Free Republic

Saudi Arabia is moving its ground forces south, seemingly prepared to cross into Yemen. The Saudi Air Force has been bombing the Houthi rebels for several days, but it seems that the Saudis have already realized the age-old lesson that "boots on the ground" are necessary to win a war. As many FReepers are very knowledgeable and current on military matters, I'd like to know what are the chances of the Saudis succeeding?

<p>Hillary Clinton isn't accused of doing anything illegal in the Gawker stories. And Blumenthal's advocacy appears to have been pretty tame, consisting of passing on the statements of a third individual who, it was acknowledged openly, worked for Ivanishvili. But the White House, as Gawker notes, had rejected Clinton's efforts to hire Blumenthal in an official capacity. So you have the Secretary of State using an off-books email account to discuss national policy with someone who wasn't a government employee, was known to be disliked by the president's staff, and who might have been violating an actual law by participating in the conversation. That's probably not something Clinton is going to brag about in campaign commercials. It's also exactly the kind of foreign entanglement that critics have warned she is susceptible to—of being unduly influenced by financial connections, via the Clinton Foundation, to foreign interests. Blumenthal is a longtime Clinton-family ally and appears to have described himself as an adviser to the Clinton Foundation on more than one occasion.</p>

Whether in the mess hall or on a battleship, Jewish soldiers stationed all over the world still sang the Four Questions and ate matzo.Seder on the U.S.S. Astoria in the Pacific, 1945. “Lettuce au charoses.” “Kneidlach or borscht a la Sgt. Weinstein.” “Consommè [sic—the accent points the wrong way!] avec Knadlach.” “Palestine wine.” “Roast Beef Ala Yomtov.” “Iced Coca-Cola.” These were some of the dishes enjoyed by Jewish members of the military at their Seders in both European and Pacific theaters of war 70 years ago. The American Jewish Historical Society at the Center for Jewish History has a file...

Four years ago, when the charity-minded Women of Quail Creek collected baby shower items for military wives and active military moms-to-be, the event was so graciously welcomed that they’ve continued the event every year since. This year, the event has been moved from August to April 18 so winter visitors can participate. Idea originator and 30-year Army retiree Peggy McGee said the first event was held at the Army National Guard in Tucson with successive showers at the Air National Guard with the Army invited. For this shower, 28 moms-to-be are expecting 29 babies, and 13 are active members of...

FORT HUACHUCA — Beginning Monday, the lower Garden Canyon Picnic Area will be closed to the public so it can be used as a staging area for heavy construction equipment needed to repair Garden Canyon Road, according to a press release from the Post Public Affairs Office. The road in Garden Canyon is in extremely poor shape after last year’s flood. It is hazardous in its current condition and the danger level will increase as heavy construction equipment moves in Monday to begin repairs, the release stated. For safety reasons, public access to Garden Canyon Road will now be further...

If the Supreme Leader gets what he wants the prospect for war in the Middle East would increase immeasurably. The threat level to the U.S. and Israel would be off the charts. What Americans have a hard time understanding is that, for all the Iranian negotiators, the outcome of the nuclear arms deal that the United States is leading all comes down to just one man, Sayyed Ali-Khamenei, otherwise known as the Supreme Leader of Iran. In the 21st century, it is hard to comprehend that a nation could be ruled by a man whose powers supersede that nation’s president,...

SIERRA VISTA — A small group of “almost forgotten veterans” were laid to rest during a short, simple ceremony Saturday. Fred Santana, the founder of the Missing in America Project, said those who were honored are like many “who have been on the shelves in America’s funeral homes.” The cremains were brought to Sierra Vista from Tucson. Santana came to the event from California to witness the latest group of soldiers, sailors and airmen — 17 of them this trip — to finally have a military-style burial. He said one time he helped recover 15 Civil War veterans and some...

The first 6 Arab nations to form the Arab League are: Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Saudi Arabia. Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria are no more. Egypt was almost lost, and is well into it's recovery from intensive care thanks largely to Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, who might become the most accomplished of Arab Leaders, if he holds true. I believe El-Sisi was the impetus of the Arab League getting it's act together with coordinated political, diplomatic and military efforts to keep Iran off the Sinai Peninsula. Is their any doubt now why any sane person would deny a nuclear armed...

The Army has charged Bowe Bergdahl with desertion and has referred to an Article 32 military preliminary hearing which is the military version of a grand jury. Their job is to determine whether the charges against Bergdahl are sufficient for a court-martial trial or whether they should be dropped altogether. The court proceedings will be held at joint base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, Texas. The charges filed against Bergdahl under The Uniform Code of Military Justice are articles 85 and 99. Article 85 – Desertion Any member of the armed forces who, without authority, goes or remains absent from his...

Just in case you were hidden under a rock yesterday, Texas Senator Ted Cruz officially threw his hat into a run for presidency in the 2016 election. He announced his run initially on Twitter (a nod to the younger generations) and followed it up with a speech at, of course, Liberty University. So, what is it that has the establishments on both sides of the aisle so worked up about Cruz running for President? Firstly, unlike the Jeb Bushes, Chris Christies and Hillary Clintons of the world who are expected to run (and you know how I feel about Hillary),...

