Free Republic

Archeologists in Saudi Arabia have discovered the largest inscriptions in the Kingdom depicting the Babylonian King Nabonidus in the north-western city of Hail.“Archaeologists from the Saudi Heritage Commission have discovered fascinating rock inscriptions in the Hail region (northern Saudi Arabia) that depict the Babylonian King Nabonidus,” the authority announced earlier this week.The inscriptions, dating back to the mid-6th century, depict King Nabonidus of Babylon holding a scepter and surrounded by religious symbols, according to the Commission.The discovery provides “further evidence of the Kingdom’s historical role as a cradle of civilizations in the Arabian Peninsula,” the Commission said.The inscriptions are approximately...

ARLINGTON, Va. – As humanitarian relief continues in Haiti, the Army National Guard stands ready to provide personnel and equipment to support the mission, senior Army Guard officials said today. "We stand by ready, willing and able to assist as soon as they sort out what the requirements are and what they want the Army Guard to fill," said Army Col. David Aycock, deputy chief of staff of operations for the Army Guard. Currently, a Puerto Rico Army National Guard unit is the only Army Guard unit participating in relief operations in Haiti. "The Puerto Rico Army National Guard with...

SMUG ALERT!George Clooney is leading an effort to organize a Jan. 22 primetime telethon to raise money for aid to victims of the earthquake in Haiti. The details of the telethon were in the embryonic stage as of Thursday afternoon, but the existing plan is for it to air from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern. MTV Networks said it is collaborating with Clooney on the telethon, and HBO and CBS confirmed they are on board.

According to the New York Daily News (February 29, 2004), John Kerry accused President Bush of "deliberately helping insurgents in the bloody Haitian uprising." Moreover, Kerry said that if he were in office he would have "sent troops to Haiti even without International support to quell the revolt against President Jean-Bertrand Aristide"...a very strong statement from the man who once said that he'd like to see our troops dispersed through the world only at the directive of the United Nations. So who is this man that John Kerry would use the US military to put back in power? His name...

In land he knows well, Kidder says U.S. is to blame Williamsburg author Tracy Kidder, who spent extended periods in Haiti over the last decade while researching his most recent book, has watched with dismay over the past month as a country he came to know well has devolved into violence and political unrest. Kidder said he is particularly worried about the state of the public health system chronicled in his 2003 book ''Mountains Beyond Mountains,'' given the volatile political situation. Kidder, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of ''Home Town'' and other books, first visited Haiti in 1994 to write about...

The political and constitutional turmoil in Haiti deepened yesterday as the country's parliament ceased to function and President Jean-Bertrand Aristide began in effect to rule by decree while mass protests against him continued. With a general strike entering its fifth day, President Aristide delivered a speech at the airport in Port-au-Prince in which he failed to mention the clamour for him to step down. Amid tight security, the President then left on his private jet to attend the Summit of the Americas in Mexico. His address was dedicated to honouring the founding fathers of Haiti, which became the world's first...