Free Republic

The invasion of Ukraine left Russians with a stark choice: carry on as normal or make a stand against the war. But speaking out in Russia carries huge risks. How is the opposition managing to resist the regime – and at what personal cost? 00:00 - One year on 01:37 - The first wave of protests 05:43 - Crackdown on dissent 10:04 - Individual acts of rebellion 13:51 - Partial mobilisation 16:20 - Russia’s mass exodus 23:06 - The future of Russian rebellion

Even as the Department of Justice Inspector General released a report this week criticizing the politicization of the department, the FBI on Tuesday raided the homes of a Republican election official and several of her associates in Mesa County, Colo., in connection with a dispute about efforts to preserve 2020 election files. In collaboration with state and county law enforcement, the FBI raided the homes of Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters, Colorado Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert's former campaign manager Sherronna Bishop, and two others. The FBI operations targeting skeptics of the 2020 election results follow the bureau's raids...

Nigeria: Death toll of Fulani jihad massacre doubles to over 130 The death toll from an attack last week by gunmen in northwestern Nigeria has doubled to more than 130. The “‘Fulani ethnic group’ appeared to have been a deliberate plan to wipe out certain communities.” Those “certain communities” are the Christian victims of the so-called “Fulani ethnic group,” often referred to as “Fulani herdsmen.” Governor Nasir El-Rufai “told reporters that police were still investigating the gunmen’s motive for the attack,” as he tries to minimize the reality of the jihad. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has been more upfront about...

Navy sailors harbor “widespread mistrust” in the admirals who command them, complaining of poor leadership and a disciplinary environment that tolerates absolutely no mistakes, says a survey of the fleet. The disgruntlement runs deepest in the officer corps, where scores of commanders have been relieved of duty in recent years.

Recently-released WikiLeaks documents show that detained al Qaeda members have predicted nuclear reprisals if Osama bin Laden were captured or killed. The classified Defense Department files, obtained from detainee interviews at the Guantanamo Bay prison, were released by the document-sharing Web site a week before the raid in Pakistan that resulted in bin Laden's demise. (See list of related CNET stories.) Abu al-Libi, al Qaeda's third in command and "operational chief" before he was captured in 2005, reportedly said the nuclear device was "located in Europe" and would be used in retaliation over bin Laden's death, according to the leaked...

RIYADH: The US Embassy in Riyadh has issued a new alert warning American citizens traveling and residing abroad of possible anti-American violence following the killing of Osama Bin Laden, who was hunted as the mastermind behind the worst terrorist attack on the US soil. Other Western embassies have asked their staffers and their citizens to remain vigilant, but have not upgraded or renewed the security advisory. "Given the uncertainty and volatility of the current situation, US citizens in areas where recent events could cause anti-American violence are strongly urged to limit their travel outside of their homes and hotels and...

URUMQI, China (AP) — China's embassy in Algeria has warned Chinese companies and workers to be on guard for attacks after an Islamist Web site called for retaliation for Beijing's response to unrest in its predominantly Muslim western province. A notice posted late Tuesday on the embassy's Web site follows a torrent of ethnic clashes this month that left at least 184 dead in Xinjiang's capital of Urumqi. Riots by Muslim Uighurs and subsequent fighting between Uighurs and members of the Han Chinese majority were the worst ethnic violence China has seen in decades. "In light of the (riots), the...

ISLAMABAD (AFP) – A militant Taliban group warned Thursday of reprisals in Pakistan if there was another US drone attack, as the government condemned the latest missile strike in its territory. Top Pakistani Taliban leader Hafiz Gul Bahadur warned he would mount revenge attacks if the US carried out further strikes in tribal territory after missiles fired from a drone Wednesday killed six people, including a major Al-Qaeda operative. Bahadur's group has been accused by the United States of launching attacks across the border in Afghanistan, but it abstains from violence in Pakistani territory under an understanding with military authorities....

NAZI REPRISAL POLICY IN SERBIA SHAMELESSLY EXPLOITED BY THE YUGOSLAV COMMUNISTS By Aleksandra Rebic On September 6, 1941, following the successful attacks by Mihailovich forces against the Germans in Western Serbia, Adolph Hitler issued the decree that for every German killed, 100 Serbian hostages would be shot. For every German wounded, 50 Serbs would be shot. This decree would be posted throughout Belgrade, Serbia on September 13, 1941. The Germans were not kidding. General Boehme, the German Commanding General of the occupation forces in Serbia from September 16 to December 2 of 1941, issued three orders to supplement Hitler’s decree....

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...

Many U.N. employees fear reprisals from their bosses if they step forward with information on the Iraq oil-for-food scandal or report other allegations of corruption, according to a shocking internal survey released yesterday. A recent poll of 6,086 employees and managers released on the U.N. Web site revealed that the staff has little faith in the world body leadership's commitment to ethics and integrity and that most believe that when allegations of wrongdoing surface, they are not properly handled. ... U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan is also facing questions after revelations that his son was hired by a Swiss company that...

Iraqi Kurdish families leave Irbil which is controlled by Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in northern Iraq (news - web sites), on Tuesday, March 18, 2003. People are fleeing the area for fear of attacks from Saddam Hussein (news - web sites)'s forces in the event of a US-led war on Iraq. (AP Photo/Hasan Sarbakhshian) Iraqi Kurdish families arrive in Dohuk which is controlled by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in northern Iraq (news - web sites) on Tuesday, March 18, 2003. Iraqi Kurds are fleeing to northern Iraq, close to the Iraqi-Turkish border, in fear of attacks from Saddam...