Free Republic

An air unit formed in the days when pilots were considered knights and gentlemanly combat ruled the sky has been stripped of its historical nickname after fears it could be offensive to Muslim communities. The Royal Air Force’s 14 Squadron was forced to drop the “Crusader” title after an official complaint was filed against the unit. According to a news report, a single complaint sparked a campaign against the nickname. Aviators and crewmen were told to remove all instances of the name around their hangars. “We have to take down every mention of Crusaders from our base,” one aviator told...

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has officially approved plans for an “offensive in Lebanon” against Hezbollah, the Iran-backed terror group illegally occupying southern Lebanon that has been firing at northern Israel since October. In a statement, the IDF said: Today (Tuesday), the Commanding Officer of the Northern Command, MG Ori Gordin, and the Head of the Operations Directorate (J3), MG Oded Basiuk, approved operational plans and held a joint situational assessment in the Northern Command. As part of the situational assessment, operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon were approved and validated, and decisions were taken on the continuation of...

The '70s were half a century ago, and that fact is especially apparent when you look back at the media of the time. Watch a movie or TV show from that decade or listen to a song, and you won't just notice outdated fashion, interiors, and slang, but you'll also come across plots, characters, and words that are offensive, especially by the standards of 2023. When it comes to music in particular, there are plenty of songs from the '70s that are offensive to listeners now. 1 "Brown Sugar" by The Rolling Stones (1971)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian forces began a renewed ground assault on Ukraine’s northeast, killing and injuring several and forcing more than 1,700 civilians to evacuate from the Kharkiv region, local officials said Saturday. Artillery, mortar, and aerial bombardments hit more than 30 different towns and villages, leaving at least three people dead and five others injured, said Kharkiv governor, Oleh Syniehubov. Ukraine rushed reinforcements to the Kharkiv region on Friday to hold off a Russian attempt to breach local defenses, authorities said.

Israel has described Iran's unprecedented 350-missile attack as a 'declaration of war' and confirmed it has approved plans for 'offensive and defensive action'. The country's president Isaac Herzog insisted that Israel did not want a war but suggested they would retaliate after Iran's audacious airstrike early on Sunday. He said it was 'about time the world faces this empire of evil in Tehran' and makes it clear that its behaviour is 'unacceptable'. President Herzog told Sky News: 'It's a declaration of war... we are considering all options and I'm quite confident we will take the necessary steps to protect and...

Here are 10 key reasons experts say U.S. support for Ukraine should be continued: 1. Putin's aggression must be stopped. 2. Putin's atrocities need a response. 3. Russia is targeting evangelical Christians for persecution. 4. Ukraine wants only to regain its sovereign territory. 5. Russia has not "won" the war. 6. Russia is rearming for a larger war. 7. Most Ukraine aid goes to U.S. contractors. 8. Europe fears a coming attack on NATO. 9. Support for Ukraine signals to China: Do not invade Taiwan. 10. Give Ukraine aid to let Trump bring peace.

Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf is a vocal proponent of his nation’s new hate crime law — which has placed “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling in the crosshairs — but that didn’t stop citizens from using its provisions to report him for hate speech. According to the BBC, thousands of complaints had been made under the new law’s provisions — namely one aimed to stop people from “stirring up hatred” based on certain protected classes — within hours of it taking effect. The news outlet also reported that a large number of the complaints were against Yousaf himself, mostly relating...

Gov. Kathy Hochul inserted herself into a culture clash Tuesday, saying she’s considering banishing artwork of Native Americans in the state Capitol building that is deemed offensive to tribal people. Hochul’s push to remove negative depictions of Native Americans in artwork comes amid the ongoing campaign to remove statues of explorer Christopher Columbus from the public square or government buildings over his treatment of indigenous people. New York education officials in 2022 ordered school districts to ditch Native American mascots deemed racist. There’s a big bust of Columbus — a revered figure among many Italian Americans — chiseled into the...

This two part series in the Washington Post is a must read because of what it tells the reader about the abysmal performance of the White House and the Department of Defense. I found it genuinely shocking. I knew that Biden, Austin and Milley were bad. I just did not appreciate how bad. On a scale of 1 to 10, with a 10 marking the biggest fuck up in history, these guys rate an 11. Part two, In Ukraine, a war of incremental gains as counteroffensive stalls, pushes the false narrative that what is happening on the ground in Ukraine...

After a period of doubt as IDF troops idled on the Gaza border for weeks, Israel’s government has shown a serious commitment to the ground invasion of the Hamas-run enclave. Three divisions are inside the northern half of the Gaza Strip, cutting the territory in half and making steady progress toward the heart of Gaza City. A month into the war, launched in the wake of the Hamas massacres on October 7, the military and Israel’s political leadership boast of significant achievements against Hamas. Israel’s allies continue to support its attempts to destroy the terrorist organization, and the unity government...

