Iraq & Immigration

Iraq Study officials question March goal

By ANNE FLAHERTY, Associated Press Writer

17 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - The co-chairs of the Iraq Study Group said Monday they were unsure whether the panel's goal of pulling combat troops out of Iraq by March 2008 remains valid.

The blue-ribbon panel's five Republican and five Democratic members concluded six months ago that most combat troops could be out of Iraq by the 2008 date if certain steps were taken. They said a smaller contingent could be left behind to train Iraqi security forces and conduct other narrowly defined missions.

The report received a tepid response by the White House and Congress until recently, as administration officials contemplate their next step in Iraq and congressional Republicans look for a solution to end the politically unpopular war.

Addressing a National Press Club luncheon, James Baker and Lee Hamilton said they believed the group's findings were still meaningful.

But the 2008 date "would, of course, be something different, in my view at least, because we were talking that date when we came with the report in December of 2006. This is now June of 2007," said Baker, secretary of state during the first Bush administration and Republican co-chairman of the group.(link)

Pretty much a non-story here, the ISG admit that times have changed, bla bla bla. Interesting quote though

"One thing I do know and believe very affirmatively, and that is if Iraq was not the center of the war on terror before we went in there, it certainly is now," Baker said.

Makes you wonder why the ISG and the left would be wanting to leave so fast if they truly believe this? (yes I realize Baker is a Republican in name, but not in action).

---

Bush immigration bill push tests clout

By JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS, Associated Press Writer

1 hour, 22 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - President Bush is putting his influence within his own party to the test Tuesday as he pleads personally with skeptical Senate Republicans to resurrect his immigration bill. Despite his confident tone Monday about the measure's fate, Bush is facing a hostile audience that has shown little appetite for following his lead on the contentious issue.

[snip]

Still, weakened by his sagging poll numbers and a sense within GOP ranks that the president has lost touch with his core supporters on immigration, Bush may well lack the clout he would need to persuade Republicans to back the measure, say lawmakers and strategists.(link)

Read that last paragraph well, seems that the A(w/t)P thinks the immigration bill is having problems because W has low poll numbers. Instead of looking at the fact the bill is having problems because NO ONE wants that bill, telling.
__________
Reason amongst the dhimmikrauts

Tags: W, Iraq, ISG, retreat, tWoT, illegal immigration, poll numbers, BlogPower, LordNazh

Light Reading

Two things I want you to read:

Do not surrender to hopelessness.

Do not succumb to defeat.

Do not give in to fear.

Rise above the political pressures of the moment to do what is right for America. (link)

You'll never guess who is doing the speaking if you didn't read the first part. Great thanks go out to Senator Lieberman for his speech. This speech is something that should have been said long ago by ANYONE in Washington, luckily it looks like someone at least is still paying attention to the world and our part in it.

Number 2 comes from the (anti) Climate Porn sector:

Climate change will be considered a joke in five years time, meteorologist Augie Auer told the annual meeting of Mid Canterbury Federated Farmers in Ashburton this week.(link)

Read the whole thing. They don't give a location to the data they use, so I can't claim it is 'proven', but the article is just as much proven as Al Gore's movie and book.
__________
Reason(s) to think
Filed: Joe Lieberman, reason, war on terror, Climate Porn, Augie Auer, BlogPower, LordNazh

Damn Surge

More bad news from the Surge front:

Middle East

This is the most recent version of this article. View article history.

Death Squad Leaders Seized in Baghdad

(AP Photo/Mahmoud al-Badri)
A man passes by cars destroyed in a car bomb explosion in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2007. A parked car bomb went off in central Baghdad's Karradah neighborhood, killing at least two people and injuring another four, police said.

Printer Friendly | PDF | Email | digg
By BRIAN MURPHY, The Associated Press
Feb 27, 2007 4:00 PM (39 mins ago)
Current rank: # 296 of 15,729 articles

BAGHDAD, Iraq - U.S.-led strike forces seized suspected Shiite death squad bosses Tuesday in raids that tested the fragile bonds between the government and a powerful militia faction allowing the Baghdad security crackdown to move ahead.

