Free Republic

North Korea must make “full war preparations” to “overwhelmingly contain and destroy the enemy,” communist dictator Kim Jong-un demanded in a meeting of his top military leaders on Wednesday. The country’s state newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported that Kim presided over the Central Military Commission meeting personally, ousting his chief of general staff, General Pak Su-il and replacing him with a deputy, Vice Marshal Ri Yong-gil. Pak was purged among several other “leading commanding officers,” which Rodong Sinmun did not name. Observers outside of North Korea have not indicated that the shake-up suggests any large-scale controversy or conflict between Kim and...

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is expanding its probe of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack to include the events leading up to the preceding rally, and the wider conspiracies that fueled the violence, people familiar with the issue told The Washington Post. Before supporters of former President Trump attacked the Capitol, many participated in a rally that had multiple speakers, including Trump himself.

With real unemployent approaching 25% of the population, 50 million Americans on food stamps, and the prices of essential goods rising every month, it’s no surprise that black market peddlers are turning to new product offerings to make a buck. In What Is Money When the System Collapses? we highlighted some items that would take the place of traditional currency in the event of a catastrophic financial and economic collapse – things like food, fuel, firearms and footwear. But for many, the world as they know it has already collapsed. Unable to afford retail prices for home essentials, these people...

This is a short,very personal reverie.

Iran steps up preparations for US war Tim Shipman in Washington and Kay Biouki in Teheran Last Updated: 1:03am GMT 28/10/2007 Iran's president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is stepping up preparations for possible war with America by replacing a string of moderate regime officials with hardliners who more closely share his views. After months in which his government has played down the risk of war over Iran's nuclear programme, officials have also begun making bellicose pronouncements in an apparent attempt to ready public opinion for a military clash. President Ahmadinejad (right) welcomes new Revolutionary Guards leader Mohammad Ali Jafari Last week's resignation...

Camp Pendleton Marines Make Final Preparations for DeploymentBy Donna MilesAmerican Forces Press Service CAMP PENDLETON, Calif., Aug. 25, 2006 -- Just three weeks before they deploy for six months as U.S. Central Command’s theater reserve force, Marines from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit here say they’re ready to get on with the mission despite pulls at their heartstrings over leaving home. Marine Corps Sgt. Bobby Savicke, motor transportation mechanic, retrieves his tool cart from a storage unit to inspect vehicles in preparation for an upcoming deployment at Camp Pendleton, Calif., Aug. 23. This will be Savicke’s second “float” with...

(PORTSMOUTH, Va. - Dec. 28, 2005) -- Knowledge support in a coalition environment was among the discussion topics as a multinational team of experts making final preparations for Multinational Experiment 4 (MNE4) met during the event's final planning conference earlier this month. Scheduled for Feb. 20 - March 17, 2006, MNE4 will explore use of the full range of effects based operations (EBO) to influence the behavior of adversaries. While U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) from the United States is the overall lead for MNE4, coalition partners lead the specific concepts and processes being explored. The knowledge support (KS) cell...

"........ the best time for a presidential hopeful to position herself for the next presidential election is during the current one. . . . By 2008, her makeover should be complete. From Lady Macbeth to Mrs. Miniver. . . . It's been a long strange trip: Over the years she's gone from suburban Goldwater Girl to Radical Professor to Stepford Wife to Wronged Woman to Her Own Woman and next to -- Commander in Chief? The lady molts with the political seasons, shucking old personas and adopting new ones as she goes up the political ladder. . . . Don't...

The Israel Defense Forces recently conducted a simulation "war game" about what would happen the day after Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat passes away. The exercise examined several possible scenarios and how Arafat's death - by natural causes - would influence the domestic situation in the Palestinian Authority and its relations with Israel. The Central Command exercises involved senior officers; apparently, the General Staff will continue where the Central Command officers left off. Security sources told Haaretz that the exercise was not the result of any new information about the state of Arafat's health. Last fall there was speculation about...

Saw a little squib on Fox News this afternoon: Two US Navy ships loading up with battle ammo at US Naval Ammunition Depot Earle ,NJ , prepatory to deployment in the Gulf Region. Earle has served the Fleet for many, many years. Warships going in to port for extended periods offload their ammo there, and pick up re-supply on their way out. Ships being fitted out for battle also come in and load up with fresh ammo of all kinds. ( Yes, they store them there too ! ) Now there's a clue as to what might have induced 19...

CANBERRA, Australia (AP): The Australian government has ordered its defense forces to prepare for a possible war against Iraq, although no decision to send troops has been made, Prime Minister John Howard said Wednesday. Responding to a newspaper report that Australia is preparing for possible combat in March, Howard said "naturally the defense forces are involved in some contingency arrangements; they must do that in the event that they're called upon.'' The prime minister added that "at a political level'' no decision has been made to be involved. "The occasion for taking that decision has not as yet arisen and...

LONDON: A major shake-up of Britain's Cold War era emergency planning system is being mapped out to help the country cope with a large-scale terrorist attack, newspapers reported Sunday. Legislation was likely to be put before parliament early in the New Year to create a system better able to deal with nuclear, biological and chemical strikes, The Sunday Times said. Current plans for emergencies were based on legislation dating back to the Cold War period, rather than geared to coping with catastrophes on the scale of the suicide strikes on New York and Washington on September 11 last year. Local...

Bush speeds up preparations for war on Iraq By Toby Harnden in Washington (Filed: 04/09/2002) President Bush has summoned congressional leaders for top-level talks in the White House today amid clear signals that the United States is accelerating its preparations for war with Iraq. Mr Bush's meeting with senior Republicans and Democrats is an indication that the president will try to regain control of the fractious debate over Saddam Hussein. It was announced last night after Mr Bush returned from holiday apparently with a renewed determination to topple Saddam. White House officials say it is almost certain that Mr Bush...