Free Republic

US forces leave country where 4,500 of them died in worst US war of 21st century BAGHDAD, Sept 29 (Reuters) - US forces are set to pull out from their last bases in Iraq by Wednesday, a departure celebrated as a victory by Iran and its allies ​who now have deep influence in the country where 4,500 Americans died during more than two decades of war. Iraqi security experts say the withdrawal — agreed in 2024 under President Joe Biden and carried ‌out by Donald Trump's administration even as it wages war against Iran — could give Tehran and its...

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has named Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri as the country’s first female prime minister and the second-woman ever in the Arab world to serve in the position. The royal palace said in a statement on Tuesday that El Mansouri, a 50-year-old urban planning minister and the mayor of Marrakesh, was tasked with forming a new government. El Mansouri said in a televised address her appointment was “truly historic”. “For the first time in our country’s history, a woman is taking on the responsibility of leading the government,” she said. “This is a source of pride not only...

Sal covers the reports of 8 marines wounded in an attack on a "non-US Navy" ship. W*T*H: Did the U.S. Military Turn a Civilian Freighter into an Armed Escort?

This is not an easy undertaking. ... The SR-71 program was scrapped decades ago. There are few people alive who remember how the engines were designed and built. And yet, it seems NASA is getting the gang back together: ... Mike Relja, a retiree in his late 70s, received an unexpected job offer from NASA about a month ago. The assignment: Help put a former NASA-operated Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird back in the air after a nearly 27-year hiatus. Relja, an ex-U.S. Air Force and NASA test engineer for the SR-71A, could not believe his ears. David Ash, a former U.S....

Five men suspected of plotting a bomb attack on an RAF base were released on bail on Monday after experts found no trace of explosives. Fears of a terror attack were downgraded just 36 hours after the group of British nationals were arrested by armed police close to RAF Fairford, in Gloucestershire. Counterterrorism police said they were still investigating whether the men, aged in their mid-twenties and living in London, were proxies for a foreign state. It followed speculation that Iran could be responsible, after the regime issued threats against Fairford because it is a staging post for US strikes...

No one would claim that the Iran War has been a political godsend for President Donald Trump and the Republican Party. But some Israel-First conservatives are willing to say—and lately have been incessantly saying—that the Iran War hasn’t been a political scourge. Those Israel-First conservatives are wrong, even if the devil is, at least partly, hidden in the details. The Iran War has damaged Trump’s approval ratings, consumed his presidency, and darkened the GOP’s prospects in the upcoming midterm elections. A chief proponent of the argument that Trump hasn’t suffered all that much from the Iran War is Ben Shapiro...

Russian agents are posting ads online, preying on the vulnerable to fight for them, and sadly, people are falling for it. The money doesn't outweigh the risks. Russia is running out of troops and as a result has resorted to recruiting Americans to fight on the front lines by offering them an incentive of a $27,000 signing bonus. The Kremlin has reportedly duped 18 Americans into fighting on their behalf against Ukraine and according to insiders, it’s a suicide mission.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has assigned personnel to use "advanced intelligence and cyber capabilities to identify, disrupt, and neutralize foreign interference" in the upcoming elections, Axios has learned. Why it matters: The threat of foreign election interference has been a biennial U.S. concern for the past decade. This effort will use the most advanced artificial intelligence capabilities to date, officials said. Hegseth's order does not direct military personnel to the polls, but President Trump has refused to rule out that possibility, heightening concern from Democrats and administration critics.

US secretary of state Marco Rubio has said unequivocally that a foreign actor was involved in the suspected UK bomb plot at RAF Fairford, hours after the five suspects arrested close to the airbase were released on bail. “What could have happened in the UK over the weekend is a ‌very serious situation,” Rubio said in an interview with Fox News on Monday evening, adding that it “clearly involves the hands ‌of a foreign actor.” Rubio provided no evidence for his claims. The five men, all British nationals from London in their early 20s, were ⁠detained early on Sunday after...

For months, Hamas has been releasing the names of "martyrs," including doctors, aid workers, and "journalists"; that fact has been screamed from the rooftops by independent journalists. More "mainstream" journalists have looked the other way, after spending years peddling the lie that Israel has been targeting journalists for execution in Gaza. Much has been made of the fact, and it is part of the ongoing propaganda campaign against our ally. Now, finally, the story is getting picked up, and the Beeb is "urgently" reviewing its coverage. The BBC has reported the deaths of 53 “journalists” in Gaza who have been...

