Turkey might attack Iraq

[WebMaster]

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Choices Few for US in Turkey-PKK Clash
7 hours ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — NATO's supreme commander, the senior U.S. soldier in Europe, indicated Wednesday that he could do little to stop a Turkish incursion seeking Turkish Kurds taking shelter in Iraq.

Gen. John Craddock, visiting from his Brussels headquarters, said the valuable NATO ally faces a problem along its southeastern border.

The Kurdistan Workers Party, known by its initials PKK, has fought for autonomy in southeastern Turkey since 1984. Tens of thousands have died in the conflict.

"I don't think it's any secret that there's a problem there between insurgents — the PKK — using northern Iraq as a safe haven and the Turks then get attacked across the border. And that's the issue," Craddock told reporters. "The contentious issue is where are these people at any one time."

As indication of the impasse, retired Air Force Gen. Joseph Ralston, appointed by President Bush in 2006 as a special envoy on the matter, resigned in the past week. His Turkish counterpart, retired Gen. Edip Baser, resigned in May after a Turkish newspaper quoted him as saying the efforts were going nowhere.

Turkey has conducted two dozen large-scale incursions into Iraq since the late 1980s. The last such operation, in 1997, involved tens of thousands of troops and government-paid village guards.

Craddock's responsibility as chief of the European Command stops at the Iraq border. Iraq is in the territory of the Central Command, headquartered in Florida.

Craddock was asked whether he can "influence Turkey's actions in terms of Iraq?"

"I won't say in terms of Iraq," he said. "I will say that I talk with my counterparts, military leaders in Turkey, frequently, and we discuss issues about their border. And I'll leave it at that."

Asked whether NATO would support the Turks in going after PKK fighters, Craddock said, "That's a political decision."

The Associated Press: Choices Few for US in Turkey-PKK Clash

[WebMaster]

Turkey says Armenian resolution to harm U.S. ties

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey said on Thursday relations with its NATO ally the United States would be harmed by a U.S. House committee's approval of a resolution calling the 1915 massacres of Armenians by Ottoman Turks genocide.

"The committee's approval of this resolution was an irresponsible move which, at a greatly sensitive time, will make relations with a friend and ally ... nurtured over generations, more difficult," state news agency Anatolian quoted a Foreign Ministry statement as saying.

The House of Representatives Foreign Affairs committee approved a resolution in Washington on Wednesday calling massacres of Armenians during World War One genocide, despite White House warnings that such a decision would harm ties with Turkey.

Scotsman.com News - Latest News - Turkey says Armenian resolution to harm U.S. ties

[WebMaster]

US cautions Turkey against Iraq assault

Washington warned Turkey today not to send its forces into northern Iraq to hunt down Kurdish separatists who have killed 15 Turkish troops and 13 civilians in recent days.
The latest attack came today when a hand grenade was thrown at a police vehicle in the south-eastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir, killing a police officer and wounding four other people.

The Turkish government has threatened to order military strikes targeting Kurdish fighters of the PKK army holed up in the Qandil mountain range on Iraq's border with Iran.

Warplanes and helicopter gunships attacked Kurdish positions near Iraq today, and the Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said the government was drawing up legal plans to authorise an incursion.

But the White House today stressed its opposition to any Turkish military action across the border.

"We do not think it would be the best place for troops to go into Iraq from Turkey at this time," the White House spokeswoman, Dana Perino, told reporters.

"We think that we can handle this situation without that being necessary."

Today's blast in Turkey injured the governor of Diyarbakir, Huseyin Avni Mutlu, as well as two police officers and two passers-by.

The explosion happened at a busy market crowded with people shopping before a festival on Friday marking the end of Ramadan.

The PKK has not claimed responsibility, although Kurdish fighters have carried out similar attacks in the past.

The Turkish defence minister, Vecdi Gonul, emphasised that any Turkish incursions would only amount to small-scale sorties into northern Iraq.

However, Nozad Hadi, the governor of Irbil, in Iraqi Kurdistan, warned Ankara that any invasion would be costly, saying Turkish troops would suffer "heavy casualties and material losses".

US cautions Turkey against Iraq assault | Iraq | Guardian Unlimited

[WebMaster]

It should be a good sign for the some U.S. people to realize how hard it is to stop cross border attacks.

