Turkish Officials: Troops Enter Iraq

Security Sources Say Soldiers Crossed Border In "Hot Pursuit" Raid; Foreign Minister Denies It

(CBS/AP)  Turkish troops crossed into northern Iraq early Wednesday to chase Kurdish guerrillas who attack Turkey from bases there, Turkish security officials said. One official said the troops had returned to their bases by the end of the day, but Turkey's foreign minister denied its troops had ever entered Iraq.

The senior security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media, characterized the raid as a "hot pursuit" raid that was limited in scope. They told The Associated Press it did not constitute the kind of large incursion that Turkish leaders have been discussing in recent weeks.

One official said several thousand troops went less than two miles inside Iraq and were still there in late afternoon. "It is a hot pursuit, not an incursion," one official said.

Another official said by telephone it was "not a major offensive and the number of troops is not in the tens of thousands." He also said the Turkish troops went into a remote, mountainous area.

A third official, based in the border region, said 600 commandos entered Iraq and were backed up by several thousand troops along the border. He said the commandos raided Iraqi territory across from the Turkish border town of Cukurca before dawn after rebels opened fire from Iraqi soil on Turkish patrols.

The official said the commandos returned to their bases in Turkey later in the day. There was no immediate explanation for the conflicting accounts of the officials.

All three officials are based in southeast Turkey, where the military has been battling separatist Kurdish rebels since they took up arms in 1984.

The officials stood by their statements despite denials from Turkish and Iraqi officials.

The White House said there has been "no new activity" in northern Iraq to justify the press reports. Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the White House's National Security Council, said that U.S. officials in the region have confirmed that the activity is a continuation of Turkey's years-long campaign against guerrillas of Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK.

"The Turkish government reports no new incursions into northern Iraq," Johndroe said. "U.S. officials on the ground confirm no new activity."

Johndroe said Washington remains "concerned about the PKK and the use of Iraq as a safe haven."

"We have no indications or no reports that the Turks have conducted a cross-border operation into Iraq," said Brig. Gen. Perry Wiggins, deputy director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a military spokesman in Baghdad, said he could not confirm any Turkish troops were in Iraq, but "we are looking into it and obviously we are very concerned."

The last major Turkish incursion into northern Iraq was in 1997, when about 50,000 troops were sent to the region.

The officials who gave the accounts of the raid Wednesday are involved in anti-rebel operations. They did not disclose whether they participated in the planning of Wednesday's operation.

Two of the officials said any confrontation with Iraqi Kurdish groups, who have warned against a Turkish incursion, could trigger a larger cross-border operation. The Turkish military has asked the government in Ankara to approve such an incursion, but the government has not given formal approval.

Several military officials at the Pentagon said they have seen nothing Wednesday that would confirm the reports of Turkish troops crossing the border into Iraq.

[neoconrcrazy]

Welcome Turkey to the Bush War !

Don't be alarmed, this was planned for by bushit & co.

The turks are there to destablize the north of iraq - where most of the oil is - so that we can send another 50'000 to "secure" that area.

Let's wait and see if this will encourage Iran to do something similar, which, of course, was plan of the Bush master plan all along.

[joehawkinson]

I agree with neoconRcrazy, it is not Turkey's best interest to go into Northern Iraq but some morons in the Turkish military are being tricked into the hell hole called Iraq. this is part of Bush's master plan even though you hear US officials opposing such Turkish invasion, all part of the plan. They welcome anything that could make the region more chaotic than ever before. Their plan is to destablize the region and seed conflicts among nations, simple.

I am not a fan of Bush. He very well may be the worst president ever, BUT I cannot see how instability in Kurdistan helps him or his cronies.

One posibility comes to mind, that this is showing the Kurds the whip, in order to facilitate obtaining a better deal for the big oil companies.

[gkc99]

It all makes sense when you realize that the last thing the Bushit / Chickenshit administration, and their multinational corporation owners, want is stability in Iraq. They want ongoing, continued instability to provide plausible cover for their ongoing occupation of Iraq, as they prepared to plunder the 100 billion barrels of oil "recently" found in western Iraq in addition to their substantial proven reserves. Bushit let the cat out of the bag the other day when he admitted he wants to see US troops in Iraq for the next 50 years.

