[Duh Alert] -- US-British operation enforcing Iraqi no-fly zone ends

Agence France-Presse (AFP) ^ | 3-22-03

[Oldeconomybuyer]

ANKARA, March 22 (AFP) - Operation Northern Watch, a joint British-US force based in Turkey monitoring a no-fly zone over northern Iraq has ended, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said Saturday.

"The decision was made under the rules (of the operation). It is not a political decision," Gul said in an interview with NTV television.

The Turkish cabinet made the decision Friday due to the "war situation unfolding in Iraq," a foreign ministry statement said.

"The US and British embassies have been informed of the decision," it added.

Turkish officials had said earlier that Operation Northern Watch, which is comprised of about 50 British and US warplanes, would end once the US-led war against Iraq started as the need to protect a specific area in Iraq would cease.

The planes -- based in Incirlik in southern Turkey -- have been enforcing the no-fly zone since the end of the 1991 Gulf War to protect the Iraqi Kurds in the north of the country from the forces of President Saddam Hussein.

A similar operation was set up by Britain and the United States in southern Iraq to protect the Shiites.

Ankara said this week that the jets based in Incirlik would not be allowed to participate in bombardments of Iraq.

Operation Northern Watch began on January 1, 1997 with an initial mandate of six months, since when the Turkish parliament has renewed its mandate every June and December.

It was preceded by Operation Provide Comfort, which ran from April 1991 to December 1996.

Iraqi forces have regularly fired on allied aircraft patrolling them since joint US-British air raids on Baghdad in December 1998.

Washington has said the planes only target military objectives in self-defence but Baghdad has frequently claimed that civilians and civilian installations are hit.

[George from New England]

How idiotic to report on this. As the poster said, DUH!

[George from New England]

Oh it's from the French, double DUH!

[MediaMole]

Reading between the lines, the Turks are cutting off all US military operations from their bases. With Northern Watch stopped, and a ban on offensive operations in Iraq, all our aircraft based at Incirlik are prevented from supporting operations in Iraq.

We may have overflight rights, but cannot use our forces based in Turkey.

[NonValueAdded]

MediaMole is correct. This is Turkey stepping up their "negotiations". Fortunately, we'll have the H1, 2, 3, and 4 bases and hopefully some permanent basing rights in New Iraq. Thanks, allies!

[M Kehoe]

I hope the Turks (Persians too if they are listening), know that ALL of Iraq is a no-fly zone. Until otherwise designated by the U.S. and Britain.

That is all.

5.56mm

[Cicero]

This was reported earlier. I also view it as an unfriendly move. It's not suprising that Agence France Presse is reporting it.

IMHO the Turkish generals as well as the government have decided to break with the U.S. and try to grab the northern oil fields. No doubt the French are encouraging them.