It really has been a while since we've had a migrant caravan on the way to the US border. I can't remember the last one that made it through. I don't think there have been any since Trump took office. In fact, even before he took office he was taking credit for getting Mexico to agree to block any caravans that came our way. Here's what was reported back in December 2024:While Mr. Trump posted on social media that Mexico had agreed to stop migration to the United States through Mexico, “effectively closing our Southern Border,” Ms. Sheinbaum limited her...

Everyone is watching the wrong thing this morning. The headline is that President Trump rejected Iran’s proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend. Oil jumped. Brent is back above $106. The pundits are calling it another setback for peace. They’re missing what actually happened. Iran offered to reopen the Strait within seven days if the U.S. lifted its naval blockade, released frozen assets, and eased sanctions. Six months ago, that offer would have been taken seriously. Hormuz was the single most valuable card Tehran held. Twenty percent of the world’s oil ran through it, and Iran could...

Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has moved back toward pre-war levels ... [Iranian] Oil exports have also collapsed ... Inflation is nearing 70%, food prices have more than doubled, and unemployment is above 9% ... youth unemployment at 20.1%

But it brings a dangerous moment for the U.S. DUBAI—Iran’s ability to choke off oil flowing through the Strait of Hormuz—and use that as leverage in talks with the U.S.—is breaking down, raising the risk it will resort to military escalation to bolster its position. The erosion of Iran’s position comes as the U.S. Navy and Gulf oil producers have become better at fending off or evading Iranian attacks, allowing more tankers to cross the strait. Middle Eastern crude exports rebounded this month to around their highest level since the war began in February, oil data trackers say. Shipments via...

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth instructed the Pentagon last week to prioritize and deploy “advanced intelligence and cyber capabilities” to track down, disrupt and neutralize “foreign actors to protect the 2026 midterm elections” while “maintaining the fundamental freedoms that characterize our country.” “Commander U.S. Cyber Command and the Directors of the Combat Support Agencies will prioritize the use of DoW [Department of War] intelligence and cyber capabilities to ensure foreign actors do not meddle in our democratic systems,” Hegseth said in a Sept. 22 memo, which was made public Monday. The Pentagon chief directed the Defense Intelligence Enterprise to execute collection...

The first child euthanized in the Netherlands was a 1-year-old child, according to the Dutch government. In June 2026, Health Minister Sophie Hermans revealed that a child under the age of 12 died from euthanasia at the end of 2025 due to severe illness, marking the first case of its kind. Now, according to a new report from the committee that reviews all late-term abortions and medically assisted deaths of children, officials confirm the child was “almost 24 months” old at the time of their death. The child was reportedly born prematurely at just 26 weeks, leading to serious complications...

IDF footage shows a child transferring weapons into a civilian home in central Gaza. Troops refrained from striking after identifying the child. DF troops operating in Gaza identified a terrorist using a child to transfer weapons into a civilian home in central Gaza. "The terrorist exploited the child, using him as a human shield to transfer the weapons, in an attempt to prevent the IDF from striking and thwarting their transfer," the IDF stressed. Upon identifying the presence of a child, the IDF refrained from carrying out any strikes against the terrorist. "This is another example of the systematic exploitation...

Donald Trump is now 'very seriously' considering a diesel export ban as gas prices hit record highs – despite his top cabinet officials saying for months the move was off the table. 'The blunt tool of banning diesel exports definitely doesn't work,' Energy Secretary Chris Wright said at an event last week. As the President's top energy official responsible for oil and gas production and the management of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, Wright has warned that the ban 'would put upward pressure on gasoline prices and jet ⁠fuel prices'. He said in May that the ban was then 'absolutely' ruled...

German students take to the streets against compulsory military service plans More than 45,000 skip class in over 100 cities after medical checks start for 18-year-old men, including those who indicated no interest in serving in military More than 45,000 students across Germany walked out of class on Friday to protest proposals for compulsory military service, after hundreds were summoned for medical exams. The School Strike Against Conscription initiative said demonstrations took place in more than 100 cities after the German Defense Ministry began calling in 18-year-old men for medical screening. Organizers said hundreds of young men who marked 0...

Eight US Marines were injured in an Iranian attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz on September 14, NBC reported Sunday evening, citing three US sources. The Marines were not seriously injured by the Iranian cruise missile hit on the vessel, but they sustained smoke inhalation and showed symptoms of concussions, including headaches, according to the report. The Marines were not on a US Navy ship, but the officials did not share what type of ship it was. All eight service members returned to duty soon after the attack.