Prepare for endless war. War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Bushit is President.

[blazercoach1]

Gee I thought Bush was a moron who couldn't pronounce "nuclear" and could barely finish a sentence. Now you guys are crediting him with masterminding this plan that is so ingenious you can't even describe it....you can only recognize it when it pops up on the news.

Let's see...is he also behind the guy jumping into the popemobile? What about Paris hilton crying behind bars? All part of Bush the Super-Genius's master plan.......

And he would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling kids....

[vet_sk]

When we were there last year it was a normal thing for the Kurds the Turks to be fighting. If I remember right, they even had a name for these annual cross-border conflicts. I think the Turks are just getting tired of it. It should also be mentioned that there are more than one major faction within the Kurds.

The Kurds head across the river and pounce on Turkish forces and the Turks retaliate. I don't think this is a big deal but should be watched. It is certainly not like the Turks have the forces to even think about occupying northing Iraq.

[rohink-2009]

Posted by billysmith6

Go have another bong hit.

[antoniof123]

I agree that neo cons are crazy but Bush have a master plan. I think a snowball stands a better chance in hell than that one.

[ramos937]

I am not a fan of G. Bush neither but this is far beyond him. It is just a natural result of what we have created in Iraq which is no central authority. Saddam would have had the **** off whatever Iraq group took up raiding into Turkey. He definitely would not have wanted the Turks to be ticked againist Iraq.

My worst nightmare is that somehow our guys will be ordered to go againist the Turkish soldiers. If it happens by some chance, then that will be the match that sets off what everybody has been dreading. We should have left Saddam alone - controlled but alone.

[tuckerndfw]

The Kurds have long been terrorists.

They were the terrorists attempting to overthow Saddam Hussein. And, who the west claimed were "victims" of Saddam Hussein.

If the Kurds were "victims" of Saddam Hussein, then al qaida is being victimized by the Bush administration.

The US not only supports terrorists, they provided them with a safe haven from which to operate in the "no fly zones." And they continue to operate today from US provided safe havens.

The Kurds are terrorists and are little different than al qaida or any other terrorist group. Except the US & UK actively support Kurdish terrorists.

[lars008-2009]

there is no peace with fascist nazi islam%u2026.. there never has been in it%u2019s 1400 year existence%u2026

dnc are like john adams and want to give the jihadist their lunch money hoping they will leave us alone....

gop are like thomas jefferson and want to spend their lunch money on weapons and go kick the jihadists in their arses.....

What Thomas Jefferson learned from the Muslim book of jihad

Thomas Jefferson knew about fascist nazi islam..... he killed plenty of them....

In 1786 Jefferson and John Adams went to negotiate with Tripoli's envoy to London, Ambassador Sidi Haji Abdrahaman or (Sidi Haji Abdul Rahman Adja). They asked him by what right he extorted money and took slaves. Jefferson reported to Secretary of State John Jay, and to the Congress:

The ambassador answered us that [the right] was founded on the Laws of the Prophet (Mohammed), that it was written in their Koran, that all nations who should not have answered their authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make war upon them wherever they could be found, and to make slaves of all they could take as prisoners, and that every Mussulman who should be slain in battle was sure to go to heaven.[1]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Barbary_War
http://www.usvetdsp.com/jan07/jeff_quran.htm
muslim justifies slavery and piracy%u2026
http://www.hawaiireporter.com/story.aspx?6bdec278-6a71-4436-bc4d-29d1c54b0ad7

[jn122736]

Bush apologists are pretty good at using sarcasm and subterfuge to defend him.

NeoconRcrazy said, %u201CDon't be alarmed, this was planned for by (bushit & co)%u201D, obviously referring to the bush administration not just Bush alone.

And Joehawkinso said; %u201CI agree with neoconRcrazy%u201D
This does not necessarily reflect on bush%u2019s intelligence.

I believe Bush%u2019s intelligence (or lack of), is quite apparent to the whole world by now.

Any president has the power to do many things regardless of his/her IQ. What they accomplish (or not) depends as much on their advisers/handlers as it does on their own intelligence. However they are credited and/or blamed for any and all actions their administrations take.

