Free Republic

President-elect Barack Obama has yet to attend church services since winning the White House earlier this month, a departure from the example of his two immediate predecessors. On the three Sundays since his election, Obama has instead used his free time to get in workouts at a Chicago gym. Asked about the president-elect's decision to not attend church, a transition aide noted that the Obamas valued their faith experience in Chicago but were concerned about the impact their large retinue may have on other parishioners. "Because they have a great deal of respect for places of worship, they do not...

Reports in Kuwait on Friday said a man assumed to be Al Qaeda leader in Iraq, Abu Musab Zarqawi has been captured near the Syrian border. The report claimed that the man was captured during a joint operation by U.S. occupation forces and Iraqi police, Al Siyasah newspaper, quoting Iraqi sources, said Friday. It also said that the suspect was caught in a white shirt and jeans, and he gave no resistance when he realized his hideout was besieged, according to Iraqi police. The U.S. and Iraqi investigators are trying to identify the captive and has sent his DNA sample...

Al Qaeda Talks Back Exclusive to DEBKAfile February 14, 2003, 1:45 PM (GMT+02:00) Al Qaeda`s swift response augurs long terror offensive A bare two days after the latest audio tape attributed to Osama bin Laden was aired, al Qaeda has spoken again, refusing to leave the stage to Washington’s comments and the guesswork surrounding the high terror alert declared in the United States, Britain, Saudi Arabia and Israel. Normally, months go by between al Qaeda statements. Not this time, according to a fresh release that reached DEBKAfile’s counter-terrorism and intelligence sources Thursday, February 13. The new Al Qaeda message is...

Intercepted call linked Saddam to al-Qa'ida terror cellBy Andrew Buncombe in Washington 07 February 2003 He was supposed to have been a professional. He should have known better, but in the end he could not resist. Using a satellite phone, the senior al-Qa'ida operative excitedly called two associates and congratulated them on their cold-blooded assassination of an American diplomat. The call cost the man his liberty. It may yet cost him his life but, more importantly, it could have provided America with the "smoking gun" evidence it has long sought and which apparently links the Iraqi regime to an active...

France Vows to Block Resolution on Iraq War U.S. Schedule Put at Risk By U.N. Debate By Glenn Kessler and Colum Lynch Washington Post Staff Writers Tuesday, January 21, 2003; Page A01 UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 20 -- France suggested today it would wage a major diplomatic fight, including possible use of its veto power, to prevent the U.N. Security Council from passing a resolution authorizing military action against Iraq. France's opposition to a war, emphatically delivered here by Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin, is a major blow for the Bush administration, which has begun pouring tens of thousands of troops...

Blix, ElBaradei Unravel Resolution 1441 DEBKAfile Special Analysis January 20, 2003, 11:02 PM (GMT+02:00) Two senior UN officials, chief arms inspector Hans Blix and nuclear controller Mohamed ElBaradei, handed Saddam Hussein an epic diplomatic victory Monday, January 20 – no doubt acting on a nod from UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. They gained the Iraqi ruler yet a further stay of military action until March 27 before he risks facing war for failing to give up his weapons of mass destruction. At the United Nations, US Secretary of State, smarting at the blind man’s bluff played out at Washington’s expense...

<p>Blix, ElBaradei meet with officials ahead of report to U.N.</p> <p>BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The two men in charge of U.N. weapons inspections in Iraq arrived here Sunday and met with government officials to press for more cooperation in the search for weapons of mass destruction.</p>

<p>WASHINGTON, Jan. 19 - As the Bush administration heads toward a crucial United Nations Security Council meeting at the end of this month, a strong council majority appears less willing than ever to agree that early military action against Iraq is justified.</p> <p>There is widespread international appreciation of the fact that inspectors would not be in Iraq today if the United States had not used its overwhelming military and diplomatic power, the official said. Bush could easily declare victory now and save himself a potential debacle. He's shown seriousness, and Saddam caved, the official said. If you ask whether the world is in a better position vis-a-vis Saddam Hussein than it was a year ago, the answer is Absolutely. Is that victory Yes, if you want it to be.</p>

Are Two of Three US anti-Iraq Warfronts Buckling? From DEBKA-Net-Weekly 93 updated by DEBKAfile January 18, 2003, 10:13 PM (GMT+02:00) Jordan`s King Abdullah II lines up with Arab-Muslim leaders Sunday, January 19, Israel’s defense minister Shaul Mofaz will present to the full cabinet session in Jerusalem his completed plan for meeting the hazards of a US-Iraqi war in the civilian, security and home front sectors. He will tell the ministers that the country is ready for the war. That is true – as far as the minister’s responsibility goes. However, by the time Israel with American help, wound up its...

<p>BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The U.N. agency searching for evidence of a nuclear weapons program in Iraq said Monday that so far it has not found evidence of one.</p> <p>Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said inspectors have found no proof that Iraq lied about nuclear weapons in its declaration on weapons of mass destruction presented to the United Nations.</p>

Washington Gathers Own Evidence of Saddam’s WMD As first revealed in latest DEBKA-Net-Weekly Fri. Dec. 6 December 7, 2002, 4:58 PM (GMT+02:00) Bush already has proofs from field of Iraq`s unconventional weapons Running circles around the UN arms inspection headed by Swedish diplomat Hans Blix, the Iraqi government dropped a massive pile of documents – its reply to the UN Security Council demand for a full accounting of Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction – in the laps of the international media Saturday, December 7, before allowing Blix a peek. The presentation was accompanied by yet another formal denial that Iraq...

<p>The poll doesn't appear to be posted there yet, but I just saw it moments ago on CNN AllPolitics.</p> <p>Same poll said that the public favors Democrats 43-38% over republicans on the economy.</p> <p>Margin of error +-5% on both polls taken to mean that statistically neither party owns either issue, though the Democrats actually have a 1% advantage on Iraq, of all things.</p>