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Threats remain for soldiers fighting 'forgotten war' By Malcolm Garcia, Knight RidderEuropean edition, Friday, April 11, 2003 ORGUN-E VALLEY, Afghanistan — This barren stretch of desert in southeastern Afghanistan is one of the front lines against remaining al-Qaida and Taliban fighters in what some American soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Division here describe as the "other war," the "forgotten war." "I know the main topic is Iraq," said 1st Lt. Ryan Tack, 26, of Bloomington, Minn. "It can feel sometimes like we've been forgotten because it's not over. We've made good gains in Afghanistan, but there's still a threat....

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<p>PALESTINE, W.Va. (AP) Army Pfc. Jessica Lynch's family rejoiced Tuesday at word of her rescue, more than a week after she and other members of her maintenance unit were captured in Iraq.</p> <p>''They said it was going to be the biggest party this road had ever seen,'' Lynch's cousin Sherri McFee said as fire and police sirens blared in the background in celebration in Palestine. The family was notified about 7 p.m.</p>

Tulsans Attend Pro-America Rally Location: TulsaPosted: March 02, 2003 7:13 PM EST URL: http://www.ktul.com/showstory.hrb?f=n&s=76774&f1=loc Thousands of Tulsans showed their support for America's troops in a pro-America rally Sunday. It comes at a time when the country draws nearer every day to a decision to go to war. They filed into Memorial Stadium to show support for their country, the President and the troops. They say now is the time to speak up. "I think it's time for those in the majority to stand up and say what they really believe," says Ron Jackson. Tulsa Mayor Bill Lafortune joined other...

<p>It's midday and midweek in January, a time when most school-age children are in a classroom learning the day's math or reading lesson.</p> <p>Instead, James Beasley, 10, of Utica, and his buddy, Malcolm Phillips, 8, of Jackson, sit at a Northside Library table learning different lessons.</p>

Fair Lawn girl has even Bobby Fischer beat For three hours each day, Hana Itkis is royalty, the ruler of 16 subjects whose fates are open both to chance and cunning calculation. Her challengers often are as old as her grandfather, masters with a lifetime of tricks and little sympathy for missteps. Heady stuff for a kid from Fair Lawn who is four years from her driver's license. But Hana Itkis isn't like any kid you know. At 13, Hana is the youngest player in this week's U.S. Chess Championships in Seattle. She broke the record set in 1957 by ...

TULSA, Okla., Jan. 7 - A Republican who beat the state's first lady in the primary, prompting the governor to call voters ''dumb,'' is vying against a former school board member in the race to replace Rep. Steve Largent. A SPECIAL ELECTION Tuesday will decide the former football star's replacement for the 1st Congressional District. Largent, a Republican, is stepping down to run for governor. The race pits Democrat Doug Dodd against Republican state Rep. John Sullivan. Largent's seat has been held by Republicans since 1986, but with Republicans holding a slim 222-211 edge in the U.S. House, there is ...

Oklahoma first lady Cathy Keating dropping congressional campaign TULSA, Okla. (AP) _ Oklahoma first lady Cathy Keating said Friday she has dropped her campaign to succeed U.S. Rep. Steve Largent because she wants to avoid a difficult runoff election that could be harmful to the Republican party. ``A divisive and bitter runoff election will do nothing to ensure the election of a Republican and that is not who I am as a person nor as a candidate,'' she said in a written statement released Friday afternoon. ``This is the holiday season. It is a time for giving and it ...

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush welcomed home two American aid workers held captive for three months by Afghanistan's Taliban, calling the women's experience ``a story of joy, story of hope.'' Bush met privately in the Oval Office with Heather Mercer, 24, and Dayna Curry, 30, who arrived in the United States Sunday. Vice President Dick Cheney was also on hand to welcome the women and their families to the White House. The two women had only been trying to help people and ``their faith led them to Afghanistan,'' Bush told reporters in the Rose Garden. Theirs ``is a wonderful story ...

PRESS ADVISORY from the United States Department of Defense No. 238-P PRESS ADVISORY October 22, 2001 Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Richard B. Myers will conduct a news briefing today, Monday, Oct. 22, at 1:25 p.m. EDT in the DoD Briefing Room, Pentagon 2E781.

