Immigration Reform Poll

John Hawkins from Right Wing News sent around a poll about the illegal immigration issue. This blog was one of those who was asked to respond and did so. Go over there and read the whole thing, here's a sample of the questions asked and how bloggers responded:

3) When it comes to immigration law, which of these two options best describes the approach you believe we should take:

A) I think we need to work on enforcement, securing the border, a guest worker program, increasing the number of legal immigrants allowed to become Americans, and legalization of illegals currently here all at the same time. (14% — 7)

B) I think we need to work on enforcement and controlling the border first, before working on a guest worker program, increasing the number of legal immigrants allowed to become Americans, and legalization of illegals currently here. (86% — 44)

One has to wonder if the White House has seen the results.

Terrorist Leaders

The list of the most wanted terrorists released by the Iraqi government last week indicates that the bulk to the terrorist activity is being led by former regime members.

The list, released last weekend, includes at least 21 former regime figures, among them Saddam's chief lieutenant, his wife, eldest daughter, two nephews and a cousin — allegedly financiers of the insurgency.

Only five of the 41 names are clearly identified as members of al-Qaida's local branch.

That reinforces the impression shared by a number of analysts that ex-Baath party members and former regime figures still play a key role in the insurgency.

"I believe that former regime members form 40 to 50 percent of the insurgency," said Diaa Rashwan, an Egyptian expert on militant groups. "Operations by al-Qaida and the Mujahedeen Shura Council make between five to 10 percent only, a maximum of 10 percent."

Rashwan said there was "no doubt" that veterans of Saddam's intelligence and security network form "an important part of the Iraqi resistance at the command level."

U.S. officials have also said that the percentage of insurgents belonging to al-Qaida in Iraq was relatively small, although the organization has drawn more attention because of its worldwide image and its tactic of spectacular suicide attacks against civilians.

Brig. Gen. Jalil Khalaf, who leads Iraqi forces in western Iraq, said the large number of ex-regime figures on the list may be due in part to the fact that U.S. and Iraqi officials have more intelligence on them than on shadowy religious extremists.

That gibes with earlier reports about how badly al Qaeda was faring in Iraq.

Bush Signals Shift On Immigration Reform

It would appear that the White House is willing to compromise on the immigration reform plan and would welcome a phased approach with border security first and other issues being addressed once those goals are met.

In a sign of that willingness, the White House last week invited a leading conservative proponent of an enforcement-first bill, Representative Mike Pence, Republican of Indiana, to present his ideas to Mr. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney in the Oval Office.

Ms. Wolff said the president found the Pence plan "pretty intriguing."

In an interview Tuesday, Mr. Pence said the president used precisely those words in their talk. Mr. Pence said that the meeting was scheduled to last 10 or 20 minutes but went on for 40, and that the president "was quite adamant throughout the meeting to make the point that he hoped I would be encouraged."

Mr. Bush has little choice but to negotiate, although he is on delicate terrain. Some House Republicans remain deeply opposed to even a guest worker program, and any move closer to the House could upset the delicate bipartisan compromise that enabled legislation to pass the Senate.

Polls show the public is deeply troubled by the problem of illegal immigration, and Mr. Bush, who has made the issue his domestic policy initiative, is eager for a victory on Capitol Hill. But a carefully constructed White House strategy to prod the House and Senate into compromise collapsed last month when skittish House Republicans opted for field hearings instead.

This, I think, is a good sign. The reality of the out of control border situation needs to be the first priority. Once that issue has been successfully addressed, many other ideas become more open to compromise and resolution.

North Korea Continues Launching Missiles

North Korea has launched a total of seven missiles now. Six are the short ranged Scud based missiles, with one failed test of the long-range Taepodong-2.

The missiles apparently fell harmlessly into the Sea of Japan, and U.S. officials said the long-range Taepodong-2 failed shortly after take-off, calling into question the technological capability of North Korea's feared ballistic missile program. Pyongyang last fired a long-range missile in 1998.

But the audacious military exercise drew immediate attention and condemnation. The North American Aerospace Defense Command monitored the launches as they progressed but soon determined they were not a threat to the United States, a spokesman said.

AN emergency meeting of the UN Security Council has been scheduled for today. Nations have protested the launching, but there are indications that the North Koreans are going to launch still more.

North Korea remained defiant. A North Korea foreign ministry official told Japanese journalists in Pyongyang that the regime there has an undeniable right to test missiles.

"The missile launch is an issue that is entirely within our sovereignty. No one has the right to dispute it," Ri Pyong Dok, a researcher on Japanese affairs at the North's Foreign Ministry, said on footage aired by TBS. "On the missile launch, we are not bound by any agreement."

Japanese national broadcaster NHK reported that an unidentified Foreign Ministry official in Pyongyang acknowledged the firing of the missiles, but Ri told reporters that diplomats like himself are unaware of what the military is doing.

Some feared more firings. Pyongyang could test additional missiles soon despite the international furor over Wednesday's launches, Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said after making a protest via telephone to North Korea's ambassador to Canberra, Chon Jae Hong.

"We think they probably do intend to launch more missiles in the next day or two," Downer told reporters, without explaining if the possibility of more tests came up in his talk with Chon.

This is a really dangerous game they are playing.