Turkey says US troops battle Kurd rebels in n.Iraq

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L10304010.htm

ANKARA, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said on Monday U.S. troops and Iraqi Kurdish forces had clashed at the weekend with Turkish Kurdish rebels holed up in northern Iraq.

Ankara, which last Friday withdrew an offer to send troops to help the United States secure Iraq, has been pressing U.S. forces there to crack down on separatist fighters from Turkey's banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

"It is true that clashes took place yesterday. Not only U.S. forces but also Kurdish "peshmerga" fighters were involved in engaging the PKK. Some U.S. helicopters were also deployed (against the PKK)," Gul told reporters.

He declined to say whether the operation took place as part of an understanding between Turkey and the United States that U.S. forces would attempt to dislodge and disarm the estimated 5,000 PKK fighters hiding in northern Iraq.

more

[lefty_mcduff]

1. Ahm. Aren't the Iraqi Kurds supposed to be on *our side*?

Just last week the misadministration was using the Kurds as an example of how much occupying forces are loved.

Keeping track of this stuff makes my head hurt.

On edit - oh, never mind. Misread the post. Were ganging up WITH the Iraqi Kurds. Gotcha. Still makes my head hurt.

[Aidoneus]

4. the South Kurdish puppets are the ones ganging up with US forces here

to attack the north ("Turkish") Kurdish fighters. Shows where their loyalties lie, if the report is correct, though that wasn't much in question.

[ze_dscherman]

6. Seeds of future desasters

One wonders what will happen once the U.S. leaves Northern Iraq.
I bet the PKK kurds will not forget the betrayal by their own people.

[smallprint]

5. There's a documentary called "Good Kurds, Bad Kurds"...

that pretty much sums up the relationship the USA has with the Kurdish people-- they are Good Kurds if they were fighting Saddam, Bad Kurds if they are fighting the Turkish govt. Never mind that both struggles are basically for the same cause, Kurdish autonomy. What matters is that they are divided and exploited by Washington. Of course they know this and have been finding ways to survive despite everything. So I don't think this particular tactic of attacking Bad Kurds with Good Kurds by is going to work very well.

[leesa]

2. Well, they certainly can't blame these attacks on Saddam sympathizers

[loudnclear]

3. You make a real good point...but they can blame them on the US

A more peaceful, safer world?

[leftchick]

7. here is a bbc link to the story...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3257273.stm

<snip>American troops have clashed with suspected Turkish Kurd rebels based in northern Iraq.
The US military confirmed that fire was exchanged between "unknown forces" and an Iraqi border patrol supported by US forces.

The statement came after Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said that US forces had clashed with PKK rebels.

If confirmed, it would be the first known clash between US forces and the PKK.