) – Weapons stocks in the European Union are running low as member countries continue to sends arms and ammunition to Ukraine, the bloc’s top diplomat warned Monday as he urged EU nations to better coordinate their spending on military materiel. “The military stocks of most member-states has been, I wouldn’t say exhausted, but depleted in a high proportion, because we have been providing a lot of capacity to the Ukrainians,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a debate with European lawmakers.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday renewed his almost weekly call for Western nations to do more to help his besieged nation in its fight against invading Russian forces. Financial donations remain a top priority closely followed by a call for advanced fighter jets and associated trainers. “The sooner we stop Russia, the sooner we can feel safe,” Zelensky said while meeting defense leaders at a Denmark conference aimed at ensuring foreign supplies continue delivering weapons, training, and demining work in his country. “We need armaments, munitions for our defense,” the leader added, speaking via a live link from Ukraine.

The U.S. has offered a deal to Russia aimed at bringing home WNBA star Brittney Griner and another jailed American, Paul Whelan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday. In a sharp reversal of previous policy, Blinken also said he expects to speak with his Kremlin counterpart for the first time since before Russia invaded Ukraine to discuss the deal and other matters. Blinken's comments marked the first time the U.S. government has publicly revealed any concrete action it has taken to secure the release of Griner, who was arrested on drug-related charges at a Moscow airport in February and...

Russia is being hit hard by Ukraine‘s Javelin anti-tank missiles. What makes this weapon so powerful? The U.S.-made FGM-148 Javelin is one of the premier portable anti-tank missile systems in the world. It’s also an expensive piece of kit, with each missile typically costing more than the targets it eliminates. However, corruption is the main problem that every country has to fight with and the Ukrainians are no different! The expensive javelins have allegedly found their way into the black market on the Internet. Telegram channels have repeatedly reported that military equipment is being sold by the Ukrainians. The sales...

Do Second Amendment “Arms” Include Cannons? I would appreciate any additional materials that anyone may have. “Congress have no power to disarm the militia. Their swords, and every other terrible implement of the soldier, are the birthright of an American... The unlimited power of the sword is not in the hands of either the federal or state government, but, where I trust in God it will ever remain, in the hands of the people.” -Tench Coxe, Pennsylvania Gazette, Feb. 20, 1788 “The word ‘arms’ in the connection we find it in the Constitution of the United States, refers to the...

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that the state will “put our arms around the British people again as we did during Covid” amid the cost of living and inflationary crisis. The British prime minister was speaking at a conference of the Conservative (Tory) Party, which he leads, in Wales, where the devolved government — roughly equivalent to a U.S. state government — is led by the rival Labour Party.

Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) exchanged jabs with Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (D) this week after the Democrat mayor made a “call to arms” over the leak of the Supreme Court draft decision overturning Roe v. Wade. On Monday, days after the leak, Lightfoot echoed the panic from pro-abortion activists, calling her LGBTQ allies to action.

The United States will send another $800 million security package to Ukraine as its military fights off a renewed Russian assault, President Joe Biden said Thursday.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Western weaponry pouring into Ukraine helped blunt Russia’s initial offensive and seems certain to play a central role in the approaching, potentially decisive, battle for Ukraine’s contested Donbas region. Yet the Russian military is making little headway halting what has become a historic arms express. The U.S. numbers alone are mounting: more than 12,000 weapons designed to defeat armored vehicles, some 1,400 shoulder-fired Stinger missiles to shoot down aircraft and more than 50 million rounds of ammunition, among many other things. Dozens of other nations are adding to the totals. The Biden administration is preparing yet...

On Tuesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Lead,” Senate Majority Whip Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) said that the Biden administration can “Absolutely” cut red tape to get military equipment to the Ukrainians more efficiently. Durbin said, “The United States and NATO are on their side. We have provided massive amounts of equipment, ammunition, and resources for them to engage in the fight. We need to do more and we need to do it quickly. Time is of the essence. If the parliamentarians made one thing clear, they need help and they need it yesterday. They don’t need to wait for weeks...