Former U.S. aides suggest NATO troops in N.Iraq

[sabra]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L20627063.htm

Former U.S. aides suggest NATO troops in N.Iraq

BRUSSELS, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Two former senior U.S. officials suggested on Monday deploying NATO forces in northern Iraq to forestall the risk of a Turkish invasion.

In a policy paper issued before a summit of the 26-nation alliance in Riga next week, Richard Holbrooke and Ronald Asmus said NATO members had an interest in doing everything possible to maintain Iraq's unity and prevent a full-scale civil war.

"Already today in Turkey there are voices openly calling for an invasion of northern Iraq to deal with the constant raids into southeastern Turkey by the terrorist organisation known as the PKK," they wrote in a study published by the German Marshall Fund transatlantic think-tank.

"The best way to reduce that risk would be for NATO to deploy troops to northern Iraq."

[maddezmom]

1. they can't even get enough NATO troops in Afghanistan

what country is going to send troops to Iraq? :shrug:

[billyoc]

11. Oh, that's an easy one,

Turkey. ;)

[Spazito]

2. Gee, these two former aides must not be keeping up with the news....

NATO can't convince it's member countries to put more troops in Afghanistan or even take off the restrictions on the ones that are already there. They sure as hell aren't going to be going to Iraq, anywhere in Iraq, imo.

[Eugene]

3. "Such a deployment seems highly unlikely..."

Hey NATO, help pull our chestnuts out of the fire!
If you don't you risk becoming irrelevant.

Can Holbrooke and Asmus name NATO allies ready to
jump in besides Turkey and the countries that are
already in Iraq?

[Tight_rope]

4. LMBAO...these people are delusional

[dipsydoodle]

5. They're trying to be clever

They know that if NATO troups were there the Turks wouldn't dare attack - would preclude entry to EEC if they harmed NATO troups in any way.

[TheBaldyMan]

6. Did anyone tell them that Turkey IS a NATO member ?

I dare say the Turks would be only too pleased to provide troops for that deployment - say several hundred thousand.

[ECH1969]

7. Former U.S. aides suggest NATO troops in N.Iraq

Two former senior U.S. officials suggested on Monday deploying NATO forces in northern Iraq to forestall the risk of a Turkish invasion.

In a policy paper issued before a summit of the 26-nation alliance in Riga next week, Richard Holbrooke and Ronald Asmus said NATO members had an interest in doing everything possible to maintain Iraq's unity and prevent a full-scale civil war.

"Already today in Turkey there are voices openly calling for an invasion of northern Iraq to deal with the constant raids into southeastern Turkey by the terrorist organisation known as the PKK," they wrote in a study published by the German Marshall Fund transatlantic think-tank.

"The best way to reduce that risk would be for NATO to deploy troops to northern Iraq."

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L20627063.htm

[saigon68]

8. OOH GOODY another War

[MidwestTransplant]

9. What a cluster*uck

This was precisely the risk we face in a broader regional war. Once the civil war progresses, we will see rival sunni and shia factions in other countries going at each other.

[twilight_sailing]

10. Destabalization of the region -

there's a bad moon on the rise.