Free Republic

WASHINGTON - The U.S. military acknowledged Wednesday that it considered bombing a group of more than 100 Taliban insurgents in southern Afghanistan but decided not to after determining they were on the grounds of a cemetery. The decision came to light after an NBC News correspondent's blog carried a photograph of the insurgents. Defense department officials first tried to block further publication of the photo, then struggled to explain what it depicted. NBC News claimed U.S. Army officers wanted to attack the ceremony with missiles carried by an unmanned Predator drone but were prevented under rules of battlefield engagement that...

Hormonal changes may actually alter the chemical balance in the brain and trigger some of the mood swings associated with a woman's monthly menstrual cycle, according to a new study. The study suggests that cells in a brain region called the hippocampus generate different types of receptors for the brain chemical GABA during various phases of the menstrual cycle. These changes may affect a woman's susceptibility to anxiety, depression, and seizures. Both estrogen and progesterone have effects on nerve cell activation, but the mechanism behind changes in seizure activity and increased anxiety are unknown, write the researchers. They say their...

Six days after Terri Schindler-Schiavo's feeding tube was removed on court order – sentencing her to a slow and painful death – the Florida House of Representatives, influenced by a massive and sustained outpouring of support for the 39-year-old brain-disabled woman, voted tonight to give Gov. Jeb Bush the power to order Terri's feeding tube re-inserted. Legislation H35-E, known as Terri's Bill, passed House on a 68-23 vote at approximately 10:15 p.m. Eastern. The bill "authorizes the governor to issue a one-time stay to prevent withholding of nutrition and hydration under certain circumstances; provides for expiration of stay; authorizes Governor...

March 31, 2002 Suicide Bombing in Northern Israel Kills 13 and Wounds 35 By REUTERSAIFA, Israel (Reuters) - A Palestinian suicide bomber blew up a packed restaurant in the northern Israeli port city of Haifa Sunday, killing at least 13 people and wounding around 35, police and medics said. A few hours later a second suspected suicide bomber hit the West Bank Jewish settlement of Efrat, wounding at least two people, Israel radio and security sources said. The Haifa explosion tore off the restaurant roof and spewed debris across a nearby parking lot, while the Israeli army was battling...