The Obama Administration has declassified a top secret file disclosing the details of Israel's nuclear weapons program. Press Secretary Josh Earnest characterized the move as "payback for Netanyahu's deviation from the path laid out for Israel by President Obama. People have got to learn that their actions have consequences. When you defy the world's most powerful man you can't expect to get away unscathed." Earnest also argued that "it may help level the playing field in the Middle East. Even without nuclear weapons Israel has consistently defeated efforts to annihilate it. By publicly releasing this previously secret information the President...

Nope. Bergdahl was planning to report what he believed to be problems with “order and discipline” in his unit, a senior Defense official tells CNN. A second official says Bergdahl had “concerns about leadership issues at his base.”… Both officials declined to be identified because of the legal proceedings against Berghahl, but both have direct knowledge of the information outlined in the report. “This was a kid who had leadership concerns on his mind,” the second official said. “He wasn’t fed up, he wasn’t planning to desert.”… Both officials said Bergdahl believed he could make it to the next base...

Remember back in the Spring of '09, when a fresh-faced 'historic president' Obama told a cheering crowd one sunny day at Prague Castle that he'll work towards a world 'free of nuclear weapons'? In retrospect, it seems he meant a world just free of American nuclear weapons- as he's been slashing all our capabilities, development programs, and even defensive missile shields to appease enemies -primarily Russia- in order to free up more money for solar panels and food stamps. The Norks sure didn't get the memo... nor the Russians, or anybody else- as they've been building and testing whatever-they-damnwell-please the whole time....

SIERRA VISTA — The Missing In America Project will have another ceremony Saturday at the Southern Arizona Veterans’ Memorial Cemetery during which the cremains of 17 former service members and one dependent will be laid to rest. Joe Larson, the cemetery administrator, said normally two such ceremonies a year are held in which indigent service members are honored. This year, two of those involved are World War II veterans. Since those being honored may not have family members, Larson said the public is a stand in for them an he hopes area residents will attend the ceremony. People should arrive...

It’s not even remotely satisfying to witness the Obama administration and its media minions repeatedly spew maniacal, spittle-flecked pablum only to have those words served up cold and congealed for them to consume.  Because the Left never eats its words. On June 6, 2014, Susan Rice—head cheerleader for the “I’ll read any talking point” squad—told CNN, "I realize there has been lots of discussion and controversy around this," Rice said. "But what I was referring to was the fact that this was a young man who volunteered to serve his country in uniform at a time of war. That, in...

Russia is preparing to lease 12 long-range, supersonic bomber jets to Argentina, a move that some in Britain fear is designed to ready Argentina to take the Falkland Islands. Argentina has long argued that the Falklands—which it calls the Malvinas—are Argentine territory and should be controlled by Buenos Aires instead of London. The dispute escalated into war in 1982 when Argentina invaded the islands, attempting to establish sovereignty over them. The bloody 74-day conflict ended with British forces overwhelming the Argentinians and reestablishing British control of the islands. But British defense cuts in recent years leave the Falklands more vulnerable...

To the editor: To use language similar to a reader opposed to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) ("Ted Cruz's dream, America's nightmare," Readers React, March 24): Imagine a president eager to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power and what that means for the free world. Imagine a president who will get rid of the IRS and implement a tax code that will require everyone to pay a fair percentage tax rate above an established minimum income level. Imagine a president who will re-empower health insurance companies to implement sound insurance principles as opposed to allowing people who wait until they...

On Feb. 20, Kamal Abbas, Egyptian union leader and prominent figure in the Jan. 25 movement, sent a message to the “workers of Wisconsin”: “We stand with you as you stood with us.” Egyptian workers have long fought for fundamental rights denied by the U.S.-backed Hosni Mubarak regime. Kamal is right to invoke the solidarity that has long been the driving force of the labor movement worldwide, and to compare their struggles for labor rights and democracy. The two are closely intertwined. Labor movements have been in the forefront of protecting democracy and human rights and expanding their domains, a...

....A month or so ago,there were legitimate questions as to whether Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker was up to speed on foreign policy and could project the gravitas we expect of presidential nominees. In an interview with Hugh Hewitt, he seemed a far cry from the candidate at CPAC. His answer on the Taliban trade and news of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s desertion charge was solid...... Likewise,he explained why he prefers the term “safety” and gave an apt overview of what is happening in the Middle East:Safety is something you feel inside your chest, you feel in your heart. And I...

The news brings us a daily reminder of why the Obama administration is inept and lacking in basic common sense when it comes to its most important tasks: defeating the Islamic State and keeping Iran from getting nuclear weapons and dominating the region. The last, I think it is clear, is not even a problem to be addressed. The administration appears content to work in tandem with Iran in Iraq, let the Houthis depose the elected government in Yemen (where they have, according to news reports, looted intelligence files “exposing names of informants and plans for U.S.-backed counter-terrorism operations”), leave...