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WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Obama administration has set objectives for countering al Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan, from boosting Islamabad's counterinsurgency capabilities to building up Afghan security forces so U.S. assistance can be reduced, according to an internal document obtained by Reuters on Wednesday. The administration sent the objectives to U.S. lawmakers ahead of an expected request by Army General Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, for additional forces to counter a resurgent Taliban insurgency. A key Republican senator said tens of thousands of more troops may be needed but such a request could face opposition...

WASHINGTON — Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen presented an Iraq update to the press at the Pentagon Thursday.View Transcript View Slides  Gates and Mullen talked about political and economic progress, future objectives for the Iraqi government to achieve and remaining challenges for Coalition forces. One major issue was the Anbar awakening and how provincial level politics is working.“There have been developments, positive developments politically and economically, that we did not anticipate. We've talked before about the Anbar awakening and what has happened in Al Anbar,” said Gates. ...

WASHINGTON, July 30, 2007 – The United States and Great Britain share common values and “an obligation … to work for freedom and justice around the world,” President Bush said today in a joint news conference with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown at Camp David, Md., today. “After all, we're writing the initial chapters of what I believe is a great ideological struggle between those of us who do believe in freedom and justice and human rights and human dignity and cold-blooded killers who will kill innocent people to achieve their objectives,” Bush said. Both men said they will...

WASHINGTON, March 23, 2006 – Operation Swarmer, a combined operation involving Iraqi soldiers and police commandos and coalition forces wrapped up yesterday without any casualties and all of the tactical objectives met, Multinational Force Iraq officials announced today. The mission began with the helicopter transport of about 1,500 Iraqi and coalition soldiers and Iraqi police commandos into a 10-by-10-square-mile area northeast of Samarra on March 16. The initial insertion aircraft and subsequent air security provided by the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade moved the force, made up of units from Iraq's 1st Commando Brigade, 1st Brigade, 4th Army Division, and...

DC Watson on reality and dhimmi wishful thinking: The warnings came for decades. The threats of Islamic terrorism in the West, once thought to be empty, have become all too real for everyone living in the civilized world. While it is absolutely appropriate for Westerners to practice tolerance of immigrants, Islamic migrants, not all but many, bring with them a duty to participate in Muhammad’s fantasy of an Islamic planet earth. There is no sense in wasting time trying to “change the mindset” of this culture. They are a driven people. Driven by a backward, racist, sexist ideology, directed by...

Gov. Jeb Bush, the Miami developer turned the most powerful governor in Florida history, said Tuesday that he does not know what he will do with his life once his second term in office ends in January 2007. Bush has consistently ruled out running for president in 2008. He told a group of 300 high school girls gathered in the House chamber of the Capitol that while he remains unsure about his own future, he plans to return to his hometown of Miami. His remarks come at a time that national publications continue to tout him as a potential Republican...

I constantly hear liberals decry the policies of George W. Bush, using catch phrases like “out of the mainstream” and “dangerously irresponsible” to describe them. Apparently, if you repeat something often enough, using the same carefully crafted terminology, and applying to it with the same condescending tone each time, it magically becomes the truth... at least in the minds of leftists. And, of course, the primary policy target of left-wingers in Congress remains the war in Iraq, even though nearly all of them supported it initially. As recent polls show support for the war waning, liberals all over the country...

We are, I fear, in the last days of Howard Dean's tenure as chairman of the Democratic National Committee. It was too good to last. Party chairmen are supposed to raise money and keep their mouths shut. Dean has been failing on both counts. Through April 30th this year, the Democrats had raised only $20.9 million, compared to $44.7 million for the Republicans. Dean was on a West Coast fund-raising swing last week. Turnout in Seattle and San Francisco, hotbeds of liberalism both, was less than the DNC expected. "There is an increasing whiff of desperation permeating the finance side...

Nebraska Senator Bob Kerrey (who, for the record, never claimed he spent Christmas in Cambodia) once called Bill Clinton "an unusually good liar." Unfortunately, American culture has degenerated to such a point that this statement, coming as it did from a fellow Democrat, was hardly perceived as disparaging the former president. Throughout the Clinton presidency, Democratic Party hacks were thoroughly adoring of the manner in which Bill and Hillary were able to slither out of one outrageous scandal after another by means of half-truths, juvenile excuses and, often, blatant lies. Worse yet, they managed to concoct a fairly formidable political...

Pat Robertson has done it again – gone and told the truth about Islam. How hateful! How hurtful! How – honest. Interviewed on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos,” on May 2nd , Robertson said that if he was elected president, he would not appoint a Muslim to his cabinet or favor the appointment of Muslim judges.” What, no Muslim attorney general? I can’t believe it! Think of all the people convicted of mail fraud who’ll be walking around with both of their hands. Pat explained: “They have said in the Koran there’s a war against all the infidels. Do...

Four Broad Lessons from Iraq Print Mail By Richard Perle Posted: Thursday, April 7, 2005 TESTIMONY House Committee on Armed Services (Washington) Publication Date: April 6, 2005 Mr. Chairman, As always, I appreciate this opportunity to share with the Committee some ideas and observations about the situation in Iraq and, more specifically, some of the lessons we should take away from our experience there. Within the Department of Defense, and among its many advisors and consultants there have already been several important "lessons learned" assessments. These cover everything from the effectiveness of specific weapons systems, procedures, organizations and training to...