[oeangus]

U.S. intelligence agencies warned the Bush administration in early 2003 that invading Iraq could destabilize the entire Middle East. If you believe destabilization of the region was the Administration%u2019s intent, then Bush is responsible as some are suggesting. If you believe that was never the intent, then this is simply the beginning of everything the CIA warned of and that went unheeded.

[nolalou]

This conflict with Turkey and the Kurds has been going on a long time, even when Saddam Hussain was in power. There is a large Kurdish population in Turkey, near the border with Iraq. Both the Turkish and Iraq Kurds have wanted to form an independent county, and Turkey is afraid that Kurds in Turkey will try to break away, and join the Iraq Kurds.

This is one of the few things going on in Iraq that I don't blame Bush for!

[radiob-2009]

The last of five brigades scheduled to reinforce U.S. troops in Baghdad and its surroundings will arrive in the "next couple of weeks," but it may take up to 60 days for it to fully establish itself, Brig. Gen. Kevin J. Bergner, a U.S. command spokesman, told reporters. The brigades are the key element of a "surge'' of 30,000 U.S. troops that began arriving in February to try to restore order to central Iraq.



Granted it is the begining of June but a couple more weeks brings us to the end of June and 60 days later to establish themselves brings us into August which brings us to the reporting period for the military on how well the "surge" is working.Anyone want to guess what the outcome of the report will be?

[lochlan-2009]

I wonder if this has anything to do with getting American war funding to Turkey in exchange for running the pipeline from Caspian Sea through to Europe. Fierce battle right now between U.S. and Russia on who gets to profit on piping the worlds largest Natural Gas reserve (something our media barely ever talk about) to Europe. Maybe???

[tuckerndfw]

Anyone want to guess what the outcome of the report will be?

Posted by radiob at 01:11 PM : Jun 06, 2007

The report will claim this:

"We are making good progress. There is less violence and the Iraqi people are much more cooperative. Pockets of resistance remain, but they are under control and the situation is improving.

Although it will be necessary for US forces to remain in Iraq, their role will be greatly reduced. And will primarily be as trainers and advisors."

(which is the same thing as "we're turning a corner, stay the course")

[acauble1]

"We are aware of this Turkish troop buildup on the border, and the Iraqi government position has been that we will not accept or tolerate any military incursion into Iraqi territories," he said.(Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari)
.................


ROTFLMFAO!!! LOL!!!

I'm laughing so hard, my sides are hurting!

I'm sure the Turkish government is also laughing their A$$es off too!

Really, the Iraqi government can't even keep a street secure, let alone their own border. (But then, neither can the U.S. at this point).

[superdem]

The Kurds are the one group in Iraq that doesn't hate us (rught now), because we basically gave them an autonomous region, and we covet their oil - er, I mean, we share ideals of freedom. But what will we do when the Kurds come to us and demand protection from the Turks ? Are we going to fight the Turks, who are also our allies, on behalf of the Kurds ? If we don't, then the Kurds join in guerrilla warfare against U.S. troops, like the Sunni and Shia and Al-Qaeda already do. If we fight the Kurds to contain them against the Turks, again we have a Kurdish insurgency. If we demand the Turks leave Iraq without solving the problem, the Turks won't do it, we become their enemy, their Islamic fundamentalist movements increase in strength, their secular government weakens, and all sorts of mischief happens, none of it good. Lovely ! By the way, Saddam had all these groups more or less under control, cracking heads when necessary. But WE DESTROYED THE EQUILIBRIUM - yay BUSH !!! ALSO - all of this was explained to Bush before the invasion, and he and his Christian Zionists disregarded it. This is what happens when hillbillies run your government.

[grazinggoat]

This was all planned by Bush. Get a grip. I guess Bush is also responsible for the hemorroids on your ***. He is also responsible for your wife leaving you. What else you want to blame Bush for you muslim loving f@gs
Posted by superchez1

-You are so innocently sitting on your butt and digesting what you are fed with, on a daily basis, kool-aid and other sweet drinks, huh!

