Free Republic

Saddam's in the slammer, so why are we on orange? --------------------------------------------------------- Posted: December 30, 2003 1:00 a.m. Eastern © 2003 David H. Hackworth Almost daily we're told that another American soldier has sacrificed life or limb in Iraq. For way too many of us – unless we have a white flag with a blue star in our window – these casualty reports have become as big a yawn as a TV forecast of the weather in Baghdad. Even I – and I deal with that beleaguered land seven days a week – was staggered when a Pentagon source gave me...

Blair under fire again for WMD claims GETHIN CHAMBERLAIN CLAIMS that weapons inspectors have uncovered massive evidence that Saddam Hussein had a network of clandestine laboratories have landed Tony Blair in trouble for the second time in a month after they were rubbished by the United States’ top man in Iraq. Paul Bremer, unaware the claims had been made by the Prime Minister, said the comments sounded like a "red herring" put about to undermine the coalition by someone opposed to military action. Once Mr Bremer realised the remarks were Mr Blair’s, he softened his criticism, but it was too...

Perle lobbied for Boeing's tanker bid By Joshua Chaffin in Washington and Stephanie Kirchgaessner in New York Published: December 5 2003 0:50 | Last Updated: December 5 2003 0:50 Richard Perle, a prominent Pentagon adviser, lobbied on behalf of Boeing's bid for a controversial $18bn government contract a year after the aerospace company made a $20m investment in the venture capital fund he runs. Mr Perle, a former Reagan-era assistant defence secretary, is considered one of the most influential civilian members of Washington's defence establishment. He was appointed in 2001 by Donald Rumsfeld, defence secretary, to chair the Defence Policy...