Free Republic

Saturday, 11 January, 2003, 13:18 GMTArk Royal sets sail for Gulf The ship left Portsmouth to the cheers of relatives The crew of the aircraft carrier Ark Royal have begun their voyage to the Gulf as part of the biggest British naval deployment for two decades. The 20,000-ton flagship began leaving Portsmouth at 1230 GMT with a total crew on board of 1,100. Officially the crew are heading for Malaysia to take part in joint exercises in June, in a voyage which will last at least six months. But they could be used in any action against Iraq "if and...

Senate Republicans are planning to move aggressively on judicial nominations at the start of the 108th Congress, hoping to hold three voting sessions in January to install new judges on the federal bench. Leading Senate Republicans emerged from a meeting with White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales last week with a framework for how they will push for nominees previously held up by the outgoing Democratic majority. While final dates have not been set, some GOPleaders are pushing to hold votes on judges in the Judiciary Committee as early as Jan. 10, 2003, just three days after the new Congress convenes....