Free Republic

A few months ago I attended a two day conference on the subject of the future of U.S.-Russian relations, attended by an impressive array of officials from Administrations past and present and experts on things Russian. One of the subjects discussed was the possibilities for additional, even more dangerous crises between our two countries. There were lots of potential flash points identified, beyond the current crisis in Ukraine, ranging from the Baltics to Kaliningrad, Moldova, Kazakhstan and the Arctic. But for each of these there were also “cooler” heads who argued that it would be stupid for Putin to initiate...

Watch investigative reporter Sharyl Attkisson’s debut of her new show—Full Measure. (Hat tip: Joanne). This is the “tease” for the show. You will have to click here to watch the whole episode. Immigration took center stage in the show’s debut. Host Attkisson explored why Lewiston, Maine has become an unlikely refuge for Somali asylum-seekers, “Full Measure” correspondent Scott Thuman examined life in European refugee camps, and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump explained why he wouldn’t welcome any Syrian refugees to America. In the program, please note the discussion about refugees vs. asylum seekers. Remember the Somalis in the program were...

A senior Iranian military leader warned this weekend that “all U.S. military bases in the Middle East are within the range of” Iran’s missiles and emphasized that the Islamic Republic will continue to break international bans on the construction of ballistic missiles. Much of this missile work, like the details of Iran’s advanced arsenal, remains secret, according to Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force. Hajizadeh dismissed the threat of military action by the United States, warning that all U.S. assets and allies are in range of Iran’s current missile arsenal, according to...

The move is a blow to Britain and America’s mission to wipe out Islamic State but maintain an opposition to brutal dictator Assad Russia has sent its crack special troops into Syria to back up ­ President Bashar al-Assad’s bid to wipe out his opposition. Vladimir Putin’s feared Spetsnaz unit and a covert para battalion ghosted into the war-torn country and are preparing for an all-out assault on rebels fighting the regime – including moderate units such as the western-backed Free Syrian Army. A military source said last night: “Putin’s marines are there to guard the airbases they are using...

A top terror expert says ISIS is now so weak that it could be decimated within hours. According to a London Express report Monday evening, Russian airstrikes, unruly leadership and numerous defections have destabilized the terror organization to the point that it wouldn’t be capable of fighting off even a small attack. Terror analyst Dr. Afzal Ashraf told the paper that ISIS has drastically exaggerated its military power, prompting an international counterattack. Ashraf urged Western leaders to act now to wipe out the jihadi group. The U.S. has led a coalition of airstrikes against ISIS. The New York Times reported...

And as bad luck would have it, we have Francisco Rangel, governor of the state of Bolívar, to provided us with an ample example of such absurdity in a single phrase. In response to widespread food shortages across Venezuela–a product of inflationary policies and price controls–Rangel had this to say to the struggling Venezuelan people: “Let them take away whatever they want. We are capable of eating a stick, or instead of frying two eggs, fry two rocks, and we will eat fried rocks, ” he said, “but no one can beat us.” I wonder if Mr. Rangel has any intention of following his own...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Monday that he will use a "strong hand" to quell violent Palestinian protests and deadly attacks, signaling that the current round of violence is bound to escalate at a time when a political solution to the conflict is increasingly distant. Netanyahu said he has sent thousands more soldiers and police to the West Bank and Arab neighborhoods of Jerusalem and that "we are allowing our forces to take strong action against those who throw rocks and firebombs." He said restrictions limiting what security forces can do were being lifted, but did not elaborate.

US President Barack Obama continues to receive heavy flak for defending the nuclear deal he initiated with Iran, and then enlisting the support of his allies in the Senate to prevent rival Republican leaders from blocking its implementation. Now, Obama will likely face more criticism after Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner revealed in a speech before the United Nations General Assembly on Monday that a former Obama administration official tried to convince Argentina to provide nuclear fuel to Iran sometime in 2010. In her remarks witnessed by world leaders, Kirchner recalled how Gary Samore, who once worked as the...

Critics have begun using the words “war crime” to describe a US airstrike in Kunduz that hit a Doctors Without Borders facility, killing 22 people, including children. The US pushed back against the allegations, claiming that they were responding to a call for close air support from Afghan forces and did not know of any civilian medical facilities in the area: Afghan forces called for U.S. air support while fighting the Taliban in Kunduz shortly before a hospital was struck, killing 22 people, the U.S. commander of international forces in Afghanistan said on Monday. …“We have now learned that on...

