Free Republic

Politics: President Obama removed Cuba as a state sponsor of terror Friday, forgetting the dictatorship's long record of killing, smuggling and, yes, terror. If this is the new standard, why not just scrap the list entirely? The lifting of Cuba from the list of nations that support terrorism was a farce that may well come back to the haunt the United States. After all, the ruling Castro regime that benefits from it in the name of normal relations with the U.S. and new access to World Bank loans is the same regime that once tried the first 9/11, aligning itself...

ASHINGTON, March 30 - A Department of Homeland Security internal report that assesses terrorist organizations, their anticipated targets and preferred weapons concludes that the threat to the United States presented by North Korea and several other countries long described as "state sponsors of terrorism" is declining. "In the post-9/11 environment, countries do not appear to be facilitating or supporting terrorist groups intent on striking the U.S. homeland," says the draft report, which is intended to help the Homeland Security agency define its spending priorities through 2011.Of the six nations identified by the State Department as terrorist sponsors, five of them...

www.spa.gov.sa/newsview.php?extend.210023 Tehran, Oct 10, SPA (Saudi Press Agency)-- Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, Deputy Premier and Commander of the National Guard, sent a message to Iranian President Sayed Mohammad Khatemi. The message was delivered by Saudi Ambassador to Iran Dr. Nasir bin Ahmad Alboraik during an audience here today. The message contained an invitation by the crown prince to the Iranian president to attend the international anti-terrorism conference to be organized by the kingdom on the fifth of February. --SPA 2148 Local Time 1848 GMT

“LET PRIVATEERS TROLL FOR BIN LADEN -- HON. RON PAUL (Extensions of Remarks - December 04, 2001) “HON. RON PAUL OF TEXAS IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Tuesday, December 4, 2001 “. PAUL. Mr. Speaker, I recommend my colleagues read the attached article ``Let Privateers Troll for Bin Laden'' by Larry Sechrest, a research fellow at the Independent Institute in Oakland, California, and a professor of economics at Sul Ross State University. Professor Sechrest documents the role privateers played in the war against pirates who plagued America in the early days of the Republic. These privateers often operated with letters...

A military source familiar with Korean Peninsula affairs revealed on 6 May that Syrian technicians were killed in a train explosion incident that occurred on 22 April in Yongch'on in the northwestern part of the DPRK and that the damage was especially serious in that section of the train where the Syrians were aboard, along with large equipment. The same source noted that although the contents of the equipment are unknown, DPRK military-related personnel wearing protective suits arrived on the scene immediately after the explosion and removed debris only from that section of the train where the Syrian group had...

www.sana-syria.com/english/headlines/05-05/ottri1.htm Syria and Pakistan have stressed mutual keenness on enhancing the standing relations of cooperation in economic, trade and scientific fields. Prime Minister Mohammed Naji Ottri and Pakistani Deputy Foreign Minister Shawkat Saed on Wednesday discussed the current situation in the region, particularly in Palestine and in Iraq. The two sides asserted the importance of exerting all efforts to achieve just and comprehensive peace in the region based on the international legitimacy resolutions. For his part, Saed who is currently on a visit to Syria, expressed his country's support to Syria's national stance and just causes. Earlier, the Pakistani official...

Pyongyang, March 1 (KCNA) -- Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the DPRK Supreme People's Assembly, sent a message of greetings to Moammer el Gaddafi, leader of the Great September First Revolution of the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, on Mar. 1 on the occasion of the 27th anniversary of the proclamation of Jamahiriya in Libya. Expressing the belief that the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries would steadily grow stronger, the message wished him greater success in his work for the prosperity of the country.

Damascus , Feb.26 ( SANA-Official Syrian News Agency) www.sana-syria.com/english/headlines/26-2/tlass.htm Deputy General Leader of the Army and the Armed Forces, Defense Minister, First Lieutenant General Mustafa Tlass on Thursday received Iranian defense Minister, Admiral Ali Shamkhani and an accompanying delegation . Talks during the meeting dealt with the situation in the region , issues of mutual concern and the cooperation ties between the two countries . Earlier , an official talks session was held at the HQ of the General Leadership of the army , during which talks focused on the latest developments in the region and means of enhancing the...

An Arab diplomat in the Jordanian capital is quoted as saying Thursday by al Siyasah newspaper that Palestinian and Islamist groups have decided in a meeting earlier this month to launch huge attacks within Israel and against its interests in Asia, Africa and Mideast countries. According to the Kuwaiti newspaper, the scope of the attacks will resemble the latest attacks in Iraq that claimed the lives of hundreds of US soldiers and Iraqis. It added that the new decision was taken in order to stop growing criticism on the Arab street about their "silence" towards Israeli activities. The diplomat told...

Israel will have no choice but to deal with Lebanon, Syria and Iran if Hizbullah continues to support Palestinian terror groups in the West Bank and Gaza, a senior Israeli security official told Channel 2 on Friday. Palestinian terrorists told The Associated Press last week that they receive thousands of dollars from Hizbullah for organizing attacks, including suicide bombings. The arrest of Ghassan and Sirhan Atmala, two Israeli Arab brothers last month, but the Shin Bet security service, underlined the contention of Israeli security officials that Hizbullah has succeeded in getting a foothold in the Palestinian uprising against Israel, and...