Free Republic

Lt. Chris Linto explains to fellow firefighter Brad West some of the modern advantages of the companyÂ’s new fire truck outside their headquarters at Forward Operating Base Kalsu, Iraq, April 2, 2006. Forward Operating Base Kalsu is one of 18 bases in Iraq that has a fire company. U.S. Army photo by 2nd Lt. Adhana Townsell Firefighters Stand Ready to Protect Soldiers Of the 12 firefighters at Forward Operating Base Kalsu, four members are prior military and previously worked in the United States on military crash crews. By U.S. Army 2nd Lt. Adhana Townsell Special Troops Battalion 2nd Brigade...

Turkey's foreign minister asks the EU for blasphemy laws to protect Islam By David Rennie in Brussels (Filed: 13/03/2006) Deep divisions have appeared among European union governments over suggestions that they should alter their blasphemy laws to protect Islam, and not just Christianity. Abdullah Gul, the Turkish foreign minister, sparked disagreement among his EU counterparts at a weekend meeting in Austria, when he called for European nations to review existing laws, to ensure they outlawed the "defamation" of all religions. Mr Gul told a meeting of EU and Balkan foreign ministers in Salzburg that many Muslims believed that European laws...

  U.S. Army Spc. Adam Holloway Soldier Helps Protect Troops By Spc. William Jones 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment TIKRIT, Iraq, March 8, 2006 — A company of field artillery soldiers guard the front gate of Forward Operating Base Remagen - not with heavy artillery, but with sophisticated technology. Spc. Adam Holloway, Bravo Company, 3rd Battalion, 32 th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, is ensuring the safety of his fellow soldiers by operating a sophisticated metal detector, which is actually a type of X-ray machine that takes detailed photos. “It’s a huge time saver...

Act now to protect poultry, UK urged James Sturcke and agencies Monday February 20, 2006 All Britain's 180 million farm birds should be brought indoors or vaccinated against bird flu, a respected expert said today, as the government admitted the risk of the virus reaching the UK had increased. Tony Blair's official spokesman conceded there was a "higher" risk of the virus hitting the UK but said this was not yet inevitable. Ministers attempted to curb panic and said there were no plans to bring poultry indoors at this stage or carry out mass vaccinations. France and the Netherlands have...

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii, Jan. 26, 2006 — Thanks to some help from a Hawaii-based submariner, soldiers with the 101st Airborne Division will be a little safer in Iraq. Christopher Shannon, command master chief for Submarine Squadron 7, presented about 100 shipboard flash hoods that he collected to Chief Petty Officer Eric Tyler of Naval Security Group Activity Kunia Jan. 20 for use by the soldiers in Iraq. Shannon is spearheading an effort to send extra Navy flash hoods to soldiers in Iraq. The hoods, which are designed to protect the neck and face from burns while fighting fires aboard Navy...

TIKRIT, Iraq, Jan. 6, 2006 – In a combined effort to reduce insurgent violence in the village of Siniyah in the northern part of Iraq's Salah Ad Din province, community leaders, Iraqi security forces and coalition soldiers began construction yesterday on a berm around the village. Following the recent spike in insurgent roadside and car bombs, leaders of this small village near Bayji discussed what measures could be taken to improve the security situation. Local police, city council members, sheiks and religious leaders met with leaders from the 1st Squadron, 33rd Cavalry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), to discuss...

St. Louis police officers often say they feel as if people are looking over their shoulders. That feeling isn't likely to let up this year. The local chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, a frequent critic of the city police, says it plans to arm residents of the city's north side with video cameras to record officers' dealings with the public.

CAMP TAQADDUM, Iraq (Dec. 21, 2005) -- Predicting the future is one power that will never be attainable, but if it was possible it could save the lives of many service members in a combat zone. With the skills of the Marines of Intelligence Shop, 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward) and the help of modern technology, stopping events before they occur is getting closer and closer. Unmanned aerial vehicles are the future of protecting our forces and 2nd MLG (Fwd). In theatre, there are multiple vehicles being used and the “Dragon Eye” is currently being tested by Marines here. UAV’s,...

Monday, November 07, 2005 21:26 IST JNW HEADLINE NEWS EU: We won't protect Israel at Gaza post By Ryan Jones November 7th, 2005 Days after Israel surprised many by offering the European Union a security role along the Gaza-Sinai border, European officials Sunday rejected an Israeli proposal that they pro-actively protect that border against arms smugglers. A European delegation met separately with Israeli and Palestinian Authority officials to hear the two sides' ideas on the role the EU should play in southern Gaza. They reportedly balked at an Israeli proposal that EU officers actually arrest individuals caught attempting to smuggle...

Providing security for distinguished U.S. visitors in Baghdad is necessary, Army Cpl. Fred Senethavilay pointed out, because the Iraqi capital city "is not a safe place." Senethavilay, 22, said he and his partner, Staff Sgt. Barry D. Gumaer, are infantrymen deployed to Iraq with the Texas Army National Guard's 111th Engineer Battalion, which has its headquarters in Abilene. Both soldiers work personal security details at the Joint Visitors Bureau here. The two machine-gun-toting, Kevlar-clad soldiers participated in an American Forces Press Service interview in Baghdad July 27 during Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's recent trip to Iraq. Senethavilay said he...

