Firstly, I doubt this report. If it is true, why warn the US? Either to get con$ideration$, or to try to influence the new government to reign in Kurd autonomy.
Posted on 11/11/2004 3:43:19 PM PST by datura
| FOCUS ON TURKEY |
Turkey warns U.S. it plans to invade northern Iraq shortly after elections
ANKARA — Turkey's military has begun preparing for what officials warned could result in a major invasion of neighboring Iraq.
Officials said the Turkish General Staff has drafted plans for an invasion by at least 20,000 troops into northern Iraq in early 2005. They said the General Staff has urged approval from the government of Prime Minister Recep Erdogan and discussed the proposed invasion with the United States.
"The current phase is to show the United States that we're serious," a Turkish government source said. "After the Iraqi elections in January, the Turkish military will be ready to move."
The military has called for a massive operation in northern Iraq to prevent Kurdish militias from controlling the area. The General Staff has been particularly alarmed by the reported Kurdish effort to drive out ethnic Turks from Kirkuk, the oil capital of northern Iraq and long claimed by Ankara.
Under the Turkish plan, the military would deploy at least 20,000 Turkish troops in an enclave south of the Iraqi-Turkish border. The force would focus on eliminating the Kurdish Workers Party and ensure the return of Turkmens to Kirkuk.
About 3,000 PKK fighters are said to be based in northern Iraq and have been sending insurgents and weaponry for attacks inside neighboring Turkey.
The United States has refused numerous Turkish appeals to eliminate the PKK strongholds.
On Oct. 14 Erdogan and his cabinet reviewed the General Staff's plan. That meeting, attended by Chief of Staff Gen. Hilmi Ozkok and Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul, discussed the rapid deployment of up to 40,000 troops in northern Iraq.
A scaled-down version of the military plan was discussed in the national security council on Oct. 27. The officials said that over the last week some units have already been deployed along the Iraqi-Turkish border.
Officials said the General Staff has sought to prepare two army divisions to cross the Iraqi border within 18 hours of any approval of the operation.
The first goal of the ground operation, supported by fighter-jets and attack helicopters, would be to destroy PKK strongholds in the Kandil mountains in northern Iraq.
The General Staff has warned the cabinet that Ankara could no longer ignore the Kurdish threat. Officials said the military has determined that Kurds from Iran and Syria have bolstered support for the PKK.
Iranian and Syrian Kurds, they said, have participated in PKK attacks against police and military targets in southeastern Turkey over the last week.
Officials said the General Staff has sought to obtain U.S. approval for the operation in northern Iraq. But Washington has not provided implicit approval.
The Erdogan government has sought to delay any Turkish military operation until after the European Union summit on Dec. 17. The government intends to spare the EU any pretext to delay a date for accession.
Officials said the Peshmerga are digging tunnels and establishing outposts outside Dahouk, near the Turkish border.
The Peshmerga have been sending weapons into Turkey as of late, while Iran has been forging ties with both sides of the conflict. Officially, Iran has been much more visible in Turkey signing agreements with the government. Unofficially, the Iranians have been a major supplier to the al Qaida network that exists in Turkey - a network formed during the Bosnian war and maintained to send troops and supplies to Chechnya.
This could end up being a real mess. Basically, the continuing legacy of the Clinton administration's decisions in the area are once again coming home to roost - and are putting our forces in harm's way unneccessarily.
Following Turkey's refusal to allow us to use their frontier with Iraq during the initiation of the war, I can't see us doing anything to help them. Quite to the contrary, the Peshmerga have been extremely faithful allies in the Iraq war and we should stand behind them against Turkey. Allies come and go, and it looks like since Turkey is going to join the EU, we may yet be at war with an EU member in the near future.
Interesting times, indeed.
WTF are these idiots thinking!
What should the US do, shoot them when they come across the border?
Turkey is all bluster.
Hey Turkey.... STUFF IT!
That would be a very dumb move on Turkey's part.
Yes.
So we choose between Turkey and the Peshmerga?
Wow. Though as Stalin said,"You can walk with the devil until you get to the bridge."
Still, war between Turkey and Iran might open other doors of opportunity for securing American national interest.
"The United States has refused numerous Turkish appeals to eliminate the PKK strongholds."
I have no idea whether the above article is true or not. But both the US, Turkey and Israel have a vested interest in routing out the Commie-Terrorist PKK wherever they exist. I will be the first to admit, however, that to do so right now would create unnecessary agrivations that are best left alone until we secure Iraq. But if the PKK launches renewed attacks against Turkey, or the US for that matter, all bets are off.
I guess one of the requirements for EU membership must have been the screw over the Bush Administration and the American people in their Iraq war effort.
About the only explaination I can come up with.
Well, one has to wonder how much of this is actually true.
Maybe the Turks can get Hussein (assuming he hasn't already been hanged) to be their,there,they're [pick one] ally in the invasion.
Don't need to shoot them.
Napalm and CBU's work real good.
LVM
I certainly would tell them that northern Iraq is currently under US military control. For them to enter a zone of US military control with fighting forces constitutes an attack on US forces.
They certainly wouldn't be flying in there for more than a few minutes, and then once their aircraft are destroyed I would threaten to destroy their ground forces.
This is no different than if Iran were to mount an attack on northern Iraq - same/same.
Firstly, I doubt this report. If it is true, why warn the US? Either to get con$ideration$, or to try to influence the new government to reign in Kurd autonomy.
Shoot to kill and bomb the living hell out of these idiots.
I am to believe this..why?
You folks take this article seriously why?
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