Free Republic

In an action that spoke far louder than words, Pope Benedict yesterday walked out of an interfaith meeting in Jerusalem after the chief Islamic judge of the Palestinian Authority launched into an anti-Israeli diatribe. The pontiff, on his first day in Jerusalem, did not realize at first that Sheikh Taysir al-Tamimi, speaking in Arabic, was condemning the "crimes of the Jewish state" and accusing Israel of having "slaughtered women, children and senior citizens." But as soon as he was told the nature of the sheikh's tirade, he stood and left the meeting, which took place at Notre Dame church, before...

John McCain's campaign acknowledged this weekend that Sarah Palin is unprepared to be vice president or president of the United States. Of course, McCain's people said no such thing. But their actions told you all you needed to know. McCain, Barack Obama and Joe Biden all subjected themselves to tough questioning on the regular Sunday news programs. Palin was the only no-show. And it's not just the Sunday interviews. She has not opened herself to any serious questioning since McCain picked her to be next in line for the presidency.

OK, Freepers...the Dem circus, er..convention is almost upon us, so let's see who is the best political prognosticator on FR. Bubba will address the convention Wednesday evening, and the contest is really quite simple. Guess the number of times in his speech ( without going over the actual number ) that Slick uses the word "I"

Washington (AP) - Now Jesse Jackson is involved in trying to convince ESPN that its 50-state tour of sporting events should include a stop in the nation's capital. The activist and former presidential candidate says it's insulting that the cable network left D.C. out when it came up with its plans. Jackson says he'll go to the network's Connecticut headquarters if they don't change their tune. He also might picket the ESPN Zone bar in the city that's home to the Nationals, Wizards, Mystics, United and Capitals (website - news) . Plus there's the Redskins (website - news) , if...

Summary Al Qaeda is an international organization that constantly changes and adapts, seeking new ways to avoid detection and catch its opponents off guard. Rather than sending foreigners into other nations to carry out surveillance and strikes, the group has found it can achieve surprise and minimize exposure by recruiting native Western operatives. The examination of some Western al Qaeda operatives offers insights into the group's recruitment methods and plans for operations in the United States, Britain, Australia and other Western nations.AnalysisAl Qaeda remains a dynamic organization that leverages local expertise and resources in surveilling, planning and carrying out operations....