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| Iraq | |
| Turkey Says It Won’t Send More Troops Into Iraq | |
| 2003-03-26 | |
| Gen. Hilmi Ozkok, chief of staff of the Turkish armed forces, sounds like the fundo politicians just haven't got the word yet, hmmm? said today that barring human catastrophe or open warfare between rival Kurdish factions, Turkey would not send more troops into northern Iraq. That would be the criteria we have to prevent from happening, then... ok "This is not our war," the general said, reading from a prepared text at a local military base here. "This is not our mission." His announcement eases fears of a war-within-a-war on the northern front, though General Ozkok did say that he reserved the right to send additional forces into Iraq if the situation there spins out of control. wise reservation... "As it is known, there is a Turkish military presence in northern Iraq," the general said, without specifying the number soldiers or the type of equipment that Turkey already has in Iraq. "Our biggest concern is an attack on our position or a large refugee crisis from an unexpected development in the war or an attack on our stability from the armed elements in the region," the general said. He added that if Turkey does send troops, it would only do so under the supervision of the United States. If this holds - watch the stock market today.. Turkey told its Western allies on Monday that it planned to create a buffer zone up to 13 miles wide to contain refugees in northern Iraq if there were a mass exodus. But today General Ozkok backed away from those plans. "We have no desire to establish a permanent buffer zone," he said. It is unclear why the military had a change of heart, but perhaps it had to do with White House plans to offer $1 billion in cash grants to Turkey to cushion the economic trauma of war. still a principled stand, Murat? If approved by Congress, Turkey will also receive loan guarantees of $8.5 billion. The financial package is only a fraction of what Washington had initially offered its ally for "full cooperation" in the Iraq campaign. But better than nothing, and Gen. Ozkok just showed who's competent and who's just spewing spittle The White House initially offered $6 billion in direct aid and $24 billion in loans before the Turkish Parliament refused on March 1 to open its bases to United States troops. Eventually the Parliament did authorize over-flights for American warplanes attacking targets in northern Iraq. The beleaguered Turkish markets rose for the second consecutive day on reports of the aid. And will again today It was a humbling day for General Ozkok, considered to be the single most powerful man in Turkey, the supreme commander of a semi-autonomous military, and a man who is not used to explaining himself. Not as humbling as for the pinheads who negotiated the previous deal: i.e. nothing, zero, zilch Addressing the news media as "dear members of the press," the general delivered a 20-minute statement chockablock with high-flown language. does that sound like a piss-poor metaphor? Chockablock with high flown language??? Thank you NY Times - the metaphor-mangler of record Though he did not take questions, the general could not resist taking a shot at American diplomats whose negotiating style, it is said, has been nothing short of arrogant. "I have difficulty understanding those who claim there is a threat to them across the ocean," the general said. "And when Turkey says the same threat exists on the other side of its border, this is found to be unbelievable." And then he proffered a scenario. "If things get out of control, I hope our friends will not ask us take action that they oppose now."
and no excuse for Turkey to shove troops in The exact number of displaced people in northern Iraq is unclear, but hundreds of thousands of Kurds fearing a chemical attack by Saddam Hussein are believed to have fled major cities in Iraq. Hundreds, possibly thousands, of those people are living in the open in caves, tents, trucks and buses. Kurdish opposition to an incursion remains adamant. A young policeman in Kani Masi, an Iraqi town that sits a few miles from a crossing point where Turkish soldiers and tanks are massed, said Tuesday that he had blunt orders from his superiors: "to resist and to fight the Turks." Asked if he was ready to die in what would likely be a fruitless effort to stop tanks with assault rifles, he said. "I am ready to sacrifice." Not voluntarily, of course... | |
| Posted by:Frank G |