-Wake up and see what our 'planning and (lying) departments' are at everyday. Those are called the strategists for brighter and wealthier futur, making sure the interests of the USA are well prepared and defended (PNAC). To be able to see this, you got to wipe your eyes of the thick layer of mucus deposits accumulated while accepting our nicely tied, suited and combed politicians' lies and wet dirt.

[acauble1]

superdem,

Yes, everything you hypothesized will essentially be correct.

Therefore...

...every message board that is regarding Iraq, in one way or another, could essentially be summed up/wrapped up by saying:

THE WORLD WOULD BE BETTER OFF IF THE U.S. DID NOT INVADE IRAQ, AND LEFT SADDAM HUSSEIN UNDER CONTAINMENT!

Sure, some Iraqis may not agree with that, but the vast majority of Iraqis who's loved ones have been killed over the past 4 years would highly agree.

[joehawkinson]

I must agree to the below post :

"It all makes sense when you realize that the last thing the Bushit / Chickenshit administration, and their multinational corporation owners, want is stability in Iraq. They want ongoing, continued instability to provide plausible cover for their ongoing occupation of Iraq, as they prepared to plunder the 100 billion barrels of oil "recently" found in western Iraq in addition to their substantial proven reserves. Bushit let the cat out of the bag the other day when he admitted he wants to see US troops in Iraq for the next 50 years.

Prepare for endless war. War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Bushit is President.
Posted by gkc99 at "

[secundus2]

For 80 years the Turks have oppressed the Kurds. They used to deny that there even were Kurds in Turkey. They called them "mountain Turks" and claimed (falsely) that the Kurdish language was a dialect of Turkish. Then they forbade the teaching of Kurdish and the publishing of papers and books in Kurdish. The Turks wanted to do to the Kurds what they already had done to the Armenians. Kurds also live in Syria, Iraq and Iran.

Why don't the Muslim brothers cede some territory to the Kurds for their own nation state? If not, they will get from the Kurds, some of what they have dealt to the Kurds. Since Turkey wants to be in the EU, those brilliant Europeans who know so much more than Americans can put the brakes on a Turkish invasion of Iraq, but don't hold your breath

[khamron1]

Well, accroding to the posts here on the Peoples Republic of CBS, we know that George W. Bush was the shooter on the grassy knoll; was responsible for 9/11; AND he and his "Neocon" handlers were responsible for the Coke debacle.

Saddam did have all of these groups under control... he gassed several of their villages and filled up mass graves with those he missed.

Anyone who believes that the world would be better off with Saddam in power, has a very short memory. I remember when every Democrat whiner from Sir Hillary to Ted "Straight up - no ice" Kennedy were making comments that Saddam had WMD's and President Clinton only tomahawked the country because we had to.

[king77shaw]

why does W look so uncomfortable when talking about the 9/11 commission ? watch - its only a few minutes and speaks for itself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9AoaU7LlTk

demand the TRUTH!

[king77shaw]

collapse or controlled demolition - look at the photo and you be the judge...

http://911research.wtc7.net/wtc/evidence/photos/wtc2exp2.html

[seven-pesos]

in the south they still love bush...

all those phony christian snakes, rednecks, white trash

they love bush, falwell, robertson, swaggart, delay, rush limbaugh...

all southern, all chrisitian, all *****...

dixie *****.

i ***** on the bush loving south.

i wipe my azz with the confederate flag.

war, hate, bible thumpers, flag wavers...

nothing good comes out of the south!

[king77shaw]

more photos .. collapse or controlled demolition ? how did the beams get shot so far horizontally ? curious ...

http://911research.wtc7.net/wtc/evidence/photos/wtc1nenw.html

[rushman71]

seven-pesos: Whatever you do, don't come down here to Texas. People down here don't like idiots like you. Be careful what you say. Words can kill......

[seven-pesos]

idiot snake southerners love to start wars...

the south doesn't pay!

poor slave states have no money.

the rich, hardworking, educated blue states pay.

the south provides the wars!

ha,ha,ha.

war, hate, arrogance, phony christian republican creeps...

nothing good comes out of the south!

[seven-pesos]

jesse james was another confederate snake...

never shot a man face to face.

murdered all two dozen men he killed by shooting them in the back.

typical southern character.

kinda like bush and his dixie christian supporters...

bush whackers and back stabbers, war makers and bible thumpers...

war, hate, arrogance, christian snakes...

nothing good out of the south.