Ukrainian soldiers are racing against time to achieve a breakthrough in the southeast before the rainy and cold weather kicks in and worsens fighting conditions, which could happen as soon as next month. The counteroffensive is unlikely to end just because of poor weather, but it is expected to complicate the fighting and slow down operations. Ukraine is stressing the weather will not impact the overall military operation, but some analysts expect the war could soon shift into a new phase. Mathieu Boulegue, a nonresident senior fellow with the Transatlantic Defense and Security Program at the Center for European Policy...

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — The Wayne National Forest in Ohio could soon have a new name. Members of the American Indian Tribes and the local community are requesting the U.S. Forest Service change the name of Wayne National Forest, located in southeastern Ohio. STATE WATCH Ohio’s ‘offensive’ national forest name may change BY CARLOS MATHIS - 09/05/23 6:48 AM ET SHARE TWEET (U.S. Forest Service – Wayne National Forest) DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — The Wayne National Forest in Ohio could soon have a new name. Members of the American Indian Tribes and the local community are requesting the U.S. Forest...

Critics of the slow progress of the counteroffensive against the Russian invasion are spitting in the face of Ukrainian soldiers and should “shut up”, lest they want to try taking up arms against Moscow themselves, Ukraine has said. In another instance of Ukraine appearing to snap at its allies and backers, Kyiv’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba made caustic remarks at a conference in Spain on Thursday. Dismissing the concerns of those who discuss the apparent failure of the ‘Spring’ offensive to turn back the Russian war machine now as Autumn approaches, Kuleba said while sharing the podium with his Spanish...

Western media have finally change course. They are now admitting that the much promoted Ukrainian counter-offensive has failed. In fact, the acknowledge that it never had a chance to win in the first place. The Hill, the Washington Post and CNN now agree that the Ukrainian army will never achieve its aims. That makes it difficult for the Biden administration to get Congress approval for $24 billion in additional 'aid' to Ukraine. It does not make sense to pay for a cause that is evidently lost. The Polish President Duda has also acknowledged that the counter-offensive has failed. Relations between...

. The long-awaited and much hyped Ukrainian counteroffensive has, so far, not yielded any significant territorial gains, and furthermore has led to the destruction of heaps of military equipment and to massive human losses. That is helping to sink the popular support for the Nazi-friendly Kiev regime in the Western nations that are sustaining the brunt of the financial effort for this war. Now, as Ukraine decides to abandon the NATO-taught strategies of attack, serious dissent is starting to play a part in their relationship with the Western handlers. The New York Times reported…….

Ukrainian troops are refining their tactics and undertaking “major offensive operations” in Kyiv’s counteroffensive against Moscow, according to a new intelligence update from the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense. “In recent days, Ukrainian forces have re-set and have again been undertaking major offensive operations on three main axes in southern and eastern Ukraine,” the British officials said in their assessment of the conflict.

Very interesting take on the Russian/Ukrainian war, in particular, and western corruption. Scott seems very knowledgeable, funny, and shrewd. You are getting a realpolitik view.

When Ukraine’s long-awaited counteroffensive finally begins, the fight will be led by brigades armed not only with Western weapons but also Western know-how, gleaned from months of training aimed at transforming Ukraine’s military into a modern force skilled in NATO’s most advanced warfare tactics. As other Ukrainian units were fighting to expel the Russian occupiers from the country’s east and south, the brand-new 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade was preparing for the next phase of war from a classroom at a NATO base in Germany. The brigade’s leadership trained with computers that simulated situations they might face in real life. Deputy...

Victoria Nuland, who is at the center of every war, was in Kiev on Thursday. She said that the big Ukraine offensive had been in the planning stage for the past four to five months.On Thursday, the US Secretary of State for political affairs, Victoria Nuland, told an audience in Kiev that Washington has been helping plan the Ukrainian counter-offensive against Russia for almost half a year.The US always planned to keep escalating.She said that even though they are planning the counteroffensive, we are already beginning our discussions with the Ukrainian government and with friends in Kiev, both on the...

SNIPLast week, NATO’s top commander, US Army General Christopher Cavoli stated that the Russian army operating in Ukraine is larger than when the Kremlin launched its special military operation and the Ukrainians “have to be better than the Russian force they will face” and decide when and where they will strike.SNIPHe said at one point in his written testimony, “Russian air, maritime, space, cyber, and strategic forces have not suffered significant degradation in the current war. Moreover, Russia will likely rebuild its future Army into a sizeable and more capable land force… Russia retains a vast stockpile of deployed and...