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The Turkish General Staff announced the action on its website on Friday. It gave no details of how many troops went or how long they would stay, and said only that they would return once goals had been achieved. Private NTV television reported 10,000 troops were involved and said they had pushed about six miles into Iraqi territory…
It was not clear what, if any, role the United States played in the incursion, which set one of its closest allies in a troubled region, Turkey, a NATO member that shares borders with Iran, Iraq and Syria, against another, Iraqi Kurds, the most important American partners in the Iraq war.
The Bush administration agreed to share information and open airspace to the Turkish military last year in a meeting between President Bush and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, after 12 Turkish soldiers were killed in an ambush by militants. The military began bombing in December, in operations largely sanctioned by the United States, but it was unclear whether the military had sought approval for today’s attack…
They’ll probably leave when it’s “mission accomplished”.
I think it’s more a “Hmm America messed up these guys real good. Lets see what we can take for ourselves.” Be an interesting sight tanks guarding moving trucks.
Of course it’s just speculation, and a lame joke
Confirmed, Turkey has invaded a small area of northern Iraq to head of Kurdish PKK attacks in spring.
Ok, these PKK guys get my “Stupid as a Brick” award. They are fighting for an autonomous homeland, which they have had since 1991.
So they risk loosing something they already have to get something they already have?
Stupid, stupid, stupid…
Didja hear all those champagne corks popping over at the arms merchants’ place? Between this and Kosovo, America’s main export, war, is looking bullish as all hell.
The thing that irks me is Turkey refused our request to use their airspace when we invaded Iraq. They also refused us port to allow us to invade from the north. Thereby delaying our movements and making it difficult as hell and costing us a lot more.
Now we make it easy for them by sharing information and who knows what else so they can kill Kurdish militants? I see how this could benefit us if the militants were known to be the ones we’re fighting but these militants may be related to the same people that have stood by us all this time in Iraq. This doesn’t sound good. Personally, I would’ve told Turkey to go fuck themselves. But then again, that’s why I’m not president.
On another topic, #4’s point is very true. I wonder if the situation in Kosovo and now this will change America’s economic outlook for the rest of the year. Damn I’m sick of this shit!
#3 What homeland?
The small part that they control in Irak? you mean that they can forget about their brothers/cousins in Iran and Turkey? Or are you asking that they move from lans thay have been on for centuries, because of artificial borders drawn-up less then 90 years ago? (during the breakup of the Ottoman Empire)
So let me get this straight…One of the reasons the US invaded Iraq was because Saddam had gassed the Kurds. Now we let an ally hammer the Kurds because they don’t want to give up any land that might belong to the Kurds. Would we be so ambivalent if the Iranians were to do the same with similar Kurdish demands on Iranian lands?
0.Eideard. “They’ll probably leave when it’s “mission accomplished”.
You mean like the mission that prevented US ally Kuwait from being annexed by Iraq? or the successful US mission to invade Iraq? or ultimately an Iraqi democratic society(ie: the stuff many complain bitterly doesn’t exist in Saudi Arabia.)?
RBG
#7 Could this be similar to what’s going on in Israel and Palestine? I’m not that knowledgeable about the area but do know that the UN stepped in to draw up a border and create the nation of Israel. Ever since the Israeli government has been re-drawing that border to their favor. Now I know I’m going to be hit from both sides on this. All I ask is if there are any similarities with what’s going on between Turkey and the Kurds and Israel and Palestine. Either way, I get bad vibes of where this is heading. It would suck for this to end up being another Israel/Palestine conflict. Oh, and BTW, I wonder where the rest of the Arab World stands on this one.
To elaborate on #6, Kurdistan was broken up after World War I and distributed between primarily Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria. Just because the Iraqi Kurds may be relatively autonomous, many Kurds are still pissed that their land was taken from them.
On top of that, Turkey “owns” a very large chunk of former Kurdistan and oppresses the Kurds that live within it’s borders (i.e. their religion and language are outlawed, it’s illegal to identify themselves as a separate ethnic group, etc…).