UNITED NATIONS - The U.N. environment chief has a message for leaders of the world's major industrialized nations: scientists have shown that it pays to preserve forests, coastal waters and marshes. Klaus Toepfer made the case that investing in the environment will go a long way toward meeting U.N. goals to reduce poverty, supply clean drinking water and fight the spread of infectious diseases. "Our motto is environment for development," he said in an interview last week. The Group of Eight meets in Scotland on Wednesday and will address global warming and climate change — and Toepfer expressed hope that...

For Immediate ReleaseJune 18, 2005 President's Radio Address      Audio THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Today we face two issues of vital importance for all Americans: growing our economy and protecting our citizens from those who wish to do us harm. So in the weeks ahead, I will continue to focus on ways to ensure that our government takes the side of working families, and that America prevails in the war on terror. As we take the steps necessary to achieve these goals, we will make our future one of peace and prosperity.  Radio Address 20052004200320022001  Radio Interviews 20052004 Today we...

WASHINGTON - Unfavorable court rulings have the news media facing their most serious challenge in more than three decades over protecting the identities of confidential sources. The latest defeat came last week when a federal appeals court in Washington declined to reconsider a three-judge panel's ruling compelling Time magazine's Matthew Cooper and The New York Times' Judith Miller to testify before a federal grand jury about their sources or go to jail for up to 18 months. The two reporters have been called to testify about the leak of an undercover CIA's officer's name. In a separate case, The Associated...

For Immediate ReleaseOffice of the Press SecretaryApril 16, 2005 President's Radio Address      Audio THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. American families and small businesses across the country are feeling the pinch from rising gas prices. If you're trying to meet a family budget or a payroll, even a small change at the pump can have a big impact. America's prosperity depends on reliable, affordable and secure sources of energy. And today our energy needs are growing faster than our domestic sources are able to provide. Demand for electricity has grown more than 17 percent in the past decade, while our transmission...

Former Green Beret Commander Bo Gritz is trying to conduct a citizen's arrest of the Terri Schindler Schiavo's husband and the judge presiding in the case before the handicapped Florida woman is scheduled to have her feeding tube removed so she can be legally starved to death. The 66-year-old retired Army Lt. Colonel with his wife, Judy, arrived in Florida from their home in Nevada yesterday with the intent of arresting anyone involved in removing the woman's feeding tube that keeps her alive. He came bearing a notarized "citizen's arrest warrant" addressed to Florida Gov. Jeb Bush Attorney General Charlie...

No matter how much the “new media” exposes the elite media for its agenda – its biased, slanted framing of stories and the non-reporting of important events – it just keeps at it as if “we the people” are too stupid to notice. It boggles the mind. As the old guard’s credibility plummets, not unlike a dot.com stock in early 2000, the mainstream’s media continues to adhere to their elitist agenda of skewing the information offered to the American people regardless of the realities of any given situation. An incredibly huge event took place recently in Hillah, Iraq. Just one...

There's only one way to protect ourselves – and here's the proof By Richard Munday Telegraph Leader (Filed: 23/01/2005) Today, 96 years ago, London was rocked by a terrorist outrage. Two Latvian anarchists, who had crossed the Channel after trying to blow up the president of France, attempted an armed wages robbery in Tottenham. Foiled at the outset when the intended victims fought back, the anarchists attempted to shoot their way out. A dramatic pursuit ensued involving horses and carts, bicycles, cars and a hijacked tram. The fleeing anarchists fired some 400 shots, leaving a policeman and a child dead,...

SACRAMENTO (AP) - In what may be the opening volley in a bid for governor in 2006, California Treasurer Phil Angelides announced Tuesday the start of a statewide TV ad campaign today criticizing Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for "breaking his promise" to voters not to spend more than state takes in. The Democratic treasurer said Schwarzenegger's budget policies have put the state at risk by relying too much on borrowing and spending cuts to close the spending gap. Instead, Angelides proposed a mix of spending cuts with a tax increase on the state's highest earners to balance the books. "What the...

The erosion of the gender gap in this election starkly illustrates Alan Brinkley’s insights regarding how issues of class and values pose challenges for progressives and the Democratic Party. In the last two presidential elections, the Democratic candidate won among women fairly decisively, by 16 points (Bill Clinton) and 11 points (Al Gore), respectively. In contrast, John Kerry won women voters by a mere 3 points, 51 percent to 48 percent. Kerry’s trouble with women is clearly rooted in the decline of support among white, blue-collar women for Democratic candidates, a trend that reached its low point to date in...

Officials Say Soldiers' Complaints Are Being Addressed President Bush and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said today that soldiers' complaints about the safety of their vehicles and other issues are being addressed, and they pledged to do all they can to protect troops being deployed in Iraq. In separate sessions with reporters, Bush and Rumsfeld were asked today about a town-hall-style meeting yesterday in Kuwait in which soldiers preparing to head into Iraq complained to Rumsfeld about a lack of armor on some vehicles, inferior equipment, personnel policies that extend their tours of duty and difficulties receiving their pay. One...