The Army, strained by unrelenting violence in Iraq and operations in Afghanistan and elsewhere, is considering ways it can speed up the creation of two combat brigades while shifting personnel and equipment from other military units.
U.S. Senator John Kerry said on Friday he was willing to go to Tehran to talk to Iranian leaders but would not have time during his current Middle East tour.
"I don’t have time and we were not able to make arrangements in the short timespan we had but I would be willing to go," he told reporters in Cairo, the first stop on his tour.
Asked if he planned to make a trip later, he said: "At the appropriate time, at some point."
Democratic Sen. Tim Johnson has opened his eyes and shown other small signs of recovery from brain surgery that are encouraging to his family, a spokeswoman said Friday.
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Illness is not always a reason to give up seat
December 15, 2006
Democrats may actually keep their majority in the US Senate, even if Senator Tim Johnson remains incapacitated following brain surgery, a Senate historian told AFP, noting that over the years a few lawmakers have retained their seats despite prolonged illness. "The Senate has never vacated a seat because of the illness of a senator," said Senate associate historian Donald Ritchie. The war criminal
December 15, 2006
The Army’s top general says U.S. troops are at their "breaking point" in Iraq and Afghanistan and the soonest he can get more battle-ready divisions on the ground is 2008. In the 10 days following release of the Iraq Study Group’s report calling the Iraq war "grave and deteriorating" while recommending swift action to try and correct the many problems, 35 more American soldiers died along with more than 1,000 Iraqi civilians. FBI sounds warning bells over cleric’s health
December 15, 2006
The health of terrorist cleric Omar Abdel-Rahman, known as the Blind Sheik, is deteriorating — renewing fears that his death in prison could trigger an attack on the United States, officials said Thursday. There is no credible indication that an attack on the U.S. is imminent, said several law enforcement officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the situation. U.S. military at breaking point
December 15, 2006
The Army’s top general warned on Thursday that his force "will break" without thousands more active duty troops and greater use of the reserves. He issued the warning as President Bush considers new strategies for Iraq. As part of the effort to relieve the strain on the force, the Army is developing plans to accelerate the creation of two new combat brigades, The Associated Press has learned. White House unhappy with Senator’s Syria trip
December 15, 2006
The White House sharply criticized a US senator’s trip to Syria as "not helpful" and "not appropriate" and warned Damascus not to see the visit as an indirect overture from Washington. "Even lending a further specter of legitimacy to that government undermines the cause of democracy in the region," spokesman Tony Snow said after Democratic Senator Bill Nelson met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. As always, it’s Israel’s fault
December 15, 2006
Among the many shortcomings in the widely panned Iraq Study Group (ISG) report is its blame-Israel-first mentality. If only the Jewish state would surrender more land to the Palestinians and hand Syria the now-occupied Golan Heights, grateful Iraqis would burst into song, defuse their Improvised Explosive Devices, and build a safe, free, and prosperous republic. The fact that so many of them are doing the opposite is — what else? — Israel’s fault. Dems confident of keeping Senate control
December 15, 2006
Democrats said Thursday they expect to take control of the Senate next month as planned, after Sen. Tim Johnson of South Dakota survived emergency brain surgery hours earlier. The Capitol’s physician, Adm. John Eisold, said an operation to drain blood from Johnson’s brain had been successful and that he was "recovering without complication." Nevertheless, the 59-year-old Democrat remained in critical condition. |