Free Republic

The United States will halt its military withdrawal from Afghanistan and instead keep thousands of troops in the country through the end of President Obama’s term in 2017, Mr. Obama will announce on Thursday, prolonging the American role in a war that has now stretched on for 14 years. The current American force in Afghanistan of 9,800 troops will remain in place through most of 2016 under the Obama administration’s revised plans, before dropping to about 5,500 at the end of next year or in early 2017, senior administration officials said. Some of the troops will continue to train and...

AFGHANISTAN: ANCIENT FRESCOES DISCOVERED Tokyo, 21 July (AKI) - A Japanese research team has uncovered an ancient Buddhist fresco in the valley of Bamiyan, the site where the Taliban regime destroyed two gigantic statues of Buddha in March 2001. The fresco was found in a cave that was overlooked in the Taliban's destructive campaign against 'pagan symbols'. The cave is situated in the western part of the Bamiyan Valley, according to officials at Japan's National Institute for Research for Cultural Heritage. Even though some of the murals are covered in dust, initial exploration indicates that they cover both sides of...

The US has said that a number of Taliban militia have accepted its arms-for-amnesty offer. US military spokesman Major Mark McCann was quoted by the Daily Times as saying that American military commanders operating in south and south eastern Afghanistan had said that several Taliban members were willing to surrender their weapons and "join the peaceful political process" in the war ravaged country and had contacted them in this regard. He further added that though the coalition did not have any specific names of the Taliban who were willing to give up their arms, they were aware of individual Taliban...

Was Iraq a diversion from the war on terror? Bush and McCain remind us that the answer is: NoWAS REMOVING Saddam Hussein from power a "diversion" from the war on terror, as Senator John Kerry now claims? Or was taking action against the Iraqi regime necessary in a post-September 11 world, as President Bush believes? In Pennsylvania today, the president explained why Iraq is "no diversion," but "the place where civilization is taking a decisive stand against chaos and terror": After September the 11th, America had to assess every potential threat in a new light. Our nation awakened to an...

SPRING GREEN, WI -- Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani visited Spring Green, Wisconsin today where he unveiled the “Debate Briefing Book for Senator Kerry” (as prepared by Bush-Cheney '04) and issued the following statement. "Senator Kerry has taken so many different positions on the issues facing the country that we thought he would benefit from the overview of the most interesting debate -- the one John Kerry is having with himself.  He's been for the war, against the war and for it and against it again.  Last week, he became an anti-war candidate again.  This is a fatal...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Christine Iverson 202-863-8614Thanks everyone for coming. I am proud to announce that the RNC has met and exceeded our goal of registering 3 million new voters in this cycle. As of today we have registered 3,047,073 voters. The President is attracting new voters and has historic levels of support from Republicans around the country. We are expanding our party and building coalitions that will lead us to victory in November. Last week in Monroe, Louisiana, I welcomed Rep. Rodney Alexander to the Republican Party. He became the 200th elected Democrat to switch parties since President George...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Christine Iverson 202-863-8614Washington, DC -- Statement from RNC Communications Director Jim Dyke regarding Al Gore: "Al Gore's lectures on civility are misplaced. Just this week Gore compared President Bush's personal faith to the radical impulses of fundamentalist Islam. Earlier this year he implied that campaigners for the President are Nazis by calling them 'brownshirts.' Al Gore's attacks are no longer credible, his bitterness has sadly gotten the best of him."