Before blaming Pakistan for not doing much.

[Neo]

One thing I like about Turkey is that she won't allow US or anyone else to bully her when it comes to saving national intrests.

Iraq will soon be devided into three parts and Kurdistan will emerge on the world map as a souvereign country claiming Turkish and Iranian section of Kurdistan.

[F.O.X]

It should be a good sign for the some U.S. people to realize how hard it is to stop cross border attacks.

Before blaming Pakistan for not doing much.

When it comes to Pakistan, they close there eyes & assume that Pakistan is doing nothing.


Regards
Wilco

[IceCold]

When it comes to Pakistan, they close there eyes & assume that Pakistan is doing nothing.


Regards
Wilco

Because we dont have the gutts to stand up like turkey does. All we want to let other bully us whenever they want and we just wish for others to stand for us. Just look at our political structure. They come into power after approval from US. So who will oppose them or stand up to save and protect pakistan's interest.
I just sometimes feel to cry seeing which way our country is going and the worst part is that there is no 1 to save the country.

[salahuldin786]

One thing I like about Turkey is that she won't allow US or anyone else to bully her when it comes to saving national intrests.

Iraq will soon be devided into three parts and Kurdistan will emerge on the world map as a souvereign country claiming Turkish and Iranian section of Kurdistan.

turkey will never give land to the kurd's same for iran so i dont think it will ever happen a kurdistan nope, the kurdish rebel's will get what they are asking for and that's a good hiding from the miltary of turkey.

[IceCold]

Turkey shells Iraq border areas amid incursion talk

Sunday, October 14, 2007
ANKARA: Turkish troops have begun shelling areas across the Iraqi border in the autonomous Kurdish region, an Iraqi officer said on Sunday, as Ankara prepared to seek MPs' approval for a ground incursion.

"The shelling began on Saturday night around 10 pm (1900 GMT)," the officer said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"It carried on sporadically," he said, adding that the shells had struck vacant areas without causing any casualties.

A witness said the shells hit around villages in the Al-Amadiyah area about 15 kilometres (9.5 miles) from the frontier and 50 kilometres (30 miles) northeast of the town of Dohuk.
A government bill seeking the go-ahead to launch an incursion any time in the next year is expected to be submitted to parliament after a cabinet meeting on Monday.

Wahid Kista, 42, who lives in the village of Kista near the Iraq-Turkey frontier, said by telephone the shelling was targeting villages in the Metin mountain area "where the PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) has bases."

A spokesman for the PKK in Iraq, Abdul Rahman al-Jadershi, confirmed the shelling but said that reports the rebel group is crossing into Turkey to launch attacks "are not correct."

[IceCold]

These rebels will get what they are asking for. Good going turkey.

[su-47]

turkey will never give land to the kurd's same for iran so i dont think it will ever happen a kurdistan nope, the kurdish rebel's will get what they are asking for and that's a good hiding from the miltary of turkey.

exactly. turkey is doing the right thing. the only way to deal with terrorists is by force. negotiations will get you nowhere. give them an inch and they'll take a mile.

i admire tukey's courage. they refuse to get bullied by the US in this issue

[Tiki Tam Tam]

There are those, in the Moslem world, who are of the opinion that the Kurds want their freedom and their homeland just like the Palestinians, Moros and a whole host of Islamic groups. Most Islamic groups put religion over nationality, and surprisingly, the Kurds put nationality and ethnicity over Islam!

What is more important? Ethnicity and nationality or religion?

Can't have your cake and eat it too!

Very confusing as to what should be the criteria!

[WebMaster]

I find that a person with a weak faith, usually tends to put nationality over religion. Usually, in the Muslim countries. Religion supports the nationality, however those who have no faith (atheists) will always put nationality over religion for obvious reasons.

[A.Rahman]

why do they need another state? they are free to practice their religion with no oppression.

[Tiki Tam Tam]

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If Faith was the criteria to decide nationhood then the world would be divided in two nations - the Christian nation and the Moslem nation!

Ethnicity, culture and history would be redundant.

Can an Arab be a Persian/ Iranian? Can a Fiji Christian be an European?

If so, why so? If not, why not?