Doubts Grow on Sending Turkish Troops to Iraq

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20031021/wl_nm/iraq_turkey_dc&cid=574&ncid=1473

ANKARA (Reuters) - Washington looks likely to drop its request that Turkey send troops to Iraq to back up harried U.S. forces, a decision that could be something of a relief for the Ankara government, Turkish officials and analysts say.

Turkey's troop offer, sanctioned by parliament this month, has provoked strong protest both inside and outside Iraq and is deeply unpopular with the Turkish public.

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said at the weekend he preferred not to send troops if Iraqis did not want them there, although the decision rested with NATO ally Washington.

A senior foreign ministry official, asked late on Monday if he thought Turkish soldiers would go to Iraq, replied: "I don't think so."

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[revcarol]

1. Did you get that...thousands of Turkish troops just inside Iraq?

Didn't you think they had cancelled that, remember a couple of months ago, big headlines about Turkish troops guarding Turkey INSIDE IRAQ?
And they're still there. This administration keeps sneaking around, saying one thing doing another.

[cliss]

2. something's wrong here...

this article re-incarnated itself from yesterday...oh, well.

Once again, Washington is being the ultimate dysfunctional string-pulling relative, always trying to manipulate people to do things against their better judgement.

If Turkey backs out, who do they have left? Mongolians?

[The Magistrate]

3. This Will Be A Big Disappointment To Kurds

Many were doubtless looking forward to sniping the supply trucks headed south.