Free Republic

Dan Rather, the former anchor for the CBS Evening News, who is known for his election night “Ratherisms” once said, “Be careful. Journalism is more addictive than crack cocaine. Your life can get out of balance.” Judging from his past, Dan’s prophecy about life and journalism was right on target. His life and “unbiased” reporting have definitely been out of balance for the last 24 years. In fact: “Dan lists precariously to port like an oil tanker taking on crude oil in Galveston, Texas”. In other words Dan is a liberal. And to make matters worse he is a lying...

Italy goes after its lost terrorists 26.08.2004 By PETER POPHAM in Rome Incensed by the disappearance last weekend from Paris of convicted terrorist Cesari Battisti, Italy says it will press France and Nicaragua to return 12 other convicted left-wing terrorists who have evaded justice by living in exile. They include Alessio Casimirri, the only member of the Red Brigade gang that kidnapped and killed former Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro still at liberty. He is living in Nicaragua. All the others are believed to be in France. France agreed in 2002 to return Italians who are wanted for serious crimes,...

In an Italy under shock at the death of Nicola Calipari, emotions are prompting people to say and write many things that perhaps in a few days may look overstated, if not embarrassing. Of course, the writer is the first to understand, and up to a point even share, what lies behind those emotions. Take the anguish of Giuliana Sgrena, abducted by the very people she thought she was defending. For one month, she was a hostage to fear and the unknown, then only one step away from death, saved at the last by the sacrifice of one of the...

I have been thinking about this incident, and while I will never second guess a man in combat, I just wanted to think (4/5ths seriously) about the possible chain of events These are the possibilities as I see them: 1.) Ransom paid, US not informed of this activity, car drives off to airport at high speed, reporter is too stupid to say "we better slow down" and dead agent too inexperienced in the environment to know they better slow down. Checkpoint encountered, expected result ensues with American troops who know that hesitation can mean explosive death. 2.) Ransom paid, US...