The sweeps through the Sadr City slum were part of highly sensitive forays into areas loyal to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who has ridiculed the 2-week-old campaign for failing to halt bombings by suspected Sunni insurgents against Shiite civilians.

Al-Sadr withdrew his powerful Mahdi Army militia from checkpoints and bases under intense government pressure to let the security push go forward. But the U.S.-backed government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki also worries that al-Sadr could pull his support if he feels his militiamen are being squeezed in Baghdad. (link)

Of course you have to look at in context... it's bad news for the retreat crowd. Just another day in the life I guess.
__________
Reason to surge

Filed: Iraqi war, Iraq, Middle East, TWoT, LordNazh

Detentions at the border

The U.S. issued a rapid apology for the detention of Al-Hakim's son on a return trip from Iran, but should they be that sorry?

Shiites decry detention of leader's son

By SAMEER N. YACOUB, Associated Press Writer 54 minutes ago

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Thousands of Shiites rallied in the holy city of Najaf on Saturday to protest the nearly 12-hour detention of the eldest son of Iraq's most influential Shiite politician as he crossed back from Iran.

Amar al-Hakim, who was taken into custody on Friday, complained Saturday that U.S. soldiers handcuffed and blindfolded him before his release and "strongly abused" his bodyguards.

"Is this the way to deal with a national figure? This does not conform with Iraq's sovereignty," he said.

He said cell phones, licensed weapons and two-way radios were among items confiscated. (link)

Sounds like a case of a needed apology and maybe a change in the procedures doesn't it? But if you read on down the article, you'll see some more relevant details emerge:

The U.S. military said Saturday that al-Hakim was stopped in an area where smuggling between Iraq and Iran is common and detained after members of the convoy "did not cooperate with coalition forces and displayed suspicious activities." He was released to Iraqi authorities and his possessions were returned after further investigation, the military said.

Now it sounds more like simply the U.S. forces doing their job. I understand people in positions of power (in all countries) act and think they are above the law, but they shouldn't be. If you or your company will not cooperate with authorities when stopped in a suspicious area, then you will be detained and questioned. Seems like a simple concept.

__________
Reason to stop

Filed: U.S. forces, Iraq, Shiites, detention, LordNazh

Iraqi War

I don't know what the surge is going to do, but since it's inception, there's been alot of good news from the war front. The latest:

AP Photo: Sgt. Marcus Gibbs, 26, from Pensacola, Fla., stands guard with the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry...

5 minutes ago BAGHDAD, Iraq - The leader of al-Qaida in Iraq was wounded and an aide was killed in a clash Thursday with Iraqi forces north of Baghdad, the Interior Ministry spokesman said. The clash occurred near Balad, a major U.S. base about 50 miles north of the capital, Brig. Gen. Abdul-Karim Khalaf said.

Khalaf said al-Qaida in Iraq leader Abu Ayyub al-Masri was wounded and his aide, identified as Abu Abdullah al-Majemaai, was killed.

Khalaf declined to say how Iraqi forces knew al-Masri had been injured, and there was no report on the incident from U.S. authorities.

Deputy Interior Minister Maj. Gen. Hussein Ali Kamal said he had no information about such a clash or that al-Masri had been involved. (link)

Of course if you take out the leader, there will be another one to take over, but sooner or later it will be harder to fill that position if you keep targeting them.
__________
Reason to fight

Filed: Terror war, Iraq, Al-Qaeda, Surge, LordNazh

The (anti) Surge

"We don't have a plan, but we don't want you to have one either." That seems to be the word from the Dems (and some 'republicans') in the Senate. Not only are they going to attempt to pass their non-binding resolution, they've taken out the part about it 'not being in the interest of the U.S.' on the surge.

