Free Republic

LABOR may have finally bounced off rock bottom but Australia's oldest political party and its leader are still facing a historic loss of public confidence and electoral failure. A three-point rise in the Newspoll primary vote for the ALP has avoided the unthinkable for the Gillard government of going to 25 per cent or below to have less support than the combined vote for the Greens and various odds and sods, but the broader view of this survey of public opinion about Labor - as well as the personal standing of Julia Gillard - is devastating. The electorate has not...

GHAZNI PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Sept. 24, 2007 — With the help of American and coalition forces, the Afghan national security forces are gradually earning the respect and acceptance of the Afghan people. Embedded tactical trainers spend their days training and coaching Afghan national army and police how to conduct themselves during and outside operations. “We are the ANP’s mentors; making sure they are being professional at their jobs and not exploiting their power.” Capt. Jason E. Knueven “Our biggest job is showing ANSF what ‘right’ looks like,” said Army National Guard Maj. Chris P. Guziec, ANP ETT district commander. “We take...