Free Republic

A mosque frequented by the leader of the airline plot terrorist cell has been a recruiting ground for extremists for more than 20 years. The Queen’s Road mosque in Walthamstow, northeast London, where Abdulla Ahmed Ali met his associates, is controlled by the ultraorthodox Tablighi Jamaat. Intelligence services around the world believe that Tablighi’s fundamentalism makes some of its followers easy prey for terrorist recruiters. Two decades ago the same mosque was hosting talks by followers of Omar Bakri Mohammed, one of the first Islamic clerics in Britain to preach jihad. The disclosure of the mosque’s history indicates that, despite...

Venice, Italy - At one point during a news conference with Michael Moore at the Venice Film Festival, it was alleged that in some countries, distributors of his latest film were charging journalists hefty fees for the privilege of interviewing him. The US director, whose assault on corporate greed Capitalism: A Love Story, has made waves since its first screening at the festival, offered a poignant

MORAGA — A holiday weekend visiting a family residence turned ugly Monday morning for a San Francisco couple who found themselves victims of what they believe was a hate crime. Tni and David Newhoff, who spent the weekend at David's parents' home on Wandel Drive, awoke to find in the driveway a cross, covered in a white cloth and with "KKK" written on the crossbar, Tni Newhoff said. Moraga police Chief Robert Priebe said his department is working with the FBI to investigate the case. Tni Newhoff said she filed a report with the FBI's hate crimes division. "It obviously...

Most Americans have heard enough about health care reform that anything the President says tonight will not change their minds, but more importantly will not change some hard facts. The President indicated that a public option will create competition amongst health insurance companies, which in turn will lower costs. At least the President understands that competition does lower costs. But the government does not interject competition by offering “free” consumer health services. Simple economics dictates that lower costs are created by companies competing for consumers by setting lower prices. In a public option scenario, the government will make the rules,...

Liberals are saying that Obama's speech really wasn't that important, and that conservatives are overreacting. Riiiight. If the speech wasn't that important, then why was it absolutely necessary that Obama speak to the kids? It was so important that the kids across America just had to hear Lord Barack (The Most Merciful's) speech...or it wasn't really that important, so there was no need for conservatives to even bother saying anything at all about it? Which is it, liberals? It WAS important to liberals, that is UNTIL Obama caved in and altered what he was really going to say. Then to...

September 9, 2009                             Wednesday of the Twenty-third Week                         in Ordinary Time Reading 1Responsorial PsalmGospel Reading 1Col 3:1-11 Brothers and sisters:If you were raised with Christ, seek what is above,where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.When Christ your life appears,then you too will appear with him in glory. Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly:immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire,and...

The Super Bowl XLV effort has been a celebrity draw, attracting everyone from football legends (Roger Staubach) to business legends (T. Boone Pickens). Now, the host committee has landed its biggest names yet: former President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush. They will be co-chairs of an educational, community service and art project that's being described as the largest of its kind in the country aimed at elementary school children.

In an interview with Men's Health published Monday, President Obama suggested that a tax on such items as soda and sugary drinks should be put on the table, saying "I actually think it's an idea that we should be exploring." **** Putting aside the fact a soda tax would violate Obama's central campaign promise not to raise "any form" of taxes on families making less than $250,000 a year, his statements indicate his support for use of the tax code as a tool to reward and punish certain behaviors as he sees fit. This incident also reminds us of Obama's...

NATO troops released a kidnapped New York Times reporter in Northern Afghanistan in a raid before dawn on Wednesday, after he had been held for four days, an Afghan district chief said. Reporter Stephen Farrell, who is British, was abducted on Saturday along with his Afghan interpreter while attempting to visit the scene of a NATO air strike.

Connie Rhodes says she or others shouldn't have to go to war until Obama's legitimacy is proven ---An Army captain fighting deployment to Afghanistan has challenged the legitimacy of Barack Obama’s presidency in a federal complaint filed this month, and has employed attorney Orly Taitz — a national figure in the “birther” movement — to represent her. The complaint of Capt. Connie Rhodes, filed Friday in the Columbus division of U.S. District Court, is similar to the July 8 suit filed by Maj. Stefan Frederick Cook, who sought conscientious objector status and a temporary injunction. Taitz represents both. Judge Clay...

Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal's recent visit to Egypt has brought the Islamist movement and Fatah closer to ending their differences, sources close to Hamas in the Gaza Strip revealed on Tuesday. ....They said... agreement would be signed before the end of the year

MONTGOMERY | The popular Cash for Clunkers program helped new car dealers, but it is dramatically raising the price of relatively inexpensive used cars, hurting the poor, dealers say. The Car Allowance Rebate System, commonly called Cash for Clunkers, took 690,000 operable cars out of the market, which is beginning to reflect effects of the shortage. A smaller supply of used cars over the next six months will affect the auto parts market that lower-income drivers and hobbyists rely on to keep their older cars running. Ronnie Watkins is a Ford dealer in Gadsden. He said he told his car...

The California Court of Appeal have revived a lawsuit filed by a member of the Alameda County Republican Central Committee, challenging last year's election to that committee of a slate of Ron Paul supporters. Alameda County Superior Court Judge Frank Roesch had tossed the case in November, ruling that committeeman Paul Cummings Jr., of Oakland, hadn't filed it within the five-day period required after a primary election. The election was held June 3, 2008; the results were certified July 8, 2008; and Cummings filed his challenge July 25, 2008. Cummings argued that the June 2008 vote wasn't a primary, as...

Vice President Joe Biden marked the 200-day point of the stimulus package today with a speech at the Brookings Institution, where he spent nearly an hour ticking off its achievements so far. Among other things, Biden said some economists had given the $787 billion stimulus bill credit for creating 500,000 to 750,000 jobs and boosting the gross domestic product in the two most recent quarters. The administration has benefitted from rosy economic numbers in recent weeks. The Federal Reserve, in minutes released Wednesday night, credited the stimulus with playing a role in stabilizing the economy. But any assessment of the...

Saudis Eye Buying 72 F-15s By Greg Grant Tuesday, September 8th, 2009 2:33 pm Posted in Air, International, Policy Saudi Arabia is close to placing an order for as many as 72 Boeing F-15 fighter jets, industry and defense sources tell us. Growing security concerns over Gulf neighbor and perennial troublemaker Iran are pushing the Saudis to upgrade their air fleet with a particular emphasis on precision strike aircraft. The Pentagon is expected to approve the sale as it seeks to counter Iran’s recent break-out as a regional power and quell nervousness among Gulf Arab states troubled by Iran’s growing...

·11250 Waples Mill Road ·   Fairfax, Virginia 22030    ·800-392-8683   Bill to Restrict Ammunition Sales Amended in California   Tuesday, September 08, 2009   Please Continue Contacting Your State Senator in Opposition!On Friday, during consideration of Assembly Bill 962, the California Senate amended AB962 to remove some of the more outrageous provisions of the bill in an effort to make it easier to pass.  Despite these amendments, AB962 remains a serious threat to the rights of California's law-abiding gun owners. It is critical that you continue contacting your State Senator to voice your opposition to this bill.  AB962 could be voted on by the Senate as early as tomorrow, Wednesday, September 9.The...

I have been spending some time in Thailand and it is amazing to me what I see there, America in the 60's. I see things there that were in America in the 40s, 50s, and 60s, but no longer. Makes me remember when I was going up we had: - pick up games of Baseball and football with the neighborhood kids. I do not see this today. - Dogs without leashes - riding in the back of a pickup - go carts - and this list goes on. Stuff that pisses me off: - Riding lawnmowers that cannot reverse without...

Hundreds line up outside a Chase Bank in Jackson Heights, Queens, N.Y., to take advantage of the free funds aimed at helping underprivileged children. Every child between 3 and 17 was eligible for $200. (John Taggart/New York Daily News) Word of the money spread quickly. New York state had put hundreds of dollars in federal stimulus money into food stamp accounts, and if it wasn’t withdrawn by 4 p.m., 9 p.m., midnight—depending on the version of the rumor—it would disappear. So on a sultry August day, lines stretched at ATMs all over the state, a literal run on the bank....

Washington, DC --(AmmoLand.com)- Data released by the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) reported 1,074,757 checks in August 2009, a 12.3 percent increase from the 956,872 reported in August 2008. So far that is roughly 9,076,205 gun bought this year! The total is probably more as NICS background checks may cover the purchase of more than one gun at a time.