U.S. says it can persuade Iraqis to accept Turks

[NNN0LHI]

We got an offer you can't refuse.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N07238233.htm

WASHINGTON, Oct 7 (Reuters) - The Bush administration said on Tuesday it was confident it could bring reluctant Iraqi leaders around to the idea of accepting Turkish troops under a proposal approved by the Turkish parliament.

The Iraqi Governing Council of 24 leaders chosen by the United States is wary of Turkish troops because of historic sensitivities, especially among the Kurds in the north, and worries that the Turks might come with ulterior motives. snip

In Colorado, where he spoke with reporters ahead of a two-day meeting of NATO defense ministers, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld welcomed the Turkish offer.

"It is appreciated," he said. "You have Iraqis all across the spectrum - some who will be very happy, some who will be worried, some who will be neutral. Some won't have an opinion."

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[Nevernose]

1. Of course we can

We have artillery. They'll accept anything we tell them to. That don't make it right.

[Kitsune]

2. Even *with* the artillery

some of them won't.

[Sagan]

3. Sure! We've done SUCH a good job so far!

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

woo! these guys should have been comedians.

Oh, and look at Rummy's "spectrum" of opinions:

"It is appreciated," he said. "You have Iraqis all across the spectrum - some who will be very happy, some who will be worried, some who will be neutral. Some won't have an opinion."

so we've got worried, happy, neutral and no opinion.. what about really pissed off???

Jeezus Keerist! Can't you soulless bastards just fucking LEVEL with us for ONE GODDAM second??? YOU know there are going to be pissed off Iraqis.. I know it... just SAY IT!!

[Paschall]

16. Sounds like they've reprogrammed Rummy's talk box

"We know where the WMD are. They are in the north, south, east, and west." (paraphrase)

[ConcernedCanuk]

4. The BFEE will just keep changing the Iraqi "leaders"

until they get a bunch of "poodles"

Bu$hCo is good at that

Give the Turks the least bit of legitimacy in Iraq

- and the situation will just get worse

Just my Humble Canuk Opinion

[Nottingham]

5. Just Point Guns at the Iraqis and they'll accept Everything

Wasn't Turkey the country who screwed us up in the War and Now they want to send troops

[ConcernedCanuk]

9. Not quite right that they "screwed us up" - IMHO

The USA wanted to use Turkey as an entry port, and at the same time the USA REFUSED to let the Turks cross the border

After all - Turkey is Turkey, NOT one of Murikkka's "poodles"

It took BILLIONS of US taxdollars for Turkey even to let the USA fly over

I think Turkey was waiting to see how it "turned out"

- and now the USA is giving them a "blank check" to go in and do whatever -

This is NOT a good thing

Just My Humble Canuk Opinion

[aquart]

6. Sure. They can practice on the Turks.

And then kill us in style. Or vice versa.

Yeah. Let's destabilize the Turkish government with an unwinnable war, too.

[Democat]

7. If they can get California to accept Arnold

Anything is possible!

[teryang]

8. LOL!

The Iraqis are so convinced by American measures they only attack seventeen times a day.

[Purveyor]

10. Final tally???

And this cost the US taxpayer how much? Last I understood, it was around $8 billion. Who was it, oh yes, Senator Kennedy...talking of the "brides" this administration was paying out to foreign gov't.

Ring up the cash register...Turkey. It's on us!

[newyawker99]

24. Hi Purveyor!!

Welcome to DU!!

[DuctapeFatwa]

11. After a few hours of interrogation, all objections have been resolved

nt

[NNN0LHI]

12. The US just arrested some Turkish soldiers for nefarious deeds

http://www.guardian.co.uk/turkey/story/0,12700,993718,0...

Turks held over Iraq murder plot

By Ed O'Loughlin, Herald Correspondent in Baghdad
July 7 2003

The arrest of a group of Turkish special forces soldiers in northern Iraq by United States troops at the weekend hints at potential new instability in the north even as coalition forces come under daily attacks in the region around Baghdad.

According to a report in the Turkish daily newspaper Hurriyet, about 100 US troops raided a "facility" used by Turkish forces in Sulaimaniya and arrested 11 Turkish special forces on Friday afternoon.

The paper said the US troops had accused the 11 of plotting to murder the mayor of the nearby city of Kirkuk.

Yesterday the Turkish Prime Minister, Tayyip Erdogan, said that the captured Turkish soldiers had been taken to Baghdad, where some of them were released.

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/turkey/story/0,12700,993718,0...

