BBC: Turkish army chief argues for Iraq op against Kurdish guerillas

[BurtWorm]

Another can of worms opens.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6548815.stm

Turkish General Yasar Buyukanit
The general wants Iraqi-US support to tackle the PKK


The head of Turkey's powerful military has said Ankara should launch a military operation in northern Iraq to target Kurdish guerrillas based there.

Gen Yasar Buyukanit, chief of Turkey's general staff, urged the government to approve a cross-border incursion.

Turkey accuses the outlawed Kurdish group PKK of using bases in northern Iraq to launch attacks on Turkey.

The PKK has been fighting since 1984 to achieve autonomy for Turkey's Kurds.

Gen Buyukanit said 10 Turkish soldiers and 29 PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) rebels had died in clashes in recent days.

"An operation into Iraq is necessary," he told a news conference in Ankara on Thursday.

[MADem]

1. OhMY!!!! I am shocked....SHOCKED....that one of our allies would think of this. NOT.

I'm surprised they took so damn long.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

2. Disagree. This seems early

I thought the Turks would wait until we pulled out, or at least started that process. They know that Bush waves the Kurds in front of the cameras when he wants to talk about successes.

When we pull out, Turks will roll in, trying to get as much of the oil country as they can before the Syrians and Iranians get it. They at least want to secure as far as Kirkuk. And they want to eliminate this wild idea that there is a place called Kurdistan.

[MADem]

5. I actually thought they'd have done the minor incursions and infiltrations by now

I know they've done a few. But I expected a bit more ground work by now, BushCo notwithstanding.

[underpants]

3. Hmm Pre-emption wonder where they got that idea?

The answer on Jeopardy had to do with pre-emption. No one knew the question-Alex said "The Bush doctrine" and everyone kind of looked at each other like "HE has a doctrine name after him?"

[theoldman]

It will be interesting to see of Bush supports our allies the

Kurds or supports the Turks who are sometimes our allies. I guess there is a lot of oil in the Southern part of Turkey that is mostly Kurdish. Why else would the Turks want to hold on to it.

[theoldman]

4. IDelete, duplicate