Free Republic

WASHINGTON (AP) — The night of smoke, chaos, gunfire and grenades that killed four Americans in Benghazi, Libya, is well-documented. Eight months later, it is the decisions made back in Washington that remain murky and in perpetual dispute. Why was a diplomatic outpost left so poorly protected? Should the Pentagon have rushed jets or special forces to the rescue when the assault began? Did President Barack Obama's administration obscure the true nature of the terrorist attack to help him get re-elected? Congressional Republicans are poking for evidence of incompetence and cover-up in the ashes of the Sept. 11 anniversary attack....

ATTACKS by the Taliban in southern Afghanistan are on the rise and the rebels fighting US forces are increasingly using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and suicide bombings, US Lieutenant General Karl Eikenberry said today. Lt-Gen Eikenberry, a commanding general of US forces in Afghanistan, told reporters at a Pentagon briefing that the number of Taliban fighters also appears to have increased in recent months. He spoke days after the US military on Monday recoved the bodies of 10 soldiers killed in a helicopter crash in eastern Afghanistan during a major anti-Taliban operation. "In southern Afghanistan, there have been increases in...

PUNTA GORDA, Fla. (AP) - Step by small step, life is returning to normal in this town hardest hit by Hurricane Charley. Things as simple as making a cell phone call or having a cold beer in a neighborhood pub are helping residents cope with the massive cleanup and repair efforts. That can be an important development in the recovery process. "I've heard people that have lost everything and they celebrate simple things like they have a dial tone or their cell phone chirped for the first time," said Craig Fugate, the state's emergency management director. "Businesses are coming back...