Free Republic

Officials in New York — namely, Rochester’s Democrat Mayor Malik Evans — criticized local police for assisting federal agents with deportations, asserting that it is against their policy. The incident occurred Monday, when Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) requested backup from the Rochester Police Department (RPD) during a traffic stop. The local police arrived at the scene and reportedly assisted in ordering the suspects out of the vehicle, also helping put them in handcuffs. This, Evans complained, goes against the sanctuary policies of the city.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Pakistan must learn how to fight al Qaeda and the Taliban after years of preparing for a more traditional contest with India, Pentagon chief Robert Gates said on Wednesday, reiterating a U.S. offer to help. The U.S. defense secretary said Pakistan realized only in recent months that al Qaeda posed a threat to the government of President Pervez Musharraf. He said the assassination of former prime minister and opposition leader Benazir Bhutto in December underscored that threat. "All of a sudden what had been a nuisance is becoming a threat to the existence of the government," Gates...

MANAMA, Bahrain (NNS) -- The Dutch-led coalition of maritime Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 is supporting the efforts of the government of Yemen to recapture suspected terrorists who escaped from a Yemeni prison Feb 5. Escapees include Jamal Ahmed Badawi, mastermind of the bomb attack on USS Cole (DDG 67) in 2000, and Fawaz Al-Rabeei, one of those responsible for attacking the French tanker Limburg in 2002. Ships from CTF 150 are monitoring international waters along the coast of Yemen in an attempt to either block possible maritime escape routes or capture the suspected terrorists if they make this attempt....

USS Bataan Public Affairs USS BATAAN, Gulf of Mexico (NNS) -- The multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) was tasked Aug. 30 to assist with Hurricane Katrina disaster relief efforts. Two MH-60 search and rescue helicopters from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HC) 28, based out of Norfolk, Va., launched at 5 p.m. CST Aug. 30 to assist in the search and rescue efforts that are currently ongoing in and around the New Orleans area. At 6:30 p.m. CST, two MH-53 helicopters from Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron (HM) 15, based out of Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, also...