Free Republic

SACRAMENTO - Embattled Secretary of State Kevin Shelley on Thursday shook up his top management team five days before Tuesday's presidential election. Most important, Mark Kyle, the undersecretary of state and Shelley's best friend, will be replaced immediately by a 23-year veteran of the agency, Cathy Mitchell. Caren Daniels-Meade, Shelley's new assistant for communications, said ongoing investigations tied to the secretary were not a factor in the change, which she described as the result of ``mutual agreement.'' Daniels-Meade, who has worked in the secretary of state's office for three decades, said Kyle ``had given Kevin a two-year commitment. And he's...

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraq (news - web sites)'s interim prime minister announced a restructuring of the country's security forces Sunday, grouping all Iraqi troops under a central command whose chief duty is tackling insurgents plaguing the country. Prime Minister Iyad Allawi also said his government was considering imposing "martial law" in Iraq's trouble spots to help police and paramilitaries bring order. He made a plea for more international help in Iraq's guerrilla war, asking outside countries to send troops and donate military hardware to bolster Iraq's beleaguered forces. "Until our forces are fully capable we will continue to need support...