[toldyouso21]

Why don't the Muslim brothers cede some territory to the Kurds for their own nation state? If not, they will get from the Kurds, some of what they have dealt to the Kurds. Since Turkey wants to be in the EU, those brilliant Europeans who know so much more than Americans can put the brakes on a Turkish invasion of Iraq, but don't hold your breath
Posted by secundus2 at 02:57 PM : Jun 06, 2007


The same reason America won't cede the state of Vermont to her occupants. No one likes to give up territory or people. In fact, many men prefer to destroy a people than set them free. Pharoah wanted to do that to the Jews, Lincoln fought long and hard to hold onto the South, Russia has killed millions to keep their empire intact, China is prepared to crush TAiwan and Hong Kong under her feet rather than surrender them, Bush is ready to destroy Iraq rather than vacate.

Classic case of a male thinking "he'd rather have something dead than to share it or set it free" Definitely the net result of each leader having "Classic small peeeniz syndrome"

[seven-pesos]

the south has a dark and sordid history.

full of war, insurrection, slavery, assasination, lynching, rebellion, arrogance, death and destruction.

bush is just the latest southerner to do the worst to america.

jefferson davis,
johnson,
bush,

all war making, slave state losers.

war, hate, arrogance, republican snakes, ignorant christian creeps...

nothing good comes out of the south!

[notblue]

Khamron1, what you will find here at leftwing central is a world where the occupants have been able to conclude that all the worlds problems through simple minded reasoning can be blamed on the hated Bush and the neocons of America. It's frustrating to a person of even average intellect why the barbaristic terrorists, dictators and despots of the world face no scrutiny as there henous acts against civilized free societies continue to be ignored by the left in this country. There belief in such extreme pascifism not only puts our democracy in grave danger but it emboldens our true enemies. Another thing the left accomplishes with there ant-American rhetoric is an unprecedented level of polarization that has divided America.

[lars008-2009]

European officials back plan to profile mosques
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1178708583010&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Springtime in Islamberg
Radical Muslim paramilitary compound flourishes in upper New York state
http://www.canadafreepress.com/2007/paul-williams051107.htm

[seven-pesos]

they still love bush in the south.

the only thing i like about the south is wiping my azz with the confederate flag.

war, hate, bible thumpers, flag wavers...

nothing good comes out of the south!

[samthetvcat]

This is all Bush's fault because he did all that saber rattling injecting himself into the middle-east without a plan or a clue and now everybody knows he doesn't have the manpower to push back the vultures sensing the power vacuum. It's a sad sad day when even the Kurds are going to start to think even they were better off with Saddam in power.

[notblue]

Samthecat, would you classify daily suicide bombings of innocent civilians and other attrocities committed by the militants that are too numerous to list a form of "sabre rattling"???? or is it just all "Bush's fault"???

[samthetvcat]

"Samthecat, would you classify daily suicide bombings of innocent civilians and other attrocities committed by the militants that are too numerous to list a form of "sabre rattling"???? or is it just all "Bush's fault"???"
Posted by notblue at 05:04 PM : Jun 06, 2007

It's all Bush's fault. If he hadn't invaded Iraq, there'd still be a form of peace. Saddam actually cracked down on this type of terrorism. The war in Iraq has INCREASED the level of terrorism AND the threat of terrorism domestically. He's actually part of the problem and not the solution.

[seven-pesos]

white trash, christian southerners think bush is an american hero.

dixie snakes are a scourage to america.

time to dump those southern states.

let the mexicans have them.

war, hate, arrogance, phony christian snakes...

nothing good comes out of the south!

the south never does good for america, anyway.

[khamron1]

Notblue... it is nothing new to listen to the absolute idiocy of people like "seven-pesos at." If the south was so incredibly bad then I wonder why the SOUTH is the part of the country to which everyone is moving? Perhaps the south irritates those elitests in the left because we question and collectively do not drink the kool-aid? Remember, just twenty years ago every state in the south was unquestionably Democrat. Now, since the Demowhiners have begun this psychotic hatred of GWB, the south is solidly Republican. Oklahoma for the first time in its 100 year history is predominately Republican. The redstates, if you will who do not want nor do we need the elitests telling us how to think.

