Oak Ridge Today

Fleischmann urges caution on U.S. response to Iraq

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U.S. Representative Chuck Fleischmann

Chuck Fleischmann

U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann on Friday urged caution in responding to the rapid advance of militants who have taken control of a wide swath of Iraq and are pressing on toward Baghdad.

Fleischmann was in Oak Ridge during the annual two-day Secret City Festival.

The militants are known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, or ISIS. The Sunni organization was once part of Al Qaeda, and it has effectively gained control of large swaths of Iraq and Syria during the past year, including Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city. There have been battles in Baquba, less than 40 miles north of Baghdad.

Now, the United States and other countries are struggling with how to respond. Among the options that have been proposed are airstrikes and working with Iran to repel the rebels. [Read more…]

Corker returns from Middle East, visits East Tennessee on Tuesday

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Bob Corker Meets Nouri Al-Maliki

U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, left, a Tennessee Republican, meets with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki, second from right. (Submitted photos)

After a week-long trip to the Middle East that ended Saturday, U.S. Sen. Bob Corker said the recent expansion of violence there threatened the region’s security and America’s national interest.

Corker is a Tennessee Republican and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. From Aug. 10-17, he visited with U.S. and foreign officials in Turkey, Iraq, and Jordan. The trip focused on regional political and security issues important to the United States, including the violence in Egypt, the conflict in Syria, and the threat of sectarian violence and terrorism in the region, a press release said.

Corker will be in East Tennessee on Tuesday, with stops in Knoxville and Maryville. He spent the first week of the Senate’s August recess in Middle Tennessee and will be making stops throughout Tennessee this coming week. [Read more…]

Faith column: Celebrate Passover Seder with your community

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Passover Seder at Midtown Community Center

Passover Seder at Midtown Community Center (Submitted photos)

For the 12th consecutive year, we are preparing to celebrate the Passover Seder, and we hope that you will join us and bring a friend. We plan to “keep the feast” on March 24 at 5:30 p.m.

Passover celebrates the deliverance of Israel from slavery to Egypt more than 3,000 years ago. Through it, by His sovereignty and providence, God has provided us a picture of our redemption through the blood of Jesus Christ. Even though it has become a ritualistic observance for some, God never intended it to be that. He knew that His people—if they were honestly and earnestly looking for their Messiah—would recognize Him as the Passover Lamb. This was Jesus’ intent at the Last Supper, the night before His crucifixion when He established the Eucharist (The Lord’s Supper).

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