US arrest of soldiers infuriates Turkey

Explosives find suggests Ankara wants to destabilise Kurdish Iraq

Michael Howard in Sulaimaniya and Suzanne Goldenberg in Washington
Tuesday July 8, 2003
The Guardian

The Turkish army chief of staff, General Hilmi Ozkok, frustrated by the waning Turkish influence in northern Iraq, vented his fury at the US yesterday, declaring a "crisis of confidence" between the two countries.

His outburst in Ankara came after 11 Turkish commandos were arrested by US soldiers during a weekend raid.

Newspaper headlines in Turkey condemned the US forces as "Rambos" and "ugly Americans".

Gen Ozkok added: "We attach great importance to Turkish-American diplomatic and armed forces' relations."

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[lindashaw]

13. Rumsfield doesn't have a good record lately for future predictions.

[Bossy Monkey]

14. I.e., "if we get Turks in there, maybe the Iraqis will kill them instead

of us"
In case it's unclear, I'm representing Rumsfeld's point of view ONLY

[damnraddem]

15. Yeah, I'm sure that a little Dubya schmoozing can talk the Kurds ...

out of centuries of resistance to the Turks. It can talk Shias out of millenia of struggle against Sunnis. It can talk those who don't quite form a nation, but who still identify as Iraqis, out of revulsion at the importation of the military of a nation that formerly ruled over them. And while Dubya's magic tongue is at it, why doesn't he also convince Al Qaida into 'not having an opinion' about the U.S.?

I guess the Dubya thugs figure that it doesn't matter what they claim -- they've wandered so far from what could be considered the truth of the world that they have no concern for it, anyway.

[hatrack]

28. Yeah, Arabs & Turks - one big love fest

Could you drag the planet and come up with two groups in possession of more resentment (cultural, ethnic, religious, historical) against one another?

Israelis & Palestinians - maybe.

Hutus & Tutsis - maybe.

NI Catholics & NI Protestants - maybe.

But they'll play nice together because we're THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA? Come on!

[HEyHEY]

17. After all they've done such a marvelous job

Getting Black and White people to accept each other...let's work on two different foreign cultures now. This is the dumbest idea ever

[Pez]

18. well, they convinced us...

...dubya won the 2000 election.

"It is appreciated," he said. "You have <Americans> all across the spectrum - some who will be very happy, some who will be worried, some who will be neutral. Some won't have an opinion."

... ?

[newyawker99]

25. Hi Pez!!

Welcome to DU!!

[JohnyCanuck]

19. And when they're done accepting the Turks.

Dubya's gonna get them to accept the Lord Jeesssus into their hearts.

[HEyHEY]

20. And then he'll trade them firewater for oil

[0007]

23. ......and wild wild women

they'll be eating pig in no time flat, cuz junior is a uniter goddamn, it!! Look at all his wonderful programs.

[Dover]

21. I'm sure they CAN persuade Turkey. But at what cost to Kurdish

lives? At what monetary cost? They aren't going to get on the bogus terrorist bandwagon without a VERY generous offer.

[The_Casual_Observer]

22. US policy - the retarded giant method

Ham fisted wreckless nonpolicy brought to you by the same bunch of shitheads who were driven out of office in 92. The ooblek people.

[Robb]

26. "Why did Kurdish Iraqis get the works?"

"...That's nobody's business but the Turks."

Time to rewrite this old ditty.

[xxqqqzme]

27. They just keep coming up w/ one brilliant

blunder after another. Is it one person or a committee of idiots deciding, 'hey, what if we...(fill in the blank space w/ yet another short-sighted, disasterous action)....?

[ignatius]

29. COL, they can't even get the Iraqis to accept us. Do they all

take the same pills Limpballs takes? Is this collective drug addled thinking?

They should write skits for SNL,they're naturals.

[lovedems]

30. Just like they can persuade us that Cheney, Libby and Rove are innocent

I really like how they leave BEING REALLY PISSED OFF off their little spectrum. I highly doubt "some won't have an opinion" The never ending stream of lies.

[goforit]

31. Like it can persuade the UN to sing and dance?........NOT!!!!

?

[Jacobin]

32. What? Another Shock N' Awe Shit Campaign?

Cretins.

[cmd]

33. Ha, ha, ha. How ignorant can they get.

These people hate each other.

[IndianaGreen]

35. Who is the genius that thought this up?

What's next? British troops to Dublin? US troops to Mecca?

[Jinx]

34. Governing Council

How is that possible? The governing council ALREADY voted against the issue unanimously. It's a little early in the 'liberation' game to be tipping the hand that they're just there for publicity and don't have any real say, isn't it?