Free Republic

French connection armed Saddam By Bill Gertz THE WASHINGTON TIMES The United States stood by for years as supposed allies helped its enemies obtain the world's most dangerous weapons, reveals Bill Gertz, defense and national security reporter for The Washington Times, in the new book "Treachery" (Crown Forum). In this excerpt, he details France's persistence in arming Saddam Hussein. First of three excerpts New intelligence revealing how long France continued to supply and arm Saddam Hussein's regime infuriated U.S. officials as the nation prepared for military action against Iraq. The intelligence reports showing French assistance to Saddam ongoing in the...

Friends of Lt. Col. Charles H. "Chad" Buehring on Monday reacted with sorrow to news of his death Sunday in Iraq. Buehring The 40-year-old officer was fatally injured during a rocket-propelled grenade attack on the Al-Rasheed Hotel in Baghdad. Buehring and his family left Fayetteville this summer after he had been assigned to Fort Bragg for several years. "It comes as quite a shock," said Vince Maffia, who knew Buehring through the Army and through Westminster Presbyterian Church at 2505 Village Drive. "It is an immeasurable loss, not only to the military but to his family and to our church...

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Army officer killed in a rocket barrage on a Baghdad hotel had a high-ranking position in which he directly advised civilian administrator L. Paul Bremer on how the occupation was being received by Iraqis, a military official said Monday. The Pentagon identified the officer as Lt. Col. Charles H. "Chad" Buehring, 40. He was in his hotel room Sunday at the time of the attack, which also injured fifteen people. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz was visiting the hotel at the time of the attack, but escaped unharmed. Buehring was in charge of psychological operations for...