AFP says Taliban manipulates rules of engagement; US media slow to report

Commentary by Kay B. Day

War memorial at Billard Park in Jacksonville, Fla. [photo by Kay B. Day]Imagine the frustration of having to abide by stringent rules of engagement while the enemy can get away with murder and human rights groups turn a blind eye. Agence France-Presse reported on battlefield conditions in Southern Afghanistan after a unit of Marines was ambushed in Helmand Province.Two men were killed; three were wounded.

A platoon commander, after acknowledging the “rules are there for a reason,” said the Taliban manipulates “rules of engagement by using women and children as shields and shooting from hidden positions before dropping their weapons and standing out in the open.”

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Approval numbers show most Americans don't want Obama's change

Commentary by Chris Carter

A common theme has resonated from pollsters in 2009: 'Obama's approval ratings hit new low.' Gallup's latest poll puts  President Obama's approval at 47%, the lowest-ever for a U.S. president in his first year in office.

Now that President Barack Obama's first year in office is almost over, a glance at other presidents' approval ratings confirms that Obama's 47% approval rating marks the lowest for a president in his first year.

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Does Obama want to lead US, or the UN?

President Barack Obama is dealing with a fairly typical decline in approval ratings. Like former president Ronald Reagan and despite media acknowledgment, George W. Bush, Obama has likely realized the problems of running a sprawling republic are not simple. But certain actions by Obama warrant questions as to intent. Is our commander-in-chief acting more like the leader of the UN than of the U.S.? [Article continues after video.]

The video about President Barack Obama's bow to the emperor of Japan was produced by the College Republicans at the University of Connecticut. H/T to Newsbusters for publishing it.

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