Free Republic

The papers are full of reports about the startling criticism of Israel by the Obama administration — a criticism of a type not used by Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton against many human rights abusing-governments the world over during the past year. (Who cares, for example, that 50,000 Muslim Burmese refugees are on the verge of starvation in Bangladesh, when you can bash Israel day after day, as the Obama administration did last week?) The Los Angeles Times noted that “Hillary Rodham Clinton’s harsh words stunned Israel.” The Wall Street Journal reported that “Clinton levied a blistering rebuke of Israel”...

WASHINGTON, June 12, 2009 – A granite monument dedicated to 40 U.S. servicemembers who perished in an air crash in Australia during World War II has found a permanent home at Fort Myer, Va. Left to right, retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Bruce A. Wright; Australian Air Vice-Marshal Kym Osley, head of the Australian embassy’s defense staff; U.S. Army Secretary Pete Geren; Harry McAlpine, president of the Returned and Services League’s Washington, D.C., sub-branch; U.S. Army Col. Laura J. Richardson, garrison commander of the Fort Myer Military Community; Robert S. Cutler, executive director of the Bakers Creek Memorial...

IT may seem like the perfect opportunity to score a political point - the Labor Government recommending John Howard, the architect of the GST, for Australia's highest honour for his services to politics and the economy - but the former prime minister is playing a straight bat. Fresh from watching the Australian cricket team play in the West Indies, and travelling to England, Mr Howard wasn't interested in playing games. Nor did his right-hand man Arthur Sinodinos -- the soul and direction of Mr Howard's office for 10 years, who has also been honoured in the Rudd Government's first Queen's...

Three members of the Armed Forces have been recognised for outstanding acts of bravery at an investiture service at Buckingham Palace. The three - Sergeant Michelle Cunningham Royal Logistic Corps, Wing Commander Craig Staniforth and Sergeant Mario Testa RAF - were presented with their medals by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales at a ceremony on Thursday 12 July 2007. Sergeant Michelle Cunningham, 32, is an ammunition technician with the Royal Logistic Corps based with Tidworth Troop 721 Squadron 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Regiment. Sgt Cunningham's team are responsible for assisting civilian police in disposing of explosive ordnance...

Blair likely to quit if aides charged in loans inquiry Patrick Wintour Monday January 22, 2007 The Guardian (UK) Tony Blair is likely to stand down early if charges are brought in the cash-for-honours affair against any of his key aides, including Ruth Turner, arrested on Friday on suspicion of perverting the course of justice. Ministers said they were certain Mr Blair would not seek to stay until his planned departure date of June or July if any of his immediate entourage were charged. One senior Labour minister told the Guardian: "He knows he would need to do the right...

Downing Street political adviser Ruth Turner has become the fourth person to be arrested by police investigating the cash-for-honours allegations. Ms Turner was arrested at 0630GMT but later released on police bail after being quizzed for several hours. She was questioned over honours allegations and suspicion of perverting the course of justice. She has issued a statement denying any wrongdoing.

Japan honours US dead at Iwo Jima By Colin Joyce in Tokyo (Filed: 20/06/2005) Junichiro Koizumi yesterday became Japan's first serving prime minister to visit Iwo Jima in what analysts say is an effort to counter his image as a nationalist and revisionist. Mr Koizumi paid his respects alongside bereaved Japanese and representatives of the American army He made his visit during a ceremony marking one of the Second World War's most symbolic battles in which American troops first captured Japanese territory 60 years ago. The moment was caught in an iconic photograph of troops hoisting the Stars and Stripes...

OTTAWA (CP) - Canada's special operations military unit, Joint Task Force 2, has been awarded the U.S. Presidential Unit Citation for heroism in battle. It's just the second Canadian military unit to receive the honour. U.S. President George W. Bush made the presentation in California to the American commander of the multinational force in Afghanistan of which JTF-2 was a part from October 2001 to April 2002. The citation, first awarded after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour on Dec. 7, 1941, is given to units of the United States and allied nations "for extraordinary heroism in actions against an...

Blair 'wants Iraq honours list' The prime minister wants to reward civil servants with a "special Iraq honours list", it has been reported. A leaked Whitehall memo shows officials who worked on the flawed weapons dossier could be in line for awards, the Sunday Times said. The names are expected to be announced in the New Year honours list, it said. Number 10 said Prime Minister Tony Blair felt those in "incredibly difficult positions in Iraq" should be recognised for their work. 'Huge sacrifice' The Sunday Times said the memo showed Mr Blair believed some 50 non-military officials should be...

FORT BLISS, Tex. - In the end, the young soldiers went with a fresh, unopened, purse-sized pack of Kleenex on every other seat, atop the programs, and several big opened boxes placed strategically on the cool tiled floor of every row in the vast building. They had tried every other imaginable combination -- a small pack on every seat; only the large boxes on the floor; lining up the top edges of the little packs with the lower edge of the program, and then with the upper. It was the same with the nine empty pairs of combat boots, set...