In other words, this isn’t about Kurds trying to become autonomous in Iraq. As #3 points out, that would be silly. It’s about Kurds who don’t recognize artificially created borders that split up their land less than 100 years ago fighting to free their brethren from oppression in non-autonomous portions of former Kurdistan.
And of course the US doesn’t know what the frak to do about it, because like just about every other post-invasion situation this wasn’t anticipated out of blatant ignorance of the region. So the US lets Turkey do what it wants, and suddenly they realize that might not have been such a great idea given that the US still essentially owns Iraq (“Oh crap, we let them invade us! But it seemed like a good idea at the time!”).
Yet another reason we should get the hell out, but of course the exploitation of other nations’ resources dictates all.
What’s the big deal here? If the Kurds can’t fight off one turkey then they deserve what they get. How big is that turkey anyway? Besides the big story is Tori Spelling spilling the beans about having sex with everyone on 90210!
#11 –
Even the chicks? Nice!
I think #9 has got a good point, and I do see similarities. The Palestinians want all of Palestine back. The Kurds want all of Kurdistan back. Neither is going to get everything they want, ever. The best the Kurds could hope for is a situation in Turkey and Syria which mirrors what they have in Iraq, and autonomous region. They got their Iraq region through alliances and pity. They didn’t get it by force, and they are jeopardizing what they have. They need to do something better, like laying down their guns and opening cross border trade to create a financial incentive for Turkey to grand autonomy to the Kurds in their country.
Now here is where I will get it from both sides!
The Palestinian people should win two awards. Stupidest people on earth, and #1 Sheeple. They still worship Yassar Arafat! They are willing “cannon fodder” for those who want to hurt Israel for their own agendas.
They could have had a very good Palestinian state of their own if they they had compromised. Because of their actions they have nothing and no good prospects.
Hey, Turkey didn’t play ball when the war started, so they get put into the mess too. Good game.
#9 Turks are not arabs, they are separate ethnic identity. Turkey is the only nation within the region with a tradition of secular government, and shares political and economic interests with both the U.S. and Israel, vis a vis Iran, Syria and other extremist muslim political entities.
#10 This line of argument go nowhere. I suppose Turkey could demand back the Ottoman empire. Turkey is only doing what it defines proper for its own territorial integrity, and national security. Same as we would.
#14 Turkey has been trying to avoid this very situation, since it is attempting to join the EU.
The PKK, once a legitimate political organization, has been utilizing terrorist tactics since the eighties, including female suicide bombers and assassination, and does not necessarily speak for all kurds.
An analogy would be if mexicans demanded that parts of Texas become an “autonomous” region, while using the tactics of Al-queda. Now would we (Americans that is) just stand-by and let that happen?
Oh dear! One more genocide by the Turks. After the Greeks (Pontos, Asia Minor), Syrians and Armenians this time is for Kurds.
The Kurds are not Arabs either.
Turkey has waged a war on the Kurds for years. Their oppression has been documented by many NGOs and is one sticking point to joining the European Union. While the atrocities against Kurds by Saddam have been documented and widely discussed, those by Turkey are ignored.
The PPK has been labeled a terrorist organization by the State Department. Their oppressors and murderers are labeled as friends and allies.
I’m waiting for that new fangled Iraq Army to head north to battle these invaders. I can picture the American Government supplying intelligence to Turkey while Iraq fights them with American training and supplies.
Yup, Bush !!! You are da man !!!
When Condi Rice gave her tacit approval to Turkey to attack the PKK, ( http://tinyurl.com/3bhb7o )it seemed like a horrible idea to have one more country killing and blowing up things in Iraq.
There was a time when I assumed that Rice knew better than me — she’s a friggin’ PHD and all — but I no longer assume that.
Yes, we cannot assume people who are competent in one area are competent in all areas. Myself, having a science background, cannot stand it when I talk to a medical doctor who, because he is a good medical doctor, thinks he knows everything about everything else!
A doctor may be able to fix my leg, but that doesn’t mean I want him to fix my car.
A PHD like Rice may be good at figuring out the Russians (PHD in Soviet Studies), but that doesn’t mean she knows squat about Iraq or Turkey.
Rice warned and they did not listen. The kurds better sign the Iraqi oil deal.