Free Republic

<p>"Sixty years of Western nations excusing and accommodating the lack of freedom in the Middle East," President Bush said in a recent major speech, "did nothing to make us safe." His claim implicitly swept into its indictment previous administrations, even his father's, and served as a reminder, if one were needed, of how much has changed since Sept. 11, 2001.</p>

<p>Sixty years of Western nations excusing and accommodating the lack of freedom in the Middle East," President Bush said in a recent major speech, "did nothing to make us safe." His claim implicitly swept into its indictment previous administrations, even his father's, and served as a reminder, if one were needed, of how much has changed since Sept. 11, 2001.</p>

WASHINGTON (AFP) Oct 09, 2003 The US State Department has lodged a vehement complaint with prominent conservative televangelist Pat Robertson for comments suggesting that its Foggy Bottom headquarters should be destroyed with nuclear weapons, officials said Thursday. Spokesman Richard Boucher called the remarks -- which Robertson made last week on his nationally televised "700 Club" program -- "despicable" and a senior department official said a protest had been made "at the highest level." "I lack sufficient capabilities to express my disdain," Boucher told reporters when asked about Robertson's comments. "I think the very idea, though, is despicable." The senior official...

BOOK REVIEW: Fighting to send arms to Saddam, resisting post-9/11 attempts to toughen visa requirements, struggling to keep American parents from rescuing their kidnapped kids in foreign countries, doing everything it can to shut down the Iraqi democracy movement -- amazingly enough, this is the record of the U.S. State Department, an often out-of-control organization that acts at odds with our nation's best interests more often than most Americans realize. In Dangerous Diplomacy, seasoned investigative reporter Joel Mowbray explores the seldom-seen inner workings of the State Department. Relying on exhaustive interviews with State Department personnel and extensive research into State's...