Turkey bombs Kurdish rebel targets in Iraq; military chief says U.S. approved

Associated Press (excerpt) ^ | December 16, 2007 | Suzan Fraser

[HAL9000]

Excerpt -

ANKARA, Turkey - Turkey said dozens of its warplanes bombed Kurdish rebel targets as deep as 110 kilometres inside northern Iraq for three hours on Sunday, the largest aerial attack in years against the outlawed separatist group. Turkey's military chief said the U.S. gave intelligence and tacit approval for the raid.

An Iraqi official said the planes attacked several villages, killing one woman. The rebels said two civilians and five rebels were killed.

In the nighttime offensive, the fighter jets hit rebel positions close to the border with Turkey and in the Qandil mountains, which straddle the Iraq-Iran border, the Turkish military said in a statement posted on its website. It said the operation was directed against the rebels and not against the local population.

As many as 50 fighter jets were involved in the airstrikes, private NTV television and other media reported. Turkey has recently attacked the area with ground-based artillery and helicopters and there have been some unconfirmed reports of airstrikes by warplanes.

The attack came a month after the United States promised to share intelligence with Turkey about the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and Turkey's military chief, Gen. Yasar Buyukanit, said U.S. intelligence was used.

"America gave intelligence," Kanal D television quoted Buyukanit as saying. "But more importantly, America last night opened (the Iraqi) airspace to us. By opening the airspace, America gave its approval to this operation," he said.

~ snip ~

[U S Army EOD]

I would really hate to be the person to have to make decissions on this one.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

As the old US GIs use to say during WWII,,,, FUBAR

[wastedyears]

Not just WWII

[SubMareener]

Well, it is about time the Turks entered the fight. The PKK is an old-line Stalinist Communist organization that takes advantage of aspects of Kurdish tribal society. The PKK are not nice people, and need to be defeated. This could have all been over if Turkey had played in the original Operation Iraqi Freedom.

[U S Army EOD]

I am sure you are right on that. What a screwed up area of the world.

[a_Turk]

The US wouldn’t agree to entering Iraq together. That’s why the deal did not work out in 2003. So much for Rummy et al..

[RushingWater]

The PKK are not nice people, and need to be defeated.

Hmm, so there are bad commie Kurds. Are these bad commie Kurds enemies of the good Kurds? I would like to know just how direct the hit was on the PKK?? Wonder if we will ever hear that intelligence report?

[a_Turk]

[Prophet in the wilderness]

Dittos, I hear ya

[TBP]

A direct result of the Dimmycraps’ Armenian genocide resolution, which was a deliberate, conscious attempt to open up a new front so we can still lose the war.

[VanShuyten]

I got no problem with the Turks hitting the PPK. Are you going to defend them?

[SunkenCiv]

Turkey - Turkish army confirms that bombed targets Kurds in Iraq
AFP via translation | December 17, 2007
Posted on 12/16/2007 2:23:22 AM EST by HAL9000
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1940181/posts

Turkey launches biggest bombing raid on Kurdish rebels in Iraq
(50 warplanes)
Guardian | 12/17/07 | Ewen MacAskill
Posted on 12/16/2007 11:40:02 PM EST by TigerLikesRooster
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1940495/posts