Back in 2001 Americans were told that the Taliban represented a threat to the freedom of not just Americans, but the Afghans themselves. Their brutal regime turned that country into a thugocracy, stripping the rights of both women and men alike, but most definitely women. So we went in and toppled the Taliban.

Yet here we are 10 years later, and though things are undoubtedly better, women still face prison time for adultery, even though they were raped. Such was the story of Gulnaz, an Afghan woman who was raped over two years ago, and produced a child from the act. She was originally given two years, which was then increased to 12, and then cut back down to three. The price for her “early” release? Marry her rapist.| MORE ›

Tonight President Barack Obama announced a plan for the withdrawal of the 33,000 “surge” troops he ordered to Afghanistan in 2009. 10,000 of the troops will be home by the end of this year, and 23,000 more will return by September of next year.| MORE ›

I just finished listening to the South Carolina Republican debate again. Sorry, folks, I don’t have my favorite yet. Each one of them has problems that I need to consider, so no Herminating for me quite yet. However, where my top priority is concerned – namely, the economy – Cain, Paul, and Johnson have thus far piqued my interest greatly.| MORE ›

I really don’t get the news that General David Petraeus will be appointed to head the CIA. As far as I’m aware, Petraeus doesn’t have extensive intelligence gathering experience. Then again, neither does Leon Panetta, the guy who he will replace.| MORE ›

Oh, oh, this is sure to anger left-wing groups and individuals who worked so hard to get their man, Barack Obama, elected:| MORE ›

I sincerely hope that the U.S. will indeed no abandon Iraq. I fear the worst, though.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton assured Iraqis on Saturday that the Obama administration would not abandon their country even as it presses ahead with plans to withdraw American troops amid a recent surge in violence.| MORE ›

Man, it certainly is great that those Americans fi-nal-ly elected an intelligent guy, a man from Harvard no less, and a man of the world.

Oh yes, Obama really does wonders for the relationships between European states and the United States. He knows how to behave and he would never – evah! – do anything to insult Europeans or make himself look like an ass.

Uh, never mind that.| MORE ›

Editor’s note. Please welcome a new author to RATA: Chris Queen (U.S.). Chris and I worked together at David Horowitz’s NewsReal Blog. I was so impressed with his writing that I asked him to join the team here when that blog was discontinued. Chris blogs at his own blog Random Thoughts From The Revolution. Follow him on Twitter here.| MORE ›

U.S. President Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize last week.| MORE ›

Hot Air notices the publication of a poll showing that 67% of Catholics approve of the job President Obama is currently doing. The conservative blog’s AllahPundit argues that this once again shows that many Catholics do not adhere to the Church’s basic teachings. Catholic readers of HA respond angrily to the poll, arguing that these ‘Catholics’ who approve of Obama are not Catholics at all.| MORE ›