Posted on 02/22/2008 1:41:26 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster
Turkey launches ground operation in Iraq
By CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA, Associated Press Writer 1 minute ago
Turkish troops have launched a ground incursion across the border into Iraq in pursuit of separatist Kurdish rebels, the military said Friday — a move that dramatically escalates Turkey's conflict with the militants.
It's the first confirmed ground operation by the Turkish military into Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, and it raised concerns that it could trigger a wider conflict with the U.S.-backed Iraqi Kurds.
The ground operation started after Turkish warplanes and artillery bombed suspected rebel targets on Thursday, the military said on its Web site. The ground incursion was backed by the Air Force, the statement said.
Turkey has conducted air raids against the PKK guerrillas in northern Iraq since December, with the help of U.S. intelligence, and it has periodically carried out so-called "hot pursuits" in which small units sometimes spend only a few hours inside Iraq.
So the announcement of a cross-border, ground incursion of a type that Turkey carried out before the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 was a major development in the conflict.
"The Turkish Armed Forces, which values Iraq's territorial integrity and its stability, will return as soon as planned goals are achieved," the military said. "The executed operation will prevent the region from being a permanent and safe base for the terrorists and will contribute to Iraq's stability and internal peace."
Private NTV television said 10,000 troops were taking part in the offensive and had penetrated six miles into Iraq.
The Kurdish militants are fighting for autonomy in Turkey's predominantly Kurdish southeast, and have carried out attacks on Turkish targets from bases in northern Iraq.
The military said its target was the PKK and that it would take care not to harm civilians "and other local groups that do not act in enmity against the Turkish Armed Forces."
Nihat Ali Ozcan, a terrorism expert with the research center TEPAV, said the operation was launched at this time to hit the group before any infiltration by rebels into Turkey in the spring, the traditional start of the fighting season.
"I think it is aimed to keep the PKK under pressure before the group starts entering Turkey," he said on CNN-Turk television. "I don't think the operation is a large-scale one."
Iraqi border forces officer Col. Hussein Tamer said Turkish shelling on Thursday hit several Kurdish villages in the Sedafan area, some 20 miles from the border.
Jabbar Yawar, a spokesman for Iraqi Kurdish security forces, said sporadic bombing was taking place in the border areas, but no casualties were reported.
Fouad Hussein, a spokesman for the semiautonomous Kurdish government, said the Kurdish Peshmerga forces had been put on alert.
He said Iraqi Kurdish forces also had tightened security around bases housing Turkish military monitors operating in northern Iraq with permission from local authorities under a 1996 agreement.
"The government of Kurdistan ordered the Peshmerga forces to be on alert in fear of any Turkish incursion on Iraqi territory," he said, claiming that Turkish military monitors had tried to leave their bases in violation of the terms of the 1996 agreement.
"Those troops tried to move out but the Peshmerga forces forced them to return to their camps within half an hour," he said.
In Ankara on Thursday, Turkey's civilian and military leaders issued a statement after a meeting on national security, saying cross-border attacks by the military would continue as long they were "deemed necessary."
ping
This has been on the cards for a long time.
"A land operation is a whole new level," Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza told reporters in Brussels.
- http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/news/international/Turkey_launches_land_offensive_into_N_Iraq.html?siteSect=143&sid=8768580&cKey=1203675752000&ty=ti
Ping!
Thanks for posting. Very interesting.
Unrest in Serbia...now Turkey invading Iraq. These Global problems certainly can’t help the Democrats in November...
They will talk about healthcare. That will solve the global problems.
Sure it can - the RATs will spin this as caused by the failed policies of the Bush administration and the Republican Party as a whole.
U.S. Army forces helped "take out the trash," he said
One-hundred-and-forty-four PKK terrorist were killed or captured. Many, according to the Major, were Iranians. Based upon what he said it sounded like that it was a two-week mission but he did not say if U.S. forces are still there.
Other comments by the major strongly indicated that the U.S. does not want Turkey to enter Iraq even though the incursion would be there at the border and the Turk mission would be to get the PKK terrorists.
Just in case someone doesn't know the PKK terrorists (and named as such by our State Dept.) are Marxist revolutionaries and have been active in Turkey for almost thirty years. They've occupied mountainous areas right on the border for years. In recent weeks they have killed numerous Turks after crossing into Turkey and escaping back into Iraq.
We do not, however, condone the Israelis doing the same kind of operation against Gaza. . .
"A US State Department official said the land incursion was 'not the greatest news'.
"'A land operation is a whole new level,' Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza told reporters in Brussels.
"He said Washington had been cooperating fully with ally Turkey in providing intelligence on PKK positions in northern Iraq since last November to enable the Turkish air force to make pinpoint attacks minimising civilian casualties.
"The EU and the United States have in the past raised concerns that a major offensive could destabilise the region, though they have not criticised recent small cross-border raids.
"In Baghdad, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari said his government was not aware of any Turkish ground offensive.
"Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki called on his Turkish counterpart last night to respect Iraq's borders after renewed shelling. President Jalal Talabani accepted an invitation from Turkish President Abdullah Gul to visit Turkey. . . ."
Yes, I know. Go figure.
Except Turkey is after a small number of PKK in a PKK-controlled remote part of the Kurdish region -- this time.
Ankara is however concerned about a "Kurdistan" and, also, the status of the Turkman population in the Kurdish region of Iraq.
Much bigger trouble -- the kind which too many seem to think is happening now -- could happen. I doubt that Washington would cooperate in that case -- but who knows what the future will bring?
So is this AgitProp just spouting off again then “raised concerns that it could trigger a wider conflict with the U.S.-backed Iraqi Kurds.”
Could be -- at least from some who obviously strive to create problems between us and Turkey for the purpose of helping a foreign country regardless of harm to our efforts in Iraq.
For example the Congressional Armenian genocide resolution -- condemning, once again, that horrific act.
Why now? Well, for one Armenia and the Armenian diaspora here are in the process of legal action against Turkey. Their hope is to recover territory and get reparations. To their credit, it seems that Armenians here have backed off out of respect for the interest of the United States. At least the MSM coverage is not there anymore.
In other cases it's not Agitprop, it's the typical American drive-by media and their employees' cursory work -- or, the drive-by media employees also want to disrupt our defense efforts (again!).
I just heard an ABC radio "news" report -- it was accurate: limited purpose, we knew about it, the PKK are bad guys. But, here's ABC radio "news'" usual behavior. As this is reported throughout the day less and less detail is reported and what's left is twisted; by the end of the day they'll have Turkey threatening Baghdad and the U.S. about to go to war.
Like the Kurdish Regional Government Mexicorruption seems powerless (or simply unwilling to act decisively) and instead opts to deny that drug smugglers, et al routinely cross our border, harass and kill our people.
But wait! Maybe it will work the other way. Maybe the PKK will adopt the Mexicorruption tactic. That is, the PKK could offer to send "cheap labor" along with the their killers. Turkey is a democratic republic and Turkish businessmen just might pressure Ankara to look the other way -- just like our government wienies do.
"We need comprehensive reform," says Ankara. "We need a high-tech ID card that goes PING!" says Ankara lawmaker. . . .
BINGO. The Enemedia is anti-American and anti-Troop. This kills two birds with one stone.
With pre-knowledge of both the USA and Iraq.
Thanks for the link!
And the Turkish parastate continues in its mission of expanding the new Caliphate.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.