Free Republic

BAGHDAD, Iraq, July 17, 2005 – Thanks to the initiative of a hometown hero, Kissimmee, Fla., is close to formalizing a "Sister City" agreement with Zafaraniya, Iraq. Despite the 7,000-mile distance and significant cultural differences, citizens of both communities are working to establish a powerful bond to improve both cities, said Capt. Matthew Wheeler, commander of Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 9th Field Artillery, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division and a decorated veteran of two tours in Iraq. Wheeler set the wheels in motion with a hometown connection to Kissimmee and an innovative idea of bridging the cultural gap...

July 12, 2005 — Matamoros officials have confirmed four cases of dengue fever and are investigating at least 35 suspected cases of the deadly virus in Brownsville’s sister city. The majority of the cases were reported north of Matamoros and away from the Brownsville area, according to Josue Ramirez, Brownsville health director. No cases of dengue have been reported here this year. Matamoros health officials could not be reached for comment Monday. Mexican news media reported that the city was spraying for mosquitoes in areas where the dengue cases are believed to have originated. Dengue fever is an acute viral...

The beginning of another refugee crisis? The PA is refusing to allow 2,000 Arab residents of PA-controlled Rafiah to return to their homes, preferring that they remain stuck in Egypt. The background of this harsh decision is that Israel, because of security considerations and terrorist warnings, has closed the Rafiah crossing, offering an alternative route instead. The Palestinian Authority refuses to allow the stranded people to use it. IDF Maj.-Gen. Yosef Mishlav, Coordinator of Government Activities in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, opened the Nitzana border crossing, some 40 kilometers to the south, to the Arab residents as a humanitarian gesture....

Madison and Rafah won't be sister cities, but a local group has pledged to continue humanitarian efforts with the Palestinian city. In the spotlight of international news coverage, the Madison City Council early Wednesday morning narrowly defeated a proposal that would have been the first official U.S.-Palestinian sister city. Despite a last-minute attempt at a watered-down compromise, the City Council voted 9-8 in favor of the plan, which needed 11 votes for approval. Members of the Madison-Rafah Sister City Project, who have been pushing for a formal relationship with the Gaza Strip city for more than a year, said they...