BAGHDAD, Dec. 17, 2007
Iraq Condemns Turkish Airstrikes
Denounces Bombing Of Suspected Kurdish Rebel Bases As Violation Of Iraqi Sovereignty
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Turkish soldiers patrol in Sirnak province, on the Turkish-Iraqi border, southeastern Turkey, Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2007. (AP Photo/Ibrahim Usta)
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Villagers walks through a rubble at the Qlatooka village near Iraq's border with Turkey on Sunday, Dec. 16, 2007. Turkish war planes bombed Kurdish rebel targets as far as 60 miles inside northern Iraq for three hours early Sunday, in the largest aerial attack against the outlawed separatist group in recent years. (AP)
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As many as 50 Turkish fighter jets were involved in the airstrikes Sunday in the Qandil mountains of northern Iraq in the biggest attack against Turkish Kurd rebels in years, Turkish media said. An Iraqi official said the planes attacked several villages, killing one woman. The rebels said two civilians and five rebels died.
"We condemn this outrageous attack on Iraq's sovereignty," Iraq's parliament said in a statement.
Turkey said the attack was aimed at rebels of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, and that U.S. intelligence had been used in the bombing. The PKK has battled for autonomy for southeastern Turkey for more than two decades and uses strongholds in northern Iraq for cross-border strikes.
"America gave intelligence," Kanal D television in Turkey quoted the nation's military chief, Gen. Yasar Buyukanit, as saying. "But more importantly, America last night opened (Iraqi) airspace to us. By opening the airspace, America gave its approval to this operation."
Washington is trying to balance support for two key allies: the Turkish government and the Iraqi Kurds. Despite their apparent support for a limited raid, the United States remains firmly opposed to any major Turkish military operation into northern Iraq - which could disrupt one of the calmest areas of Iraq and run the risk of destabilizing the entire region.
In Washington, a Pentagon official said the U.S. military had "deconflicted the air space" in Iraq for the strikes - that is, the U.S. made sure Turkey would have clear use of the skies to enable the bombings.
Another Pentagon official said the U.S. military has been sharing intelligence with Turkey, but that he did not know exactly what information was given to aid with the air strikes or when it might have been given. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak on the record.
Iraq's foreign minister, Hoshyar Zebari, said the Iraqi government had thought Turkey would coordinate with Baghdad before striking the rebels inside Iraq. He also indicated that civilian casualties showed Turkey had not hit the right targets.
"What happened yesterday was based maybe on misinformation," Zebari said.
Masoud Barzani, leader of the autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq, issued a statement condemning the attacks, which he said were "conducted with indirect U.S. approval, as defending the sovereignty of Iraq and the Kurdish region is within the Americans' responsibilities."
The State Department declined to offer any judgment on the airstrikes, but said the PKK was a threat that needed to be dealt with in a coordinated way by Turkey, Iraq and the United States.
"We face a common enemy ... from the PKK," deputy spokesman Tom Casey told reporters.
"It's a terrorist organization and we want to see actions taken to put it out of business. That said, we also want to make sure that any actions that are taken are done in an appropriate way, that hit only those targets that are PKK and avoid civilian casualties and other loss of life," he added. "We also want to make sure that what is done is coordinated to the extent possible between Turkey and Iraq."
Turkish forces have periodically shelled across the Iraqi border, and have sometimes carried out "hot pursuits" - limited raids on the Iraqi side that sometimes last only a few hours.
Turkey has massed tens of thousands of troops along its border with northern Iraq in response to a series of attacks by the PKK. In October, the Turkish parliament authorized the government to conduct a cross-border operation against the group.
In Baghdad, meanwhile, some Shiite residents in the predominantly Sunni neighborhood of Dora said U.S.-backed security volunteers were trying to drive them out of their neighborhoods. The volunteers, also known as awakening councils, are groups of Iraqi Sunnis that the U.S. military has backed to help fight al Qaeda in Iraq and its allies.
But Maj. Gen. Joseph Fil, commander in Baghdad, disputed the Shiite claims, saying "we're seeing very, very little of that." Fil also said that although violence in Iraq has declined, withdrawing U.S. troops too quickly would spell failure in some parts of the capital.
In London, a British Defense Ministry report said Britain has failed to meet its own targets for reducing violence in Iraq. The report came out a day after British troops handed over control of the final southern Iraqi province under their command.
A U.S. Embassy spokesman said a meeting between American and Iranian officials in Baghdad on Iraqi security will be rescheduled. It had originally been planned for Tuesday, but was canceled last week.
In other developments:
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Add a Comment See all 58 Comments
- We had no right granting anything to Turkey that involves Iraqi airspace, they have an elected government that Turkey should have dealt with and asked permission from. It wasn''''t our call.
Posted by Edward1975 at 01:47 AM : Dec 18, 2007
Uhmmmm... countries rarely give permission for other countries to invade them. Besides, as invaders ourselves, we can''t exactly hold anyone''s moral feet to the fire. Iraq must learn that as collaborators, they are to be exploited and used. Ultimately a few will make money, but the rest will simply be fodder for our imperialist machine. If that means that ocassionally we throw a military bone to one of our NATO allies--hey. the price to be paid for sucking at our military teattttttt. LOL. "Stay here and help us" indeed. when has a country ever asked that of an INVADER? (Of course, when has an invader ever described themselves as heros?) Perversions all around. - Reply to this comment
- Jackie and MichaelT, you both totally owned FeelFree. he is pathetic. Each time I see his/her posts I picture an unemployed fat guy in his mother''''s attic, living off Ritz crackers. Total zeeee-ro.
Posted by robertkjjj at 08:30 PM : Dec 17, 2007
..but then you glance away from that mirror and realize you may be the only one that is still over 30 and staying with your mom with no girlfriend, no life...oh well...at least you have sardines to go with your Ritzes and those chunky azz fatty porno mags. LOL - Reply to this comment
- FeelFree, I hope you get rammed in the a*ss by a donkey, then hit by a car, then burned alive by a crashing gas truck. Die, you ugly piece of sh*t traitorous liberal.
Posted by jackie0428 at 08:13 PM : Dec 17, 2007
Yessssssss! The above was written by one of the proponents of Bush''s "peace". And we all know how well and legitimate that "peace" is......Jackie0428 should learn a little decorum, when bested in a debate jackie, either concede or take a different tact--wishing death on people--we are sure you do it for the "good" it will do them. So decent of you and ...honorable too. (NOT) LOL - Reply to this comment
- With their car bombs and sniper attacks. Why are you and others so willing to take the blame for their shameless murders in the name their allah? Dont you realize that these amimals want America to feel guilty about all the dead babies....That they murdered?
Posted by krenz4 at 07:31 PM : Dec 17, 2007
You are right--they murdered most of the babies--but we are the ones that destroyed the Nursery, removed the police and placed all the babies in harms way for the mayhem and murder by our lying, illegal invasion of them. We created the vacuum, ergo we are responsible for the big mess when the air left. Root cause analysis--learn it, or be forever a dupe. - Reply to this comment
- Posted by bizzzz at 04:27 PM : Dec 17, 2007
Obviously we got the docile, passive muslims. Cuz you don''t see any of American origin flying planes