Since the nbr was specifically against the surge, now exactly what is it for? Oh yeah, votes. That's what drives most politicians. They legislate with polls and voter sentiment. The democrats I can (sorta) understand, Bush's numbers are low and support for the war is low. But for the 'republicans' it's really hard to figure. Three out of four Republicans support the war, the President and the Surge; so what's the thinking behind alienating your voters? Who knows, but hopefully these politicians will pay the ultimate price for their shenanigans: ie. loss of job.

Senate corners Bush over troop increase

Mark Tran
Thursday February 1, 2007
Guardian Unlimited

US marines patrol west of Baghdad. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images.

George Bush was today facing further political isolation over his policy on Iraq after top Senate Democrats and Republicans agreed on a provisional resolution opposing a troop increase.

The White House has been lobbying fiercely to head off such a resolution and its failure to do so underlines the unpopularity of Mr Bush's plan to send an extra 21,500 troops to Iraq.

Several proposals had been circulating in the Senate, but the Democratic chairman of the senate armed services committee, Carl Levin, and his predecessor, the Republican senator John Warner, have managed to craft a resolution designed to attract maximum support from both parties.(link)

The article didn't give a specific list of 'republicans' who support this measure (and the one that will go around the House), but I'm sure it's the same thugs who were signing on earlier (represented in the Pledge). If you haven't signed up for the pledge, do so now. Let these politicians (and the NRSC) know that we do not support these people.
__________
Reason to care

Filed: RINO's, Democrats, Senate, non-binding resolutions, anti-surge, LordNazh

Yes everyone else has already posted this, but I had a physical today and rough day at work, so I didn't get to do it earlier (heh).

Seems that the Iraqis are trying to step up. Granted they had to get help, but in a fight this size thats not necessarily a bad thing right now. (of course, the key is how will they handle it when we leave)

Iraqi army kills leader of Shiite cult

By KIM GAMEL, Associated Press Writer 4 minutes ago

BAGHDAD, Iraq -

News | News Photos | Images | Web

Iraq's army announced Monday it killed the leader of a heavily armed cult of messianic Shiites called "the Soldiers of Heaven" in a fierce gunbattle aimed at foiling a plot to attack leading Shiite clerics and pilgrims in the southern city of Najaf on the holiest day of the Shiite calendar.

Senior Iraqi security officers said that as part of the plot, three gunmen were captured in Najaf after renting a hotel room in front of the office of Iraq's most senior Shiite spiritual leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, with plans to attack it.

The fierce 24-hour battle was ultimately won by Iraqi troops supported by U.S. and British jets and American ground forces, but the ability of a splinter group little known in Iraq to rally hundreds of heavily armed fighters was a reminder of the potential for chaos and havoc emerging seemingly out of nowhere. Members of the group, which included women and children, planned to disguise themselves as pilgrims and kill as many leading clerics as possible, said Maj. Gen. Othman al-Ghanemi, the Iraqi commander in charge of the Najaf region. (link)

Also, I would like to point out to any of the 'cut-and-run' or redeploy or whatever you call it crowd the easiest way and fastest to end the U.S. intervention in Iraq is to get the Iraqi Government to ask us to leave. All the protesters and feckless Senators need to simply convince Maliki to ask Bush to pull the troops out and per our agreement and the U.N. mandate, we will simply leave. That would be much easier than Hillary Clinton claiming that it is irresponsible to not pull the troops out before the next President (wonder who she's voting for?) is sworn in.
__________
Reason to fight

Filed: Iraq War, TWoT, Middle East, how to end the war, bagged a big one, LordNazh

Whats a mahdi?

Via HotAir comes this nice little clip (nsfw language) showing U.S. forces engaging the Mahdi army in Baghdad. Nice little clip.



Warning: Language content (mature)

Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy

__________
Reason to fight

Filed: Mahdi Army, Iraq, terrorists, HotAir, TWoT, LordNazh

The Pledge

Victory trumps party!

6684 people have signed The Pledge thus far. Will you?

If the United States Senate passes a resolution, non-binding or otherwise, that criticizes the commitment of additional troops to Iraq that General Petraeus has asked for and that the president has pledged, and if the Senate does so after the testimony of General Petraeus on January 23 that such a resolution will be an encouragement to the enemy, I will not contribute to any Republican senator who voted for the resolution. Further, if any Republican senator who votes for such a resolution is a candidate for re-election in 2008, I will not contribute to the National Republican Senatorial Committee unless the Chairman of that Committee, Senator Ensign, commits in writing that none of the funds of the NRSC will go to support the re-election of any senator supporting the non-binding resolution. (link)

I signed the pledge and I hope everyone will.
__________
Reason

Filed: Victory, politics, TWoT, Iraq, RINO's, LordNazh

What a bargain

Outrage Alert!

From Ms. Underestimated via TexasFred:

Angry Kitty

This has also been verified by Snopes. Not that they’re the be-all/end-all, but to me if it’s made it to Snopes, at least some verification has been done on the subject.

Folks, this is a call to arms, so to speak, on this matter. Boycott doesn’t even cut it. We need to make sure this business has NO business, no customers who want to buy from them anymore, and all the negative publicity they can get. Are you ready to get busy on this one? It’s already starting. (link)

Want to know what's got the kitty so mad? Read the link. It is indeed an outrage, but typical of left-affiliated businesses.

__________
Reason to close

Filed: sad business, outrage, iraqi war, LordNazh

In the about time department:

Iraqi leader drops protection of militia

Reuters Photo: A policeman stands guard in front of a burning minibus shortly after a bomb attack...

By STEVEN R. HURST, Associated Press Writer 59 minutes ago BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraq's prime minister has dropped his protection of an anti-American cleric's Shiite militia after U.S. intelligence convinced him the group was infiltrated by death squads, two officials said Sunday. In a desperate bid to fend off an all-out American offensive, the radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr last Friday ordered the 30 lawmakers and six Cabinet ministers under his control to end their nearly

two-month boycott of the government. They were back at their jobs Sunday.

Al-Sadr had already ordered his militia fighters not to display their weapons. They have not, however, ceded control of the formerly mixed neighborhoods they have captured, killing Sunnis or forcing them to abandon their homes and businesses. (link)

This is bad news for the democrats militias and good news for the people that actually want to see the Iraqi government work. There is no doubt that the U.S. forces can defeat any militia that you put against it, provided that they can actually fight it.

I'll expect outrage from the left sometime soon for this latest development in the civil war secretarian violence.
__________
Reason to shoot

Filed: Iraq, Maliki, Sadr, twot, LordNazh

Pakistan and TWoT

Since the time of Pakistan's 'peace-treaty' with terrorists, many people have been worried about what will happen in Afghanistan and the world with the killers being allowed free rein in their own little neighborhood.

Pakistan has co-operated in the past on missions to attack the terrorists, but you still never knew really where they stood. The news today is heartening in that aspect, although it won't answer all the nagging little questions, it does help.

Pakistan Hits Al Qaeda Hideouts Near Afghan Border

Monday, January 15, 2007

• E-MAIL STORY
• PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistani troops destroyed three suspected Al Qaeda hideouts near the Afghan border, killing several members of the terror group, the army said Tuesday.

The military carried out the operation in South Waziristan tribal region after receiving information that 25 to 30 Al Qaeda members were hiding there, said army spokesman Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan.

"We believed several of them were killed, but we don't have a body count," he said.

Sultan said some of terror group members at the sites were foreigners, but "no high-value target was believed to be there."

Sultan said the destroyed Al Qaeda hideouts were located in an isolated area near the village of Zaoola, located in the general area where the government in September had signed a controversial peace deal with tribal elders to halt military operations against militants.

In return, the local militants and tribal elders at the time had promised that they would neither shelter any foreign militants, nor they would target Pakistani security forces and pro-government elders. (link)

If the bad guys aren't safe in Pakistan's hinterlands, where are they safe at? (besides Europe of course) Maybe soon, the world will start pitching in and we can get to a decent 'terrorist-free' level of living. Just don't make any large wagers on it.
__________
Reason to cheer

Filed:pakistan, terrorism, al-qaeda, LordNazh