Free Republic

Police armed with pistols in heavily gun-controlled European countries are realizing a hard lesson fast–jihadists with no respect for the law are side-stepping gun control and stockpiling weapons that will give them the upper hand in confrontations with officers. Europol chief of staff Brian Donald says there were two “large seizures” of firearms–particularly “assault weapons”–over the last two weeks and more seizures are expected as investigations and tracking continues.

This is where we find ourselves now. Every citizen in Europe and the UK faces the risk of an Islamic attack merely while going about normal day-to-day business. UK citizens in particular face this risk whilst being denied weapons of self defense. In the past I have fully and enthusiastically supported the UK’s complete ban on hand guns. But immediately after the killing of Lee Rigby I began to reconsider the wisdom of that ban and I now utterly oppose it. As things stand in the UK, hand guns are illegal. For those shotguns you could own, extremely strict licensing...

The United States and its allies carried out 29 separate airstrikes targeting the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq on Friday, according to the Combined Joint Task Force. The strikes occurred between Friday and Saturday morning, and targeted a range of Islamic State vehicles, buildings, and other positions, according to Reuters. Sixteen of the attacks occurred in seven different Iraqi cities. Vehicles, buildings, equipment and fighting positions were targeted, as well as Islamic State units, according to the task force. In Syria, 11 more airstrikes were conducted around the city of Kobani. Those strikes destroyed a tank and other fighting...

Charlie Hebdo editor Stephane Charbonnier, who was among the 12 killed in a terrorist attack on the magazine’s Paris office today, was included on the above “most wanted” list in the Winter 2013 issue of al-Qaeda’s Inspire magazine. The list also included British writer Salman Rushdie, Dutch politician Geer Wilders, American pastor Terry Jones, Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks, Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard, former Jyllands-Posten (the newspaper that ran Westergaard’s Mohammed cartoons) editor-in-chief Carsten Luste and creative editor Flemming Rose, National American Coptic Assembly leader Morris Sadik, Aayan Hirsi Ali, and American cartoonist Molly Norris, who created “Everybody Draw Mohammed...

Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri justified a foiled plan to assassinate Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman (Yisrael Beytenu) on Friday, claiming that while he does not personally know of information regarding the plot, "all the leaders of the occupation are considered legitimate targets for resistance." "The leaders of the occupation, who are responsible for the killing of women and children and the desecration of holy places, are legitimate targets," he said, in remarks translated by Channel 10 news. On Thursday, the Israeli Security Agency (ISA or Shin Bet) revealed that three Hamas terrorists had been planning to assassinate Liberman during Operation...

IAF strikes 550 targets in Gaza IDF says it destroyed at least 120 concealed rocket launchers, demolished homes of Hamas regional commanders, with over 165 rockets being launched from Gaza; Palestinians say old women, children killed in attacks. Yoav Zitun Latest Update: 07.09.14, 20:26 / Israel News Israel warplanes have so far hit 550 targets in Gaza, and Hamas militants have hit back with 165 rockets, some of which struck Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and as far away as Hadera, 116 kilometers (72 miles) to the north of the coastal enclave. Palestinian fatalities include militants but also women and children....

The Islamic Jihad terrorist group said on Wednesday that “settlers” were a “legitimate target” for “the resistance”, the Ma’an news agency reported. In a statement, Islamic Jihad held Israeli authorities and the army responsible for what it said were “continuous attacks on Palestinians, their lands and religious sites.” The statement condemned the “crime” of the murder of Mohammed Abu Khdeir, which the group blamed on Israel and said was “a continuation of a series of crimes by the Israeli army and settlers.” The burnt body of 16-year-old Abu Khdeir was found in the Jerusalem Forest area on Wednesday morning. While...

The IDF launched extensive airstrikes in Gaza on Monday night, hitting more than 30 targets in the Hamas-controlled region. The IDF said in a statement that 34 terrorist targets throughout the region were targeted in the strikes. The statement noted that the airstrikes were in retaliation for rocket fire on southern Israel. “The IDF will continue to act decisively and as necessary against any party, until peace and the normal lives of the residents of the State of Israel are restored,” said the statement, which placed the responsibility for the rocket fire on Hamas and its different branches. Earlier Monday...

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President Obama is considering a strike on Syrian military targets involving sea-launched cruise missiles or possibly long-range bombers that would last no more than two days, according to senior administration officials and reported by Karen DeYoung and Anne Gearan of The Washington Post. Reuters reports that the West has told the opposition to expect a strike "within days." The limited strike would seemingly be a response to allegations that the Syrian government used chemical weapons on its own people before dawn on August 21. Hundreds were killed and thousands suffered "neurotoxic symptoms." The design of the potential attack implies sending...

A California bill that could strip tax-exempt status from the Boy Scouts of America and other “discriminatory” nonprofit youth-serving groups could come up for a final vote this week. The first-of-its-kind bill, SB 323, passed the California Senate and sailed through Assembly committees to a floor vote, possibly this week. But opponents are taking heart that there might not be enough votes in the state Assembly to pass the bill. The chamber did not consider the bill in its Monday session, but may take it up when it convenes Friday. The bill, introduced by State Sen. Ricardo Lara, names the

Israeli and Jewish targets all over the world are likely to be sought out by terrorist organizations in the coming weeks, the Israeli government’s Counter-Terrorism Bureau warned in strikingly strident tones on Monday, listing dozens of countries where it said it had “concrete” indications of a terrorist threat. It cited concerns about terrorist acts timed to coincide with the forthcoming Rosh Hashana (New Year), Yom Kippur and Succot festivals, and also said that the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the US was likely to be “a favored period” for al-Qaeda and other global jihadist groups to attempt to...

".......Since 2006, with the beginnings of the breakaway of populist conservatives from the national Republican Party via the Tea Party movement, the GOP has been trying to figure out how to co-opt and capture it once again, just as George W. Bush did with many elements of the conservative movement in the early years of the 21st century." ".......Men and women of the Establishment Republican Party like Senator Susan Collins of Maine, who previously regarded the Tea Party Movement as something unpleasant and unsophisticated, are now trying to be their friends."

Most of Colorado’s congressional delegation and Gov. John Hickenlooper have signed a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration asking the agency to turn the state into a testing ground for unmanned drones — even while acknowledging that the public remains uneasy about how they might be used by both the government and private individuals. Democratic Sen. Mark Udall is leading the charge ... In a speech at the National Press Club Wednesday, Udall was careful not to use the word “drone” too heavily, opting instead for the industry-preferred “unmanned aerial system,” or UAS.

"I rise today to express grave doubts about the Obama Administration’s counterterrorism policies and programs," said the freshman congressman from Arkansas. "Counterterrorism is often shrouded in secrecy, as it should be, so let us judge by the results. In barely four years in office, five jihadists have reached their targets in the United States under Barack Obama: the Boston Marathon bomber, the underwear bomber, the Times Square Bomber, the Fort Hood shooter, and in my own state—the Little Rock recruiting office shooter. In the over seven years after 9/11 under George W. Bush, how many terrorists reached their target in...

A Port Canaveral police officer out of a job after allegations he brought targets resembling Travyon Martin to a gun range is speaking out. Sgt. Ron King was terminated by Port Canaveral’s police chief Friday. He released a videotaped statement on Youtube late Saturday evening.

Been waiting for a good day for this. After Easter dinner we decided the weather was just right. Range to target: 25 yards. Delivery device: Winchester Model 74 Ammunition: Remington .22 cal "Golden Bullet" hollow points. Ordnance: Star Targets.

The Obama administration is demanding the nation’s two biggest shipping companies police the contents of Americans’ sealed packages, and a FedEx spokesman is warning that the move “has the potential to threaten the privacy of all customers that send or receive packages.” FedEx and UPS are in the Justice Department’s cross-hairs for not flagging shipments of illegally prescribed drugs the companies say they had no way of knowing were in their possession. Criminal charges could be coming against the carriers, even though the government has not alleged any deliberate wrongdoing by the companies. FedEx spokesman Patrick Fitzgerald said his company...

looking for the kind that simulate 100 yard zero.

Law Enforcement Targets, Inc., a company that sells law enforcement and federal agencies “realistic” paper targets for firearms training, is providing the Department of Homeland Security with images of “non-traditional threats.” The people in these images are most likely Americans, with such images as “’pregnant woman threat,’ ‘older man with shotgun,’ ‘older man in home with shotgun,’ ‘older woman with gun,’ ‘young school aged girl,’ ‘young mother on playground,’ and ‘little boy with real gun,’” writes Paul Joseph Watson on Tuesday. View slideshow: Law Enforcement Target's Non-Traditional Threat targets It would appear as if this company is trying to help...