Turks hem Kurds in on three fronts

Daily Telegraph ^ | 03/23/2003 | Damien McElroy

[gaucho]

Damien McElroy in Vamerni, Northern Iraq, is confronted by aggressive Turkish invaders defying US wishes and waiting for reinforcements.

Kurdish troops inside northern Iraq were in a tense stand-off with apparently hostile Turkish forces last night after Ankara deployed tanks and commandos at least 15 miles south of the border.

In the small town of Vamerni, three miles beyond the "buffer zone" announced by the Turkish government, eight Abram tanks were positioned around a bombed-out building on a strategic ridge overlooking the valley. Armoured personnel carriers and other military vehicles were also in partly concealed positions. Kurdish troops at a garrison on the opposite side of the road watched apprehensively as their traditional northern enemies prepared for the arrival of reinforcements.

"We were told to expect the Turkish troops to arrive," said First Lieutenant Mohammed Tahir. "They are here, but we have not got any relationship with them. There are no orders to stop them coming here."

At the Turkish checkpoint, the soldiers were less forthcoming. "It's forbidden," the guard said. "Please leave, there's nothing happening here." As I stalled for time by asking for a cup of tea and lighting a cigarette, the attitude of soldiers guarding the area grew increasingly hostile. Finally they snarled that I would be arrested if I did not leave. "If you stay here, there will be trouble," said one officer in fatigues. "Someone will come and get you."

The Turkish government pushed ahead with its troop deployment, deeper into Iraq than at any time since the last Gulf war, despite pleas from Washington to avoid confrontation with the Kurds. Until this war began, Kurdish militia leaders had vowed retaliation if the Turks pressed south. Last week, however, they placed themselves under American command, and have to stand aside as the Turkish military extends a cordon sanitare well beyond its borders.

Now the Kurds effectively face dangers on three fronts. On the eastern border of the Kurdish region they are under threat from an enclave controlled by Ansar al-Islam, the Islamic group linked to al-Qaeda. Yesterday a raid by Kurdish troops killed 10 Islamic militants within the enclave, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan claimed. A further 25 Ansar fighters were reportedly killed overnight by American cruise missiles fired at the enclave.

With hostile activity in both the north and east, Kurdish forces have been drawn away from the southern front with Iraq, where American special forces are battling alongside Kurdish militia to liberate the nearby oilfield cities of Kirkuk and Mosul.

American bombing of Mosul began in the early hours of yesterday and I watched from the Kurdish frontline as massive bombs fell on positions clearly visible, miles away.

The Iraqis were confronted by an enemy they could not see, hear or smell. Only the first tremendous crumpling blast signalled that an attack was on the way. The B2 bombers fly too high to be seen, and cruise missiles leave no vapour trails. Still the anti-aircraft fire spat into the night sky, each burst a streak of big fast sparks piercing the cloud cover. After the first blast, there was a tremendous vibration and then a dull red cone of fire rose on the far horizon.

A Kurdish militia soldier stood with me on the roof of a mud brick annex and smiled broadly in response. "Is good, yes," he said.

On two-way radios the Kurds discussed possible targets: the northern command of the fifth core of the Iraqi army and the Republican Guard compound at Mosul. Three more vast blasts followed and the Kurdish militia remained glued to the skies, fascinated by a display of military power far beyond their wildest ambitions.

The mood on the roof was tense, however, the easy-going friendliness of a few days earlier having vanished.

[gaucho]

Sounds like Turkish troops are actually entering northern Iraq, despite media accounts that say they aren't.

[Semper Paratus]

Maybe we should 'loan' one of our Aircraft Carriers to Greece just to pull the Turks chain.

[topher]

To hell with Turkey...

I don't know who treats the Kurds worse -- Iraq under Saddam or Turkey, "our friend".

[Stavka2]

And note, they are armed with M1s, M-60 AIIIs and F-16 (around 300). If it comes to a fight with the Turks, it'll be US equipment against US equipment and US trained against US trained.

[wastoute]

This is not what we need. The Kurds are helping us on their Southern Flank so the damn Turks take advantage and attack them from the North? We may have found a place to use those MOABs after all, or worse...