Foreign Troop Presence Worries Iraq Leader

[maddezmom]

BAGHDAD, Iraq - President Jalal Talabani expressed his concern Sunday over reported Iranian and Turkish troop concentrations on those countries' borders with Iraq.

Turkey has moved thousands of troops to the border region in what its military said was an offensive against Turkish Kurd guerrillas.

Iran also reportedly has moved forces to the border, and last week shelled a mountainous region inside Iraq used by Iranian Kurd fighters for infiltration into Iran, according to Iraqi Kurd officials. No casualties were reported from Friday's artillery and rocket barrage.

Talabani said that so far Iranian and Turkish forces have stayed on their sides of the border.

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060423/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_iran_turkey

I'm sure Turkey and Iran aren't all that pleased about the US military presence in Iraq either. :shrug:

[IndianaGreen]

1. Talabani is a Kurd. You bet he is worried!

Turkey will never allow the Kurds in Iraq to form an independent state or to stage terrorist attacks against Turkish territory. Likewise, the Iranians are not about to tolerate a Kurdish-Iranian terrorist group to cross into Iran to carry out attacks against Iranians.

[bemildred]

3. And well he should.

Iran, Syria, and Turkey all have a common interest in keeping the lid on Kurdish nationalism. And then there is the oil, of course. If it comes to a hot war, it ain't going to be pretty up North.

[Terran1212]

2. This is just a huge mess waiting to explode

With the US trying to control Iraq and remaining there and everyone else about to explode.

[Oversea Visitor]

4. Just call it military movement

nothing more
They just worry of US 16 days to make nuke claim.