Saddam Hussien was a murder and created an instability in the region that was incredible... I guess that the Demowhiners have forgotten that Sir Hillary would not rule out a ground invastion when she was first lady. Now of course to get George Soros' money... she has to say that she was 'misled.'

Blame America First! The left's mantra...

[samthetvcat]

"Blame America First! The left's mantra..."
Posted by Khamron1 at 05:29 PM : Jun 06, 2007

If that's the left's mantra then not taking responsibility for their incompetence and corruption is the right's.

Look, I'm not saying Bush is a bad guy, I just don't think he's competent. There are on easy solutions, which is why Bush is still buddies with the Saudis even though something like 15 of the 19 9/11 terrorists came from there. If Bush is such a tough guy, why not actually address the issue with the truly powerful, not just the paper tiger who was a bad guy but lacked the means to actually commit a big-scale terrorist act.

[samthetvcat]

PS "on"="no" . . . in learning disability speak :)

PPS Musharraf in Pakistan isn't a friend of democracy either, harboring terrorists and getting rid of dissidents but in light of the alternative of getting rid of him it's probably better to keep him in power. I think to expect people on the other side of the world who may have interests which conflict with our own to be the way we want them to is not realistic. For Bush to be blowing missiles into Pakistan and the Sudan is just foolhardy. Hopefully he'll refrain from doing the same to Iran!

[khamron1]

So, of course, the lefts idea of responsibility is to launch a couple cruise missles at a milk factory in the Sudan. And of course, now their answer is that our troops are the actual terrorists and we are the bad guys in this situation.

When President Bush ordered the invasion of Iraq, he used the SAME intelligence that every Democrat politician had access to and THEY along with other nations absolutely KNEW Saddam had WMD's or were at least on the road to obtaining them. The Mossad in Israel, England, and a host of others confirmed that intelligence. 17, count em, 17 UN resolutions and clear violations of the 91 cease fire...

President Bush is not competent?? Anyone who sticks to his guns and doesn't take a poll every ten minutes to find out if he's doing what is "politically correct" has something called integrity. I realize that Murtha and Sir Hillary have nothing but disdain for that quality, but there are those of us who admire that in a person.

Incompetence and corruption... You mean like the Democratic Congressman who was keeping $90,000 cool in his refrigerator? Or perhaps the fact that the Dem's in Congress are sidestepping their own rules about earmarks to rush them through? Or never let us forget how John Kerry told the Europeans that our troops are such terrorists for busting into Iraqi homes in the middle of the night...

Kruschev said it best... it doesn't have to be true, just say it enough and someone will believe it... yawn.

[khamron1]

Seven-pesos at, aren't you supposed to be on MySpace?? Go away and let the grownups talk son...

[seven-pesos]

any one of you bush loving dixie snakes care to apologize for murdering all those yankee prisoners of war in the south?

that's what i thought.

slave state snakes...

i ***** on the south.

i wipe my azz with the confederate flag.

war, hate, bible thumpers, flag wavers...

nothing good comes out of the south!

[samthetvcat]

Posted by Khamron1

If I'm boring you don't talk to me anymore . . .

[seven-pesos]

christians are like cockroaches!

whenever you shine the light on them they run into their holes.

that's why i always wear my $300 dollar, lizard skin, 2" heel, chrome tipped

pointed texas cowboy boots...

so i can step on those cockroaches when they run into the corner.

ha,ha,ha.

war, hate, phony republican christian snakes...

nothing good comes out of the bush loving south.

[radiob-2009]

Dont feed the amobeas they multiply and have no thought process.

[seven-pesos]

" iraq, afghanistan are our destiny." ...bush.

oh, boy!

those idiot southern creeps really eat that ***** up, boy!

redneck, confederate southern creeps are waving those flags and jerkin' their gerkin.

bible thumpin' evangelist are in estasy.

what a ***' laugh!

war, hate, rednecks, reborns, belligerent southern trash.

they still love that snake, bush, in the south.

nothing good comes out of the south!