Free Republic

Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent a message to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un emphasizing cooperation between the two countries, according to state media in North Korea. Xi said that China was ready to work with North Korea to realize the two sides’ "common understanding" and promote friendly and supportive relations under "a new situation," state media outlet KCNA reported Saturday.

A number of media outlets continue to hold water for the weekend's pro-illegal immigration protesters, as NewsBusters has reported, painting violence at many rallies as somehow unexpected or not representative of the larger movement.

POMONA - Republican Carly Fiorina said she is running for the U.S. Senate to bring common sense and real-world experience to Washington, D.C. In a speech on Wednesday to members of the California Federation of Republican Women Southern Division, Fiorina shared anecdotes from her life and work experience that she believes make her qualified to defeat Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer in November. "I am a conservative because I know based on years of experience in the real world that people make better choices for themselves and their families than somebody else can make for them," Fiorina said. "And that people...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 28, 2007 – Defeating extremists in the Middle East is essential to America’s security, and the most important way to counter these extremists is to win the fight in Iraq, President Bush said today. “The challenge in Iraq comes down to this: Either the forces of extremism succeed, or the forces of freedom succeed. Either our enemies advance their interests in Iraq, or we advance our interests,” Bush said at the 89th Annual American Legion National Convention in Reno, Nev. The violent ideology that inspires extremists in the Middle East has two main strains, Bush said: Sunni...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 28, 2006 – Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld will call upon Americans in a speech later today to “work hard to keep a ‘Blame America First’ mentality from undermining our efforts” in the global war on terror. Pentagon officials released excerpts of a speech the secretary will deliver to the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention in Reno, Nev. Officials expect more than 2,300 veterans to attend the event. Rumsfeld disputes critics who say the United States should not be in Iraq. “The extremists openly call Iraq the ‘epicenter’ in the war on terror,” his speech asserts. “And they...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq, June 26, 2006 – As the nature of the war on terror in Iraq has changed, so have the targets sought by coalition and Iraqi forces. When Operation Iraqi Freedom began, typical targets were military formations and vehicles of the former Iraqi army, Republican Guard formations, and state-sponsored terrorists. After Saddam Hussein fell, common targets became Saddamist loyalists and foreign fighters. Since then, Iraq has become a battleground of ideas, as extremists have come to the country to challenge the coalition, and a homegrown insurgency has arisen. Coalition forces are not targeting military hardware, but...

CAMP TAJI, Iraq, May 22, 2006 – The Counterinsurgency Center for Excellence here was established last year to help units adapt to and train for the war against terror in Iraq as it is fought today, which is much different than it was 2003, 2004 or even 2005. "There is a different nature of operations now," said Army Lt. Col. Pete Cafaro, the center's deputy commandant. "Some of the units were here at the beginning when they were fighting their way to Baghdad. Now that's not the fight. Now what we're trying to do is train the Iraqis so they...

WASHINGTON - Sen. Mike DeWine (news, bio, voting record) is running under a new banner as he seeks re-election in a difficult environment for Republicans. "Independent fighter for Ohio families" reads the tag line on the first television commercial of his campaign. The ad concerns legislation that requires children's drugs be tested for safety and effectiveness, and spokesman Brian Seitchik says it is designed to show DeWine "getting things done" through bipartisan cooperation. Despite the emphasis on independence, Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman rebuffs any suggestion that the second-term senator is trying to keep his political distance from President...

WASHINGTON, March 16, 2006 – The White House today released President Bush's second-term National Security Strategy, a 49-page document that details how the administration intends to protect the United States, its interests and its people. In a speech today at the U.S. Institute for Peace here, Stephen Hadley, the president's national security adviser, explained the rationale behind the strategy. "The president's strategy begins with the recognition that America is at war," Hadley said. "Protecting the American people remains the first duty of the president of the United States. The president's strategy renews his commitment to maintain an American military without...

WASHINGTON, March 16, 2006 – More people are trying to hold Iraq together than trying to take it apart, the commander of U.S. Central Command said here today. Army Gen. John Abizaid said during an interview that he does not believe Iraq is close to a civil war. "I believe a civil war is possible if a bad series of events take place," he said. But the Iraqi government "is starting to come to grips with what it needs to do to build a government of national unity, and the army has held together well," he added. If Iraqis form...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 2006 – The military is transforming to ensure the right number and balance of forces are in place to fight the battles of the 21st century, President Bush said in a White House news conference today. He refuted charges that actions in Iraq and Afghanistan and other commitments around the globe have overstretched the military. "After five years of war, ... there is a need to make sure that our troops are balanced properly, that ... threats are met with capability," he said. "And that's why we're transforming our military." He said he looks at troop morale,...

...The tension builds through the school year, whether students or their teachers cause it. This year, Wellesley High said: Enough. When students head back to class next month, they will no longer get homework during April vacations -- and possibly during winter break... Some may call it coddling. But Wellesley parents and teachers say the changes could give students a better-balanced, healthier lifestyle during high school. From "stress reduction committees" to yoga in gym class, Wellesley, Needham, Wayland, and other high- achieving schools in affluent suburbs are trying to cut their groggy students some slack. They say they recognize that...