Turkey threatens action unless US tackles Kurdish rebels in Iraq

[Barrett808]

LONDON : Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to take action against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq unless US-led forces intervene to stop them from crossing the border.

Speaking in an interview published in The Times newspaper, the 51-year-old leader said Turkey was committed to fighting terrorism, but also expected help from its allies in a struggle against fighters from the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), which has some 3,000 militants based in northern Iraq.

"Turkey has sent troops to Afghanistan to fight against terrorism," said Erdogan, speaking during a trip to London on Wednesday to meet British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

"We are a country ready to take an active part in the fight against terrorism," he said.

(more)

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_world/view/160309/1/.html

[damntexdem]

1. We are a country ready to take an active part in the fight against terrori

So long as the U.S. helps Turkey terrorize its own Kurds.

[0rganism]

2. Yep, just as many here were predicting in 2003

Turkey will NOT tolerate an independent Kurdistan on its borders.

After the Iraqi civil war divides bush's stillborn neo-con paradise into three or more separate warring regions and the US troops exit stage left, bet on Turkey and Iran, at the very least, to expand their borders.

[Ganja Ninja]

3. What a total f-ing mess!

Until now we've only seen a small portion of the eventual consequences of Bush's ill conceived war. This is going to go on long after we pullout Iraq. It wouldn't be too surprising to see the final death toll at 10 times what it is today.

[fshrink]

5. If republicans strategists were given a truth serum,

they would say something like: "war and a durable and deep destabilization of the ME is in the best interest of our nation's economy (e.g. hidden State financing through military, jeopardizing EU's and Russia's economic development), in the best interest of the ruling class (e.g. increased control of opposition, increased control of voters' fear, allows domestic problems a higher threshold of tolerance) and in the best interest of this nation's foreign policy since it induces a situation equivalent to colonialism but at reduced costs, and focuses the world's attention while plundering and exploitation plods along."
This war, unfortunately, is not "ill-conceived" at all: it has been, and is, consciously and methodically planned. It's purpose, I contend, is to last as long as possible, regardless of the casualties, traditionally a very minor concern, and to spread as widely as possible (e.g. Syria). All this with "0" accountability and the passive, or active support, of many non-republican politicians.

[H5N1]

4. The Kurds stand alone

all alone