Turkish warplanes hit Kurds in Iraq

[cal04]

Source: Associated Press

Turkish warplanes bombed separatist Kurdish rebel targets in northern Iraq on Saturday, a statement posted on the military's Web site said.

The military vowed to continue operations on both sides of Turkish-Iraqi border "no matter how the conditions are."

Turkish jet fighters bombed rebel bases in northern Iraq Sunday in the first confirmed air assault on Iraqi soil since the U.S.-led invasion.

Saturday's statement said that the bombing by the warplanes lasted for nearly half an hour, followed by shelling from inside Turkey. It did not specify how deep into Iraqi territory the warplanes penetrated or which areas in Iraq were shelled.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071222/ap_on_re_mi_ea/turkey_iraq_kurds

[annabanana]

1. Again? So. They only part of Iraq where the people have even

the thinnest of appreciation for Americans is under attack.

[rockybelt]

2. And under attack

with the shrubs blessing. This admin. gave them the intelligence needed to know where to bomb. The shrub will do anything to start another war. He don't give a shit how many people dies as long as it is not him.

[comradebillyboy]

3. Perhaps they should stop sheltering PKK

terrorists who routinely carry out terror attacks in neighboring Turkey. I vacationed in Turkey last year and shortly after I left the coastal city of Antalya, the PKK set off several bombs there. This is a popular tourist spot and not even in the Kurdish portion of Turkey. By the Bye the Turks are getting intel on PKK whereabouts from the US military after several years of the US ignoring the problem. Basically the Turkish president told Bush that if the US would not control terror attacks from Iraqi Kurdistan on its longtime NATO ally, the Turks would halt strategic cooperation and allowing the US to use Turkish military facilities for logistical support of the forces in Iraq.

The Turks are also in a position to play the Iran card. The US allows, perhaps openly encourages, anti Iranian terrorists to operate out of Iraq. The Turks could start to cooperate with Iran and Syria in dealing with the Kurdish problem. The US really would not like that.

Additionally most of Iraqi Kurdistan's commerce is with or goes through Turkey, since the rest of Iraq is not secure at all. And when the US finally pulls out of Iraq, what do you think the Iraqi Arabs are going to do. They hate the Kurds too, and it would behoove the Kurds to have better relations with the strongest military power in the region when that day comes. The Kurds need to make some friends for the long haul and in the greater scheme of things, Turkey is about a million times more important to us in a strategic sense; its also the only real secular democracy in the Muslim world.

[Olney Blue]

9. Thanks for your interesting post.

I noticed you used the designation "Iraqi Kurdistan." If the Kurds COULD control the PKK, do you think that Turkey could live in peace with them after we leave Iraq?

[boricua79]

11. i'm assuming

that if they could control the PKK's activities, the Turks would have no issue. They fear that kurds in Turkey will get emboldened and will take off a chunk of Turkish national territory to make an independent Turkistan (with chunks from Iraq and Iran too). If the Kurds want this, they should approach the issue with diplomatic negotations...and if they can't get their state that way, then they should not be engaging in terrorism to do it.

[Olney Blue]

12. From what I've read (and I'm no expert), the Kurds have tried to have

this conversation with the U.S., but the U.S. won't even discuss it because of the "unified Iraq" goal.

[boricua79]

13. then I guess it's pretty much over for them

They're not going to win an independence war against Iran, Iraq, and Turkey.

If they engage in terrorism, they will get bombed. That's how it is. That's how the cards have been laid out.

[Olney Blue]

14. What you say is likely the truth....

but it sure is sad.

[boricua79]

10. thank you...people forget that the PKK are no good

they don't help their people, and they certainly do not help in keeping Iraq unified, or keep Turkey's national borders stable.

[dipsydoodle]

4. Turkey in fresh Iraq air strikes

Source: BBC News

Turkey has launched fresh air strikes against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq, the Turkish military says.
Fighter planes attacked positions held by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in a 35-minute raid, the army said.

Similar air strikes last Sunday were followed two days later by an incursion into Iraq by Turkish troops.

Iraq's Kurdish regional government condemned those raids, but Turkey says it has a right to defend itself from PKK attacks on its territory.



Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7157764.stm

[Botany]

5. The surge is working.

The surge is working.

The surge is working.

The surge is working.

The surge is working.

The surge is working.

[whistle]

6. Dick Cheney has almost got WW III going, now all he needs is Serbia

...to attack Kosavo and the tsunami to World War will be underway! The Dogs of War will have their wish

[ihelpu2see]

7. 2 things that bother... A pentagon news story that they were "Not" aware of

the first air strikes earlier this week. That seems really troubling since we are "protecting" their "democracy" and yet we were not aware that another country was invading Iraq's air space.....

Second and separate.... I took the kids to a movie today at a ShowCase Cinema and the first thing we see on screen is a Music video by 3 Doors Down for the National Gaurd most of it glorifying war. Yes, serving our country is important and protecting America is important but a Music video with a heavy metal edge... Really this is what we need to be pushing to get recruits. Plus, parts are factually incorrect. they show dramatizations from troops storming beaches at Normandy ummm that was not a volunteer force.... I found it very pro war and impinging on fascist.

[dipsydoodle]

8. On the first occasion

they said at first that they had not been advised : subsequently changed to "well we might have been"

This time the BBC report says "The US administration confirmed that it had been informed of the attacks in advance".