Free Republic

Fears that Russia might sell advanced weaponry to Syria kicked up a mini-storm of concern in Israel on Thursday. Syrian President Bashar Assad, in Russia for talks with President Dmitry Medvedev, has been campaigning to acquire weapons systems that include long-range surface-to-surface missiles, according to Russian media reports. The news of Assad's reported ambitions prompted immediate hand-wringing among Israeli officials and analysts. Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Israel was "analyzing the ramifications" of Assad's visit.

What have you learned since the Sept. 11 attacks five years ago? The mass murder of 2,996 innocent people on American soil forced open my eyes to the Islamic holy war against the West, freedom and modernity. The battle has raged not for years or decades, but for centuries — well before the Crusades began. The indelible sight of workers plunging from the Twin Towers — head first, feet first, solo, hand-in-hand — roused me from slumber. The photos of children incinerated on United Airlines Flight 175 and American Airlines Flight 77 compelled me to start paying attention to the...

Tougher U.S. approach needed to curb Mideast radicalism An unbelievable provocation. That's the reasonable meaning of the anti-Semitic outburst emanating in recent days from Tehran - the world has not heard such statements from so senior a leader since World War II – as well as the provocation coming from Damascus. Iran and Syria carry on like this because they know they will suffer no consequences from the United States or the world. If two years ago these regimes were scared of U.S. military prowess, today their self-confidence allows them to spread radicalism around the entire Middle East, and their...