Turkey prepares to invade northern Iraq

[link|http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060718/ap_on_re_as/turkey_kurds|Yahoo]

Turkish officials signaled Tuesday they are prepared to send the army into northern Iraq if U.S. and Iraqi forces do not take steps to combat Turkish Kurdish guerrillas there \ufffd a move that could put Turkey on a collision course with the United States.

Turkey is facing increasing domestic pressure to act after 15 soldiers, police and guards were killed fighting the guerrillas in southeastern Turkey in the past week.

At this point Turkey is just leaning on the US to step up action, but the leaning is unlikely to achive anything. The US is not about to start a second front in the relatively (from our perspective anyway) stable and safe part of Iraq.

Another case where we are liable to end up paying the price for Bush's military policy. We have few grounds to object to military action by Turkey, since it would be in justified by Bush's own anti-terrorism doctrine.

And the odds of Turkey doing this has been going up as Turkey seems to have given up on joining the EU over the short term. Prior to the invasion of Iraq, Turkey was talking about joining around 2010. They actually prevented us from staging part of our attack from Turkey to keep Europe happy, and have avoided taking military action against the Kurds for the same reason. But as the situation has twisted out of control, the EU has gotten cold feet on letting Turkey in and Turkey has focused more and more on their Iraqi border.

Jay

Post #262,072 by JayMehaffey 7/18/06 3:44:41 PM Reply	Turkey prepares to invade northern Iraq [link\|http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060718/ap_on_re_as/turkey_kurds\|Yahoo] Turkish officials signaled Tuesday they are prepared to send the army into northern Iraq if U.S. and Iraqi forces do not take steps to combat Turkish Kurdish guerrillas there \ufffd a move that could put Turkey on a collision course with the United States. Turkey is facing increasing domestic pressure to act after 15 soldiers, police and guards were killed fighting the guerrillas in southeastern Turkey in the past week. At this point Turkey is just leaning on the US to step up action, but the leaning is unlikely to achive anything. The US is not about to start a second front in the relatively (from our perspective anyway) stable and safe part of Iraq. Another case where we are liable to end up paying the price for Bush's military policy. We have few grounds to object to military action by Turkey, since it would be in justified by Bush's own anti-terrorism doctrine. And the odds of Turkey doing this has been going up as Turkey seems to have given up on joining the EU over the short term. Prior to the invasion of Iraq, Turkey was talking about joining around 2010. They actually prevented us from staging part of our attack from Turkey to keep Europe happy, and have avoided taking military action against the Kurds for the same reason. But as the situation has twisted out of control, the EU has gotten cold feet on letting Turkey in and Turkey has focused more and more on their Iraqi border. Jay
Post #262,085 by GBert 7/18/06 6:39:38 PM Reply	Our Turkeys are coming home to roost It's just a matter of time -- how much longer can the US lion keep the hyenas away from Iraq's mouldering carcass? By the way, are we going to hear an impassioned defence of Turkey's right to defend itself from Terrorism by invading a bordering province? Have whatever values you have. That's what America is for. You don't need George Bush for that.
Post #262,087 by altmann 7/18/06 7:18:49 PM Reply	We've tripped over the Ottoman. -- Chris Altmann
Post #262,088 by imqwerky 7/18/06 7:21:43 PM Reply	It was purely Occidental. Smile, Amy [link\|http://kevan.org/brain.cgi?Amy%20Rathman\|Pics of the Family]
Post #262,090 by ben_tilly 7/18/06 7:24:46 PM Reply	Sorry Iran India a very rich person should leave his kids enough to do anything but not enough to do nothing. -- Warren Buffett
Post #262,465 by Ashton 7/22/06 6:30:31 PM Reply	Abyssinia, Ben

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