Barzani Slams Turks
Iraqi Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani on Monday lashed out at Turkey for its air strikes on Iraq. Turkey says it hit terror bases.
Bush strongly backed Turkey with a call to PM Erdogan.
The US had depended heavily on the Kurds in Iraq. Is this the beginniing of a major rift?
Turkey says that its Dec. 16 air strikes, involving 50 jets, killed 150 PKK guerrillas. This is a larger death toll than earlier suspected and won't improve Barzani's mood.
posted by Juan Cole @ 12/25/2007 12:26:00 AM
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The Washington Post last week reported on a recent public opinion survey contracted for by the military which showed all ethnic and sectarian groups in Iraq now blame the US occupation for the country's difficulties. The military concluded from this that at least this means there are some "shared values" among Iraqis which might someday lead to reconciliation.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/18/AR2007121802262.html
Aside from the hilarity inherent in such a desperate attempt to find a positive spin, it should be noted that the areas surveyed included the Kurdish city of Irbil, the one allegedly pro-US group in the country. It seems they're turning, and one can only conclude our pro-Turkish policies are the cause.
It seems Bush won't be satisfied until absolutely everybody hates us. Don't misunderestimate him.
Juan: "The US had depended heavily on the Kurds in Iraq. Is this the beginning of a major rift?"
It sure looks like it~!
Is there anything the Americans have done right in this misadventure in the Middle East?
The US had to choose between the Kurds and Turkey, and it was no contest.
The latest Turkish airstrike coincided with Barzani's visit to the Kandeel mountains where the PKK camps were hit last time. The overflight must be co-ordinated with the US command, so the USA was in on the humiliating attack.
Barzani vanished for about two weeks last month amid speculations about an assassination attempt. The Kurds first said that he was on a private visit in Europe somewhere, then changed that to health checks, then finally to dentist visit. One would think that a dentist would be flown to see a "president".
The most likely explanation is that he went to reorganize his secret bank accounts because he is feeling threatened internally; by Turkey; and by the Americans too.
Talabani, his partner and rival warlord, has taken a very relaxed stance during all these goingons!
The US has turned Iraq into a terrorist state, for real this time. Will Iran join in somehow? because the PKK is also active (with US support) in Iran.
Also the EU turn-down of Turkey will cause Turkey to look eastward, no?
According to the New Anatolian
http://www.thenewanatolian.com/tna-30238.html
"Some analysts feel the United States has given tacit approval to Turkish cross border raids into northern Iraq against PKK hideouts and is turning a blind eye to the incursions.
While the Americans have not just turned a blind eye to the raids and are actively assisting Turkey through opening Iraqi air space for air operations and providing actionable real time intelligence they are also cautioning Turkey not to harm Iraqi Kurdish civilians and avoid any actions that will destabilize the semi-autonomous Iraqi Kurdish region and its administration. That means Turkey should not launch a full scale military operation by occupying large chunks of northern Iraq with the pretext of hunting down the PKK."
I think somebody must have told Bush about Turkey's strategic and tactical importance to the US.
Besides most if Iraqi Kurdistan's commerce is with Turkey. All of their other neighbors (Iran and Syria) hate them, including the Arab Iraqis of both sects.
When the US pulls out of Iraq after the next election, I expect the Kurds to be the target of vigorous ethnic cleansing by the Iraqi Sunnis and Shia. The Iranians will likely lend a hand as well. So maybe the Iraqi Kurds ought to figure out that they should to make friends with the Turks, since they have no other friends in the region.
Bill G
It' business as usual use them stabbem in the back. Sad but seems to be true to often.
jo6pac
It's all about tearing the region apart completely. If the goal was to actually stabalize Iraq then there would be Iranian, Turkish, Syrian, and Saudi troops doing it not ifidel Americans. At some point we have to acknoledge that there is a limit to the stupidity of the neo-cons and start trying to figue out their real strategem.
What can the US do?. The Shia militias are standing down, they bought off the Sunni's, things are just too peaceful. If an enemy does not exist, create one, even if he used to be your friend. The objective is a long term military presence in Iraq, instability is a tool to achieving it, allowing Turkey to bomb the Kurds with our approval is just another way to make life interesting in 2008 and stop the talk about withdrawing.
Bill G --
So much for not harming Kurdish civilians:
http://www.therealnews.com/web/index.php?thisdataswitch=0&thisid=706&thisview=item
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