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Iraq
US 'struggles' to avert Turkish intervention in northern Iraq
2007-03-23
The US is scrambling to head off a "disastrous" Turkish military intervention in Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq that threatens to derail the Baghdad security surge and open up a third front in the battle to save Iraq from disintegration.
It would certainly be a disaster for the Turks: the peshmerga backed by US air power would stop the Turks, and that wouldn't help their self-image at all.
Senior Bush administration officials have assured Turkey in recent days that US forces will increase efforts to root out Kurdistan Workers' party (PKK) guerrillas enjoying safe haven in the Qandil mountains, on the Iraq-Iran-Turkey border.

But Abdullah Gul, Turkey's foreign minister, MPs, military chiefs and diplomats say up to 3,800 PKK fighters are preparing for attacks in south-east Turkey — and Turkey is ready to hit back if the Americans fail to act. "We will do what we have to do, we will do what is necessary. Nothing is ruled out," Mr Gul said. "I have said to the Americans many times: suppose there is a terrorist organisation in Mexico attacking America. What would you do?... We are hopeful. We have high expectations. But we cannot just wait forever."
Posted by:Steve White

#11  "We will do what we have to do, we will do what is necessary. Nothing is ruled out," Mr Gul said. "I have said to the Americans many times: suppose there is a terrorist organisation in Mexico attacking America. What would you do?... We are hopeful. We have high expectations. But we cannot just wait forever."

You'll wait or we'll nuke your stinkin asses off the face of the earth. Is that clear, Gulbert ?
Posted by: wxjames   2007-03-23 15:17  

#10  I firmly believe that the Turks could not launch a major invasion into kurdistan without being smashed. Incursions by special forces are another story but that's a slap and not necessarily a war.
Posted by: rjschwarz   2007-03-23 11:27  

#9  It uis a win-win for teh Isdalmist governement: if they succed in Kurdistan they will get prestige, if their military is crushed by the US it will no longer be in position to counter the islamization and arabization the government is trying to force on Turkey.
Posted by: JFM   2007-03-23 10:25  

#8  Is that a real Turkey or a plastic Turkey?
Posted by: Excalibur   2007-03-23 10:02  

#7  Send Turkey this coded message:

..."Love your Turkey..STOP...Your democracy rocks..STOP...cross that line...we're going to f*** you up..STOP...Please Confirm..."STOP!!
Posted by: smn   2007-03-23 09:11  

#6  Lets hope that the Kurds won't get shafted again for the sake of (imaginary) Turkish alliance.
Posted by: gromgoru   2007-03-23 08:58  

#5  Abdullah Gul: "We will do what we have to do, we will do what is necessary. Nothing is ruled out," Mr Gul said. "I have said to the Americans many times: suppose there is a terrorist organisation in Mexico attacking America. What would you do?... We are hopeful. We have high expectations. But we cannot just wait forever."

welcome to the club Abdullah Gul, we already have terrorist Narco Trafficers on both sides of the borderws killing more Americans than PKK are killing Turks.
Posted by: RD   2007-03-23 06:52  

#4  The problem here is the Turks think Kurds are stupid peasants, who would be living in mud huts if it weren't for the Turks bringing them civilization.

So a vibrant succesful Kurdistan is an affront to their perception of both the Kurds and themselves.

More dangerously, it may lead them into an ill-advised military adventure resulting in them getting their butts kicked. Iraqi Kurdistan aint exactly tank country, which would set off a conflagration in Turkish Kurdistan.

There is a lot still to be written in the story of Kurdish self-determination.
Posted by: phil_b   2007-03-23 05:27  

#3  I dunno, I don't see how the Turks can just sit around and let the PKK use Iraq as a safe haven to launch attacks into their territory. I mean, it's not like they're Americans who let the Taliban rest and rearm in Pakistan.
Posted by: gromky   2007-03-23 04:30  

#2  After their backstab in 2003? Too bad.
Posted by: JSU   2007-03-23 00:45  

#1  I have no sympathy for the Turks. Their record of Kurdish suppresion is abysmal, like sending people to jail for years for speaking Kurdish or singing songs in Kurdish.
Posted by: phil_b   2007-03-23 00:25  

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