Free Republic

When Republican chairman of the House oversight and government reform committee, Representative Darrel Issa, called for the resignation of ATF acting director Kenneth Melson, few in American political circles found it controversial. Melson, after all, was responsible for overseeing the ATF's botched gun-tracking operations that led to the trafficking of thousands of weapons into Mexico and countless consequent deaths – including that of US customs agent Brian Terry. Prior to the Republicans taking control of the House in the midterms, incoming chairman Issa had threatened to conduct "seven hearings a week, times 40 weeks" as a means of keeping Democrats...

US President Barack Obama called Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan Tuesday and congratulated him on his election victory, White House spokesman Jay Carney said. ... Erdogan has vowed to seek compromise with the opposition after his party won a thumping election victory, but fell short of the majority needed to overhaul the constitution. The Islamist-rooted Justice and Development Party (AKP) won 49.9 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results, its best electoral performance yet and the first time any party has won a third straight term in power while improving its support. But the AKP, in power since...

Venezuela’s largest Jewish advocacy group has protested to the government a state-run radio broadcast that positively referenced the anti-Semitic "Protocols of the Elders of Zion." In a formal complaint filed this week with the Public Ministry, the Venezuelan Confederation of Israelite Associations denounced the broadcast in which journalist Cristina Gonzalez read the infamous text and suggested that listeners also should read it. “Venezuelan Jews know that promoting this anti-Semitic document only sows hate and discrimination, violating the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela,” the confederation said in a statement. During the broadcast, Gonzalez expressed her admiration for the Jewish...

The United States slammed Monday Israel’s decision to withhold Palestinian Authority funds saying "any decision following the Hamas-Fatah agreement is premature.” U.S. State Department deputy spokesman Mark Toner admitted that the Israelis “have their concerns,” but stressed that that the U.S. government's position is that “we believe that we need to wait and see. We believe it's premature to make any decisions. What's important now is that the Palestinians ensure implementation in a way that advances the prospects of peace." ... The U.S. administration hinted again that the warnings of some members of Congress to cut the aid to the...