Free Republic

Few U.S. policymakers have heard of Fethullah Gülen, perhaps Turkey's most prominent theologian and political thinker. Self-exiled for more than a decade, Gülen lives a reclusive life outside Philadelphia, Pa. Within months, however, he may be as much a household a name in the United States as is Ayatollah Khomeini, a man who was as obscure to most Americans up until his triumphant return to Iran almost 30 years ago. Many academics and journalists embrace Gülen and applaud his stated vision welding Islam with tolerance and a pro-European outlook. Supporters describe him as progressive. In 2003, the University of Texas...

President Bush and Vice President Cheney held a teleconference this morning with officials in California to discuss the wildfires and to offer any assistance the state needs. The president then met with his cabinet and spoke to the press: “Looking forward to going out to California tomorrow. We'll continue to make sure that our efforts are coordinated, that we are responsive to the needs and people.” (Transcript) First Lady Laura Bush continued her tour of the Middle East in support of women’s health research. She arrived in Kuwait today where she met with breast cancer survivors and also spoke about...

Denouncing Iran's successful enrichment of uranium as unacceptable to the international community, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday the U.N. Security Council must consider "strong steps" to induce Tehran to change course. Rice also telephoned Mohamed ElBaradei, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, to ask him to reinforce demands that Iran comply with its nonproliferation requirements when he holds talks in Tehran on Friday. While Rice took a strong line, she did not call for an emergency meeting of the Council, saying it should consider action after receiving an IAEA report by April 28. She did not...

Security forces in the Sudanese capital manhandled U.S. officials and reporters traveling with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, marring her round of meetings with leaders of the new unified government. Rice demanded an apology, and got it. "It makes me very angry to be sitting there with their president and have this happen," she said. "They have no right to push and shove." Rice made her remarks to reporters Thursday after she and her entourage boarded an airplane to fly from the capital to a refugee camp in the Darfur region. At the camp, she said the Sudanese government must...