While driving home from taking my daughter to school, I happened to catch part of a NPR interview with Ivan Watson, NPR news correspondent stationed in Irbil, a Kurdish city in northern Iraq. He apparently was discussing the scene recent US military raid that resulted in the detaining of 5 Iranian consulate employees. This is where I turned on the car radio:
Mr. Watson said the "Kurds are furious" because the United States didn't tell them of the planned raid on the Iranian consulate. He said that the raid later caused a stand off between armed Kurds (soldiers, citizens or police?-sorry not sure) and 3 Humvees of American soldiers. Both sides had their guns cocked and ready through the lengthy stand-off. At some point, US Black Hawk helicopters flew over the swarmed the scene and picked up "some" of the American soldiers and left.
I've been unable to find a published story to link to, but will do so when one becomes available. I'm not really sure why this news and that of the Iranian consulate is not splashed across newspapers websites instead of as hard to find "other news stories". The papers are still focused on Bush's speech of last night. This entire event could very well be pivotal in causing a larger war in the Middle East. I'm also curious of the significance of the soldiers that were evacuated from a still tense and unresolved scene.
One thing I find discouraging and appalling is the insistence by the Bush, Condi, etc, that the Iraqi government and military cooperate with us in quelling the violence-you know,work together-only to learn today that we aren't cooperating with them. What kind of success does Bush expect to come of this arrogance?
In 6 months, I fully expect to hear about Bush's regret and responsibility of another error. By then, we could be fighting World War III.
Last night I heard that Bush spoke of when "we" (he and his discussion mate) are 80 or 90, and will look back on the invasion of Iraq as a good thing-bringing peace and democracy to the Middle East. I guess to him thousands, perhaps millions of lost lives is a worthwhile price to pay. Maybe we'll need to ask the dead.