Free Republic

The debriefing was as vicious as you'd expect it to be, the Navy commander methodic in his dissection of one of the greatest failures in military history. The massive loss of life and strategic capabilities were inevitable once the officers of history's greatest military force allowed large sections of the region to "develop into a safe haven" for lawlessness and terrorism, "the perfect environment to allow a rebellion to grow." "Once maritime dominance is established, resistance from shore rarely stops," says Cmdr. BJ Armstrong. "Without small ships to run intercept the blockade was simply a dismal failure." Armstrong, an academy...

MISSILE DEFENSE Russia Developing New Generation Of Super Missiles By Martin Sieff UPI Senior News Analyst Washington (UPI) Dec 05, 2005 Almost ignored by the mainstream U.S. media, the strategic nuclear arms race between the United States and Russia has revived -- with spending and weapons development at an intensity unseen since the days of the SS-18 and Pershing II deployments a quarter of a century ago. On Nov. 17, as reported by United Press International, the U.S. Navy successfully carried out its most ambitious and successful test yet of an anti-ballistic missile interceptor launched from an Aegis class cruiser...

"Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith" scored $50 million in first-day receipts at 3,661 theaters across the nation on Thursday, box-office tracker Exhibitor Relations said Friday. The take handily beats the one-day record of $44.8 million set last year by "Shrek 2." "Sith" is distributed by News Corp.'s (NWS) 20th Century Fox film unit.

<p>WASHINGTON - Divisions among Democrats on display during the first presidential primary debate Saturday night delighted Republicans, who hope the party's internal squabbles on national security, health care, and taxes will hobble its nominee and bolster President Bush's chances for reelection.</p>