No. 530-10 October 21, 2001 IMMEDIATE RELEASE DOD ANNOUNCES NAMES OF SERVICEMEMBERS KILLED IN HELICOPTER ACCIDENT The Department of Defense announced today the names of two servicemembers killed in Friday's helicopter crash in Pakistan. Killed were Spc. Jonn J. Edmunds, 20, of Cheyenne, Wyo. and Pfc. Kristofor T. Stonesifer, 28, of Missoula, Mont. The two Army Rangers were passengers in a Blackhawk helicopter that crashed while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Hostile fire has been ruled out as a cause of the crash, which remains under investigation. Gen. Richard B. Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, offered his condolences ...

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On September 11th and in the days that followed, people lined up to give blood. It was a way for people to help. Unfortunately, those people are now ineligible to give again, because there is a 56 day waiting period between times you can give. Blood has a shelf life of 42 days (except plasma, which can be frozen). So you can see how there can be a potential shortage of blood nationwide coming up soon.I'm asking my fellow freepers who didn't give on 9/11 to "stand in the gap" and schedule a time to donate blood sometime within the ...

I learn so much from hearing what the knowledgable people here at FR have to say about what the market is doing, I wanted to set up this thread to hear your discussions.Please post your thoughts and bump this to others who might have information to share. It is interesting to hear what people are buying and why.

WASHINGTON (BP)--James Merritt, president of the Southern Baptist Convention and pastor of the Atlanta-area First Baptist Church, Snellville, was one of six ministers invited to join President Bush for a closed-door meeting just hours before the president addressed a joint session of Congress on Sept. 20. "I think I can speak for the entire group when I say that without question, we all came away impressed with where he is right now as a leader and where he is spiritually," Merritt told Baptist Press. "I was very elated and came away from the meeting encouraged." Merritt said the six religious ...

In Praise of Stay-At-Home Moms by Susie Dutcher Karen De Coster’s excellent LRC piece ("Loathing Daycare," August 8) brought to mind an experience I had a few years ago in Washington, DC. Amid the Clintons’ 1998 push for a new $21 billion daycare plan, Senator Don Nickles (R-OK) invited me – an Oklahoma stay-at-home mom – to testify before a subcommittee of the US Senate Finance Committee. Here’s some of what I told the senators: I spend my days cooking for my husband and children, doing laundry, cleaning toilets, and vacuuming. I teach my children to read and do math, ...

Loathing Daycare Karen De CosterAugust 8, 2001 Something unfashionable became fashionable during the early 1980's, and I'm not talking about greed, junk bonds, or Ronald Reagan. But rather, this is something that is truly detestable, yet is a part of American culture every bit as much as Saturday morning cartoons or Sunday church. The fad that I speak of is child daycare. Daycare, slowly evolving throughout the 70's, became the rage of the 80's as two-income households became the norm in middle-class America. After all, during this time we watched tax rates creep upward and personal responsibility creep downward, while ...

University of Oklahoma linebacker Rocky Calmus is used to cheers from fans in stadiums around the nation as he single-handedly tackles opposing ball carriers. But he may be surprised by the support he's received by Christians because of his recent moral stand. Calmus, a senior-to-be on OU's returning national championship football team, was one of five Big 12 players selected by Playboy Magazine to be featured on its All-America team. Yet, Calmus did not join 26 other All-America team members chosen by Playboy who gathered for festivities at a Phoenix resort in June, and his picture will not appear in ...

The boy that had his arm bit off by the shark. . . Jessie Arbogast Update Date: 07/11/01 Jessie remains under the care of specialists with Sacred Heart Children's Hospital and Nemours Children's Clinic, including: a pediatric neurologist, pediatric intensivist, pediatric nephrologist, pediatric infectious diseases specialist as well as the initial team of physicians that provided his care, which includes: a trauma surgeon, a micro-vascular surgeon and an orthopedic surgeon. According to Jessie's specialized team of physicians: "He is showing signs of slow neurologic progress. He has wiggled his toes on command. Jessie remains on a ventilator, however, it is ...

The Transforming Power of Motherhood Motherhood Transforms Mom It is a well-known fact that a mother's love has a profound effect upon her children. But how does the growth of this new love change the heart of a mother? Motherhood is a life-transforming event. Some psychologists have even referred to it as an emotional earthquake, shaking up the whole orientation of a woman's life. With the birth of our 10 children, my wife Vicki surrendered her heart to each child and to the Lord for that child's sake. A vulnerable, dependent newborn grips a mother's heart and says, "Surrender to ...