Clinton said the committee is trying to 'exploit' the deaths of the deaths of four Americans killed in a September 11, 2012 terrorist attack in Libya She said she'd appear before the committee on October 22, as scheduled - if it's 'still running' by then Leading House Democrats want the committee dissolved following GOP Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy's suggestion that the investigative unit is trying to undercut Clinton's presidential campaign Casting it as a partisan witch hunt dedicated to destroying her career, Clinton accused the committee - which discovered her private email server - of trying to 'exploit' the deaths...

POLICE are working on the ­theory that teen terrorist Farhad Khalil Mohammad Jabar was acting on the orders of other radicals and was not a “lone wolf" killer. NSW counterterrorism ­officers are investigating who may have supplied the gun he used to carry out the brutal ­murder of a civilian staffer at Parramatta police headquarters on Friday afternoon. “The possibility the teenager was used by extremists is a strong line of inquiry,’’ a senior officer involved in the operation told The Daily Telegraph. “That includes searching his computers, electronic devices and who he was in contact with on the days...

Jihad Watch director Robert Spencer was the keynote speaker at the annual convocation of the North American Lutheran Church, Dallas, Texas, August 13, 2015. He spoke about Muslim persecution of Christians. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops pulled their representative from the North American Lutheran Church convocation when they found out Spencer was the keynote speaker. Watch this speech and see what the Catholic Bishops of the United States don't want you to know.

ISIS militants sliced off the fingertips of 12-year-old boy in a bid to convert a group of Syrian Christians to Islam - but when they refused the terrorists executed all 12 people. The unnamed boy's fingertips were hacked off because he was the son of a Syrian Christian ministry team leader who, along with the rest of the group, refused to renounce his faith. The Gospel Herald reports one woman shouted out 'Jesus' moments before she and others were beheaded by the terror group.

Kitchens that are shared between office workers may soon be banned from storing pork products like sausage rolls over fears that they are “offensive”. New guidelines proposed by interfaith group CoExist House say that employers should consider worker’s religions before allowing ham sandwiches placed in the fridge alongside other products. The group also suggests that alcohol should not be served at corporate events in case it upsets members of certain faiths.

COULD Tony Abbott make a comeback? The Abbott-haters and the feral army of Twitter addicts who are so delighting in his downfall will pour their usual bile-laden scorn on such a suggestion, but they clearly don’t know their history. Political precedent tells us that Abbott returning to the leadership of the Liberal Party is not only possible, but worth punting a few bob on. Forget Abbott’s current unpopularity, because the public soon will. John Howard was publicly derided after he lost the 1987 election to the charismatic Bob Hawke, so much so that the Bulletin magazine, the trendy political rag...

LAST Friday morning — just before Curtis Cheng was murdered — Malcolm Turnbull revealed he would be more sensitive in tackling terrorism. Gone would be “the blunt and often divisive language used by his predecessor Tony Abbott”, The Australian reported, clearly briefed by our new Prime Minister or his team. Abbott’s rude talk had just “alienated many in the ­Islamic community”, and “Mr Turnbull will adopt a new, more inclusive tone”. This was just what the media Left had claimed to want when it was looking for excuses to kick Abbott. How those journalists had savaged Abbott for what they...

Colleges and universities in and around Philadelphia are bolstering police patrols today after federal agencies notified them of a threat made on an Internet post. The threat was posted Friday on 4chan, the same website that carried postings threatening a school in the "northwest" the day before nine people were slain at an Oregon college, a law-enforcement source with knowledge of the Philly threat confirmed to the Daily News. "This is only the beginning, . . . " the Philly-area threat says. "On October 5, 2015 at 1:00 PM CT, a fellow robot will take up arms against a university...

The Czech Republic announced on Monday it would send soldiers and equipment to neighbouring Hungary to help secure Europe's borders in the face of an unprecedented influx of migrants. "About 25 soldiers" will be stationed in Hungary -- the migrants' main entry point to the European Union -- from October 15 to December 15, Czech Defence Minister Martin Stropnicky told reporters.

The latest U.S. assessment of Moscow's activity in western Syria indicates Russia has moved several ground combat weapons and troops into the area to potentially back up Syrian forces in the field planning to attack anti-regime forces, according to two U.S. defense officials. The U.S. views the move as Russia "stepping up its ground activity" in Syria to attack those forces, rather than ISIS elements, according to one of the officials. It's believed the Russians are positioning the weapons to be able to support a Syrian ground offensive, the officials said. The equipment includes several piece of artillery, as well...