01/11 Morning Report

The Iranians are upset that their people got caught in Iran.

One Iranian news agency with a correspondent in Irbil says five US helicopters were used to land troops on the roof of the Iranian consulate.

Meanwhile, Iraqi, Kurdish and American sources all say the building had no diplomatic status whatsoever.

"I can confirm for you through our forces there that this is not a consulate or a government building," he said.

(...and...as usual...the BBC blames it on Bush's latest speech...like there can't be any other reason...)

Needless to say, the Bush plan to boost troop numbers in Iraq is facing a lot of opposition--from both sides of the aisle. Gates and Rice have both responded to criticisms. But, this lookss like a really uphill fight. Honestly, I think McCain's general idea was accurate: there needs to be better mission definition if we are to commit more resources. And, while the Iraqi people have responded marvelously, there has to be a means of getting the Iraqi government to step up to the plate more. Along that vein, on last night’s news, I read a blurb that Maliki was demanding that Shiite militia forces (the Mahdi Army) had to disarm or else. I finally found a link for the actual report.
(…H/T to the denizens of Castle Argghhh…it’s a great set of links on the whole situation with Bush’s announcement…check it out…)

Meanwhile, in Peru, the Costa Rica-based Inter-American Court of Human Rights has ruled that the government must:

apologize for the bloody 1992 raid on the Miguel Castro prison, pay compensation to the families of 41 rebels from the Maoist Shining Path group killed there and put their names on a monument to thousands of victims of hostilities in Peru.

The Shining Path rebels instituted a campaign of violence and murder for over a decade, trying to impose Moaist rule. Peruvians see the ruling as giving ground to terrorists and murderers. From a NYTimes article at the time

Fierce clashes broke out today when Peruvian police officers tried to remove some Shining Path guerrillas from a cell block at a maximum-security prison on Lima's outskirts. At least one person was killed and 13 wounded. Imprisoned terrorists threw dynamite and acid and opened fire on the officers when they tried to enter the fortified cellblock, which houses at least 150 women belonging to the Shining Path at the Castro Castro prison in the shantytown of Canto Grande, the authorities said.

(...and this is the kind of socialist ideology the Democrats are wanting in America...and Chavez in Venezuela...oh happy happy joy joy...gag, spit...)

On the subject of America's southern neighbors, Sue's View reports a little more information, and the links, on what the MSM called a "standoff" between US National Guardsmen and what in reality seem to be Mexican military or para-military forces.
(...so much for the MSM being related to reality...as if that wasn't already a known fact...except to them, of course...)

Savannah Day Dreamin' had this really interesting historical post regarding illegal immigration. I never knew the Republicans had ever been that bold. It's a pity the US government--Republican or Democrat--doesn't have the backbone to institute such a program again.
(...no surprise from the Democrats, though...some things just do not change...)