Top Items:
Washington Post:
Report: U.S. Troops Raid Iranian Consulate in Iraq — U.S. troops raided an Iranian consulate in northern Iraq late Wednesday night and detained several people, Iran's main news agency reported today, prompting protests from Tehran just hours after President Bush pledged to crack down on the Islamic Republic's role in Iraqi violence.
Discussion:
Right Wing Nut House, New York Times, Unclaimed Territory, The Political Pit Bull, jules crittenden, The Jawa Report, The Reaction, The Belmont Club, Riehl World View, The Impolitic, The Democratic Daily, Right Voices, skippy the bush kangaroo, Polimom Says, State of the Day, Daily Pundit, Shakespeare's Sister, TPMCafe blogs, rubber hose, Israel Matzav and Brilliant at Breakfast
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Steve Clemons / The Washington Note:
Did the President Declare "Secret War" Against Syria and Iran? — Washington intelligence, military and foreign policy circles are abuzz today with speculation that the President, yesterday or in recent days, sent a secret Executive Order to the Secretary of Defense and to the Director …
Dr. Rusty Shackleford / The Jawa Report:
Report: Nuclear Explosion in Iran (UPDATE: 3 explosions) — A major explosion is being reported in the Iranian desert. It said to be a nuclear explosion. In the general area of one of Iran's nuclear testing sitees. — The alternative theory is that a UFO crashed.
Associated Press:
Poll: 70 percent oppose more troops in Iraq — Only 35 percent of respondents believe going to war was the right call — WASHINGTON - Americans overwhelmingly oppose sending more U.S. forces to Iraq, according to a new AP-Ipsos poll that serves as a strong repudiation of President Bush's plan to send another 21,500 troops.
CNN:
Iranian officials detained in Iraq, U.S. official says … BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) — U.S. forces detained six Iranian officials for questioning in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil, seat of the Kurdish regional government, an American official said Thursday. — But the official disputes accounts …
Nancy Benac / Associated Press:
Poll: Americans oppose Iraq troop surge — WASHINGTON - Seventy percent of Americans oppose sending more troops to Iraq, according to a new poll that provides a devastatingly blunt response to President Bush's plan to bolster military forces there. — All sides in the Iraq debate …
Discussion:
Think Progress, Argghhh!, Democratic Underground, The Carpetbagger Report and Donklephant
Bloomberg:
U.S. Forces Raid Iranian Consulate in Iraq, Detain 5 (Update2) — Jan. 11 (Bloomberg) — U.S. forces in Iraq raided Iran's consulate in the northern city of Arbil and detained five staff members, a state-run Iranian news service said. — The U.S. soldiers disarmed guards and broke open …
Michael / Discourse.net:
We're In Trouble — We're in big trouble. — Have a look at The Washington Note, whose latest begins like this: … If this is true, we're in very big trouble. Or, if the rumor was sparked by an order 'only' authorizing clandestine operations (or, worse, bombardment) as a form of provocation, this is serious stuff.
Discussion:
ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES
Allahpundit / Hot Air:U.S. troops raid Iranian consulate in Iraq, traumatize left-wing bloggers
Discussion:
Associated Press, Ynetnews, TigerHawk, Lean Left, It Shines For All, Unfogged and Ed Driscoll.com
The Raw Story:
Top GOP senator 'will filibuster any Democratic attempt to decrease funding for Bush's new Iraq plan — A top GOP senator said that he "will filibuster" any Democratic attempt to decrease funding for President Bush's new Iraq plan, the Associated Press reports.
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Jonah Goldberg / Los Angeles Times:
At least Bush wants to win — Bush sticks to his goal of winning in Iraq. The Democrats are just stuck. — AMERICANS ARE torn between two irreconcilable positions on the Iraq war. Some want the war to be a success — variously defined — and some want the war to be over.
Deacon / Power Line:
SENATOR MCCONNELL ON THE PRESIDENT'S PLAN — Senate Minority Leader McConnell held a call with a few bloggers and journalists this morning. He supports the president's plan for a surge, which he views as "courageous and correct." He reasons that the object in Iraq is to win …
USA Today:
Democrats reject Bush's 'way forward' — WASHINGTON — Democrats launched an immediate counterattack against President Bush's new Iraq strategy Wednesday. Rep. John Murtha vowed to try to block Bush's plan from his perch as chairman of the House defense appropriations subcommittee.
Juan / Informed Comment:
Bush Sends GIs to his Private Fantasyland — To listen to Bush's speech on Wednesday, you would imagine that al-Qaeda has occupied large swathes of Iraq with the help of Syria and Iran and is brandishing missiles at the US mainland. That the president of the United States can come …
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Confederate Yankee:
J-DAMN — And so a major Associated Press claim in "Jamilgate" takes an apparently fatal hit. — According to Bill Costlow of CPATT (Civilian Police Assistance Training Team) in Baghdad, and as forwarded by Lt. Michael Dean of Multinational Corps-Iraq/Joint Operations Command Public Affairs …
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Timothy Egan / New York Times:
For $7.93 an Hour, It's Worth a Trip Across a State Line — Just eight miles separate this town on the Washington side of the state border from Post Falls on the Idaho side. But the towns are nearly $3 an hour apart in the required minimum wage. Washington pays the highest in the nation …
Robert D. Novak / Washington Post:
The Mess at State — Members of the Senate intelligence committee, Republicans and Democrats alike, were alarmed last week that John Negroponte was leaving as director of national intelligence after less than two years to become deputy secretary of state. By way of explanation …
Agence France Presse:
US Marines build sand walls in latest Iraq tactic — Adapting ideas tracing back from ancient history to modern Israel, US Marines have sealed off flashpoint towns with sand walls in a new counter-insurgency tactic to quell the wilds of western Iraq. — Driving across the desert to Haditha …
Dean Barnett / Hugh Hewitt's TownHall Blog:
FAQ - The Surge!! — 1) How in the hell are an additional 20,000 troops going to make such a big difference when we already have about 140,000 troops in Iraq? It makes no sense! Cut and run!! — First, calm down. We're going to walk through this analytically, not sprint through it hysterically.
Washington Post:
Mr. Bush's Strategy — PRESIDENT BUSH is right to recognize that U.S strategy in Iraq is not working and to seek a different policy. He is right to insist that the United States cannot afford to abandon the mission and to reject calls for an early withdrawal.
Discussion:
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