Free Republic

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- More than half of North Carolina military members surveyed in the latest Elon University poll disapprove of President Bush's handling of the war in Iraq and his overall job performance. Nearly 53 percent of military members said they strongly disapproved or disapproved of Bush's handling of his job. And just more than 56 percent of that same group strongly disapproved or disapproved of how he has dealt with the Iraq war. Overall, 53 percent of those surveyed for the poll released Friday did not approve of Bush's job performance, while 57 percent did not approve of his...

(IsraelNN.com) IDF forces shot and killed the terrorist who planned last week’s suicide bombing in Hadera which resulted in five Israeli deaths. The operation which began shortly after sundown on Sunday cornered the terrorist in the Arab village of Kabatiya, near Jenin, together with another. The mastermind of the Hadera attack was a member of the terrorist organization Islamic Jihad. The suicide bomber who attacked the Hadera open-air market last Wednesday was also a resident of Kabatiyah. Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz earlier Sunday reiterated his intent to wipe out Islamic Jihad’s capabilities.

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The Sunday Times October 23, 2005 Alive: In a fix? Fight dirty Krav maga is self-defence without the frills, it’s easy to learn and can make anybody feel more confident in a crisis, writes Claire Prentice ‘Your mum is being attacked,” screams a voice. “Look, over there.” A slim woman in a business suit and stiletto heels throws her arm out as she tries to get past a man blocking her path. “He’s pulled a knife on her.” The man towers over her, but, her face twisted in anger, she knees him in the groin and strikes his face. Had...

Keenya Hofmaier and Rosetta Riley - a couple of high-achieving Riverside University High School students - went to the Millions More Movement in Washington, D.C., last week hoping to learn something. And, boy, did they get an education. Before it was all over, the pair endured nearly 40 hours on a crowded bus with little food, missed most of the D.C. event, were subjected to hours of what they said were racist videos and, to top it all off, were accused of being lesbians by an alderman. So much for what was supposed to be an inspirational and historic excursion...

"Last Rites" Tattoo October 15, 2005 -- A man getting a "Last Rites" tattoo etched into his arm in a Brooklyn shop yesterday felt dizzy, fainted and fell head-first into a glass display case - slitting his throat and killing him, police said. The tragic mishap occurred at 2 p.m. while Juaquin Leger, 28, of Brooklyn, was getting the tattoo in the Buzz Tattoo Shop at 61 Graham Ave. in Williamsburg. Store owner Julio Ramos cried as he described what happened as he began etching the eerily foreboding tattoo on Leger's right forearm. "I was doing the linework," he said....

Take a look at these polling numbers of the gebric congressional voting preference: Newsweek: Democrats 50 GOP 38 Pew: Democrats 52 GOP 40 Fox News: Democrats 38 GOP 35 Not even Fox News could manufactire a GOP lead. Is there any way the Democrats won't take back Congress? I don't see how. Do you think we can protest the Democratic government or something?

AUSTRALIAN authorities have apprehended two Indonesian men accused of boarding an Australian fishing boat. Authorities boarded an Indonesian fishing vessel off Western Australia's remote northern coast between 1pm and 3pm (AEST) this afternoon, an Australian Customs spokesman said. "The boarding crew was made up of some men from HMAS Geraldton and some from West Australian Fisheries and patrol vessel the Walcott," the spokesman said. "After initial questioning, they'd taken the two Indonesian crew to the Walcott. The Walcott will be making its way back to Broome for further questioning. "The Indonesian fishing boat is to be disposed of on the...

Israel has made its first artillery strikes on the Gaza strip since the 1967 Middle East war, knocking out power and plunging Gaza City into darkness. Missiles were fired at Palestinian targets overnight and Israeli planes flew fresh raids in the territory today. A summit between the Israeli and Palestinian leaders was shelved as a result of the unrest.

Al-Qaeda's second-in-command in Iraq has been shot dead in a raid in Baghdad, US and Iraqi officials say. Abu Azzam is described as the top aide to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari called the killing very important, and said those who informed on insurgents were helping to save hundreds of lives. However, a statement purportedly from al-Qaeda in Iraq says it cannot confirm the death, and denies Azzam is the group's number two in the country. In a separate incident, at least 10 people died in an attack on police recruits north of Baghdad. At least 26...

Who cares if it is the National Enquirer? They were right about Limbaugh. I didn't think they would be right about Limbaugh, but they were. MAYBE SOMEONE INFORMED BECAUSE THEY REALIZE HELP IS NEEDED! THIS ISNT A JOKE. ITS ABOUT LIVES, ALL OF OURS! We need to know? WHO CARES ABOUT POLITICS. IS OUR PRESIDENT SOBER? WHY CANT WE GET AN ANSWER? ALL OF MY GROUP MEMBERS THINK THIS IS SCARY. WE JUST NEED AN HONEST ANSWER. Cheney can be President. Maybe the President needs help. ITS TOO IMPORTANT TO IGNORE. ALL OUR LIVES DEPEND ON IT. DEMOCRAT, REPUBLICAN --...

Do you think she'll go out with me?

The Israel Defense Forces confirmed it carried out an air strike on two vehicles driving in Gaza City on Saturday. Four Hamas members were killed and nine other people were wounded, Palestinian doctors and Hamas officials said. The IDF said one of the vehicles was carrying weapons and the other was carrying Hamas members. The air strike came in response to a barrage of Palestinian Qassam rockets fired from Gaza into Israel, the first such attacks since Israel pulled out of Gaza two weeks ago. The air strike occurred on a dirt road in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City....

Israel killed four Hamas militants in a missile strike Saturday and moved artillery cannons to the Gaza border, launching what it vowed would be a "crushing" response to a Hamas rocket barrage on Israeli towns. Israel also sealed the West Bank and Gaza, barring all Palestinians from its territory, within hours of the Hamas attack — the group's first major violence since Israel withdrew from the Mediterranean coastal strip two weeks ago. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon called his Security Cabinet for a meeting later Saturday to approve the military action, expected to last several days. A large-scale operation appeared unlikely...

I’m not a bigot but I believe this question must be asked. A closeted gay chief justice will be vulnerable to blackmail and may try to implement an insidious agenda to destroy the traditional family. Here’s some of the evidence: -he only married in his 40s. -his children were all adopted. -he has supported gay rights in pro bono work. And I'm not even getting into all the stories about his high school years... Then we have the pictures: hmm how many guys here ever posed for a picture holding a dish? I was googling about gay judges and found...

A Sparta man was injured when he allegedly entered a home where a shotgun had been rigged to fire if the door was opened. At approximately 4:37 p.m., Sept. 12, 2005, Deputy Darrin Gongaware was dispatched to Cummings Chapel Road where he encountered Greg Hutchings, 35, of Sparta. Hutchings was lying in the front yard with ‘most of his left forearm missing,’ according to the report. The officer proceeded to give first aid to Hutchings and asked him what had happened. According to the report, Hutchings told Gongaware he was at the home of Neal Rodgers and the door was...

SEATTLE - One man's unconventional way of curbing car theft in his Queen Anne neighborhood is winning him a lot of applause. Ken Cavallon literally caught one of the suspected prowlers in the act, and has the photo to prove it. It all started early Tuesday morning when Ken's wife noticed three people outside their home trying to break into her husband's truck. She went back inside to tell him about what she saw and Ken said he didn't hesitate. "I realized, enough is enough, so I came flying up the hill." The youth football coach immediately ran toward the...

KABUL (AFP) - At least 30 suspected Taliban militants have been killed during an ongoing operation by Afghan and US-led forces in southern Afghanistan a week before parliamentary elections. "During an operation in Grishk district of Helmand on Friday, Afghan and coalition forces killed 30 enemies and captured... 60 others," defence ministry spokesman Mohammad Zahir Azimi told reporters on Saturday. Azimi said a large number of weapons and ammunition were also seized from the captured fighters during the operation in the southwest province of Helmand. Azimi said the operation involving Afghan and US-led forces was ongoing in the restive province...

BAGHDAD , Iraq – Coalition Air Forces destroyed an al-Qaida in Iraq terrorist safe house in the Ubaydi, in western Iraq Sept. 10. This attack disrupts al-Qaida in Iraq 's ability to conduct operations against Iraqi Security and Coalition Forces. A senior al-Qaida terror consultant and foreign fighter facilitator known as “Sheik” is believed to have been in the house at the time of the attack. Sheik has been linked to other senior al-Qaida in Iraq terrorists and foreign fighter facilitators operating throughout the Euphrates Valley . Intelligence sources confirmed that Sheik was specifically brought in to the Husaybah area...

An inebriated Belgian woman died in a freak accident when she ended up beneath a heavy grave stone at a cemetery, local news agency Belga said on Wednesday. The 33-year-old was on her way home from a bar in the Belgian town of Pulle in the early hours of Saturday when she took a short cut through the cemetery. But she urgently needed to relieve herself and crouched down between two gravestones. As she lost her balance, she grabbed one of the stones which gave way and landed on top of her. The public prosecutor's office said she died of...