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| Axis of Evil |
| Turkey readies troops for Iraq war |
| 2002-12-17 |
| The Turkish General Staff says it has ordered all of its troops in the eastern part of the country to be prepared for a possible U.S.-led war with Iraq. The soldiers are later to be moved to the border with Iraq while troops from other units in different parts of the country are then deployed in the eastern part of Turkey. Turkish troops are being trained intensively and the army's needs are being identified and supplied, officials told CNN Turk. The confirmation comes after reports over the weekend that Turkey was moving troops up to its border with Iraq. Heard this, now it seems to be bigger than first reported. Pentagon sources say Turkey has assured the United States it will have access to air bases and port facilities, and in return the United States promised to provide military and economic aid in addition to supporting Turkey's bid to join the European Union. And the E.U. is pissed that we are pushing the issue. The United States has also reaffirmed it will not allow the Iraq Kurds to establish an independent country bordering Turkey, which has been the U.S. policy all along. We'll have to see if the Kurds will play along. Pentagon officials have told CNN that Turkey has expressed concern about the number of ground troops the United States might want based in Turkey, citing public sentiment against a large troop presence, and assured the new Turkish government the United States would work with it on the size of any deployment. Don't worry, they won't be there long. We've got a hot date waiting in Baghdad. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #4 Well that is the final nail in the coffin. If I am an Iraqi armed services personnel the last thing I really want are the Turks coming by land to my home. Everyone in the Mid-east fears only 2 entities - Mossad and the Turkish Military. No mercy. |
| Posted by: Jack 2002-12-18 05:14:08 |
| #3 In regard to what Steve relays from "Hurriyet", there's a good argument to be made that the whole northern area of what is today Iraq should have been left under Turkish rule after World War I. This would, admittedly, have left Ankara in the position of having to deal with a lot more Kurds, but then again it would have removed a lot of the difficulty attendant on having the Kurds split up among several different nations, _and_ it would have given Turkey significant oil reserves of its own. If the Turks want to repair that century-old oversight, that's jake by me - as long as they're ready to take on the burden of administering a couple million more Kurds. |
| Posted by: Joe 2002-12-17 17:27:36 |
| #2 AP report: The daily Hurriyet newspaper reported Tuesday that Turkey is planning to deploy 65,000 to 70,000 troops in northern Iraq if there is a massive U.S. assault from the north. A senior Turkish intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that report. He said that Turkey is especially concerned that if Iraq disintegrates, Iraqi Kurds could seize the northern cities of Mosul and Kirkuk. Mosul is a key regional center, and Kirkuk is home to major oil fields. Control of those cities would make the Kurds a significant regional power. It is likely that Turkish soldiers in northern Iraq would secure the area, but would not take part in fighting against Iraqi troops. "The Turkish Armed Forces are making preparations, taking measures considering different alternatives against any kind of development to protect Turkey's interests," the daily Milliyet quoted Prime Minister Abdullah Gul as saying. Asked how Turkey would react regarding Mosul and Kirkuk, Gul said: "We can't remain indifferent. We protect our interests." |
| Posted by: Steve 2002-12-17 13:41:28 |
| #1 The Kurds have it pretty good just as it is, a tiny U.S. protectorate. We let them play their tribal and clan games, fight eachother occasionaly, and protect them from Saddam's tax men. |
| Posted by: Chuck 2002-12-17 12:50:15 |