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BAGHDAD – Iraqi Police have been recognized for their determination across the nation this week, which included a ceremony in Ramadi Sunday. Iraqi Police across the country have improved security while providing humanitarian aid for children in cities such as Ramadi and Baghdad. “Every day I see Iraqi Police putting their lives on the line to protect the people of [Ramadi],” said U.S. Army Col. John Charlton, commander of 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division. “It is because of their continued bravery that children can play outside and people can open shops and begin to live normal lives again.”...

WASHINGTON, May 15, 2007 – Despite a desire for U.S. forces to ultimately leave Iraq, Iraqi leaders recognize the need for international support until their military is capable of operating independently, the Iraqi government’s official spokesman said today. “The fight is beyond the capacity of the Iraqi troops,” Ali Aldabbagh told “bloggers” and online journalists during a conference call today. When members of Iraq’s national assembly state their opposition to the long-term presence of international forces, he said, they do so without specifying a particular time for their withdrawal. Any timetables they might prescribe, he noted, apply to the...

AL ASAD, Iraq, Sept. 22, 2006 — While growing up, Daniel and Anthony Martinez, U.S. Marines from Michigan's Bay City, were typical young brothers - they fought and argued. But when Daniel was injured last month after a suicide bomber attacked his unit's post in Iraq's Al Anbar Province, everything changed. For the two Marines, who are just one year apart in age and both stationed in Iraq, communication has been sparse at best - Anthony serves at this sprawling U.S. airbase, while Daniel serves on a much smaller outpost northwest of Al Asad. Plus, the brothers' daily duties leave...

On the Presence of Non-Chinese at Anyang by Kim Hayes It has now become clear that finds of chariot remains, metal knives and axes of northern provenance, and bronze mirrors of western provenance in the tombs of Anyang indicate that the Shang had at least indirect contact with people who were familiar with these things. Who were these people? Where did they live? When did they arrive? Following the discovery of the Tarim Mummies, we now know that the population of the earliest attested cultures of what is present-day Xinjiang were of northwestern or western derivation. According to the craniometric...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 7, 2006 – The coalition and Iraqi security forces presence in Baghdad is growing, and soon residents will notice an improvement, a senior defense official said here today. Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said the added U.S. and Iraqi forces in the capital should tamp down the sectarian violence that concerns leaders in the country. “Those forces will be applied to the current security challenge that exists in Baghdad in a way to bring some stability to the area,” Whitman said. “I think over time you will see the increased presence have an effect on the region.” The 172nd...

The state House approved a bill Thursday to expand Arizona's trespassing law to make illegal immigrants' presence in Arizona a crime and to enable local authorities to arrest them. Under the bill, an illegal immigrant anywhere in Arizona would be guilty of a felony. A law officer arresting someone for investigation of a crime also would be authorized to question the person's immigration status.

AS A NEW YEAR BEGINS SO DOES CHANCE TO START 2006 WITH 'FIRST-FRIDAY' DEVOTIONSBy Susan TassoneOnce, while St. Margaret Mary was praying before the exposed Blessed Sacrament, she saw a vision of Jesus in glory, with His five wounds shining like suns. He then showed her His Heart on fire with love for mankind, a love that, unfortunately, too often, has been ignored or treated with contempt. According to St. Margaret, whose revelations inspired the Sacred Heart devotion, the Lord asked her to make up for this coldness and ingratitude by receiving Holy Communion as often as she was allowed, and...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 23, 2005 – Operations that have been ongoing in the Iraq's Anbar province since September have had a significant impact nationwide and have limited the ability of terrorists to conduct suicide attacks, a U.S. military spokesman said today in Baghdad. Since operations began, 700 terrorists have been killed and 1,500 have been detained in Anbar, said Army Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, Multinational Force Iraq spokesman. Also, 243 weapons caches have been found and 440 mines and improvised explosive devices have been found and cleared, he said. The U.S. and Iraqi militaries have left behind a persistent presence in...

SACRAMENTO — For the first time since the Capitol's "Shrimpgate" scandal more than a decade ago, California legislators open their session today knowing that the FBI is hovering not far away. By issuing subpoenas, conducting searches and convening grand juries in Oakland and Sacramento, the feds have made their presence unmistakable as they investigate dealings by the new state Senate leader, Don Perata, and Secretary of State Kevin Shelley, a former legislator. Both men are Democrats. The scope of the inquiries, which are not connected, is not known. But interviews and documents that have become public suggest that the FBI...

   by Grace MacKinnon Other Articles by Grace MacKinnonContact this Author True Food and True Drink 12/14/04 Dear Grace, Some of my friends have questioned me about why and how I can believe that Jesus Christ is truly present in the Host which we receive at Communion in Mass. Sometimes I am not sure exactly how to explain it well enough so that it will be understood. Can you help? It is true that some people consider the Catholic Church’s belief about the Eucharist to be totally unbelievable and almost outrageous. Catholics actually believe that when a priest, during the Eucharistic...

The purpose of FreeRepublic.com's multiple message boards is to limit the topics for each board to particular topics. Posting the same message on all the boards defeats the purpose of multiple-boards for special topics. It is very annoying to see the same message on every bulletin board. PLEASE! DO THE READERS A FAVOR. STOP CROSS-POSTING YOUR MESSAGES!

9 French troops and a U.S. citizen were killed when Ivory Coast fighter planes bombed a rebel position in the north of that country. The French have hit back, destroying 5 Ivorian helicopters and 2 bombers near the capital city of Yamoussoukro. Ivorians aren’t happy with France’s reprisals. Angry mobs are rioting, looting French properties, and yelling “Everybody get your Frenchman!” and “French go home!” Well, well, well, isn’t France’s criticism of the U.S. Coalition presence in Iraq a bit like the pot calling the kettle black? Listen to the French government’s words, as reported by the BBC: President Jacques...

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iran's defense minister expressed his government's disquiet about the U.S. troop presence in neighboring Iraq and Afghanistan, and hinted that some Iranian generals believe they should strike first if they sense an imminent U.S. threat. In an interview with pan-Arab satellite channel Al-Jazeera, Ali Shamkhani was asked how Iran would respond if America were to attack its nuclear facilities. "We will not sit to wait for what others will do to us," he said. "There are differences of opinion among military commanders (in Iran). Some commanders believe preventive operations is not a model created by Americans...

A poster in another thread said she saw a report of a poll that Iraqi citizens support our troop presence by about 65-70%. She wasn't sure where she saw it, but thought it was either Fox or MSNBC today, June 20. Did anyone else see that or know where I can obtain the details of that poll? Thanks!

It is difficult to get a handle on the real Charlton Heston. On the one hand, he is the towering actor who starred in some of the biggest films of the 20th century — The Ten Commandments, Ben Hur, Planet of the Apes. On the other hand, Heston has become one of the country's most polarizing figures as the fiery spokesman for the National Rifle Association. In August, Heston, now 79, announced that he was suffering from Alzheimer's disease. He invited Peter Jennings to his home for what may be his last opportunity to go on record in an in-depth...