Free Republic

CAMP TAJI — In a step forward for Iraqi civil capacity, the Iraqi Transportation Network (ITN) made history as it delivered 14 up-armored Humvees to Camp Taji, Dec. 20. ITN is an all-Iraqi consortium of tribally owned trucking companies that moves cargo across Iraq. ITN completed more than 3,700 missions since May 2, 2008 without incident or loss of cargo. This delivery of M1114 Humvees allowed the ITN to prove it is ready to start handling other types of cargo essential to the sustainment of Iraq and Coalition forces. One of the planners for the event, Capt. Carey W. Menifee,...

The "Inland Empire" region of Southern California - Riverside and San Bernardino counties - achieved a dubious distinction the other day. The Texas Transportation Institute elevated, if that's the word, the region into the list of the nation's five most traffic-congested areas - and it found itself in familiar company. The adjacent Los Angeles region (including portions of Orange and Ventura counties) retained its long-standing title as the nation's most congested, and the San Francisco Bay Area continued in its No. 2 ranking. Understanding California's dominance of the traffic jam sweepstakes doesn't take a degree in astrophysics. Simple arithmetic will...