Free Republic

Retirement plans warn of a "penalty for early withdrawal." Might that also apply to the withdrawal of American and NATO forces from Afghanistan? If you set aside the victory by coalition forces that expelled Saddam Hussein's overmatched troops from Kuwait in 1991, the U.S. has not won a war since World War II. Not in Korea. Not in Vietnam and now, says President Biden, Afghanistan is a war we cannot win. Osama bin Laden predicted we didn't have the staying power and would ultimately tire of the conflict. President Biden claims "America's longest war is ending." It may only get...

The Taliban on Tuesday warned Turkey against extending its troop presence in Afghanistan when US-led forces leave the country, insisting the decision was “reprehensible”. Advertising “The decision... is ill-advised, a violation of our sovereignty and territorial integrity and against our national interests,” the group said in a statement, days after Ankara agreed with Washington to provide security for Kabul airport when foreign forces leave next month. “We consider stay of foreign forces in our homeland by any country under whatever pretext as occupation,” the Taliban said. As foreign forces wind up their withdrawal -- due to be completed by August...

More than 100,000 people are expected to attend the world's largest Islamic Caliphate conference to be held in Jakarta on Sunday. According to Hizb ut-Tahrir, the pan-Islamist political party staging the conference, people will come from all over the world to hear speakers from England, Australia, Palestine, Japan and the Sudan. Abu Bakar Bashir, the controversial leader of Indonesia's Mujahiddin Council, who is committed to transforming Indonesia into an Islamic state will address the conference. He is the alleged spiritual leader of Jemaah Islamiyah jailed for his role in the 2002 Bali bombings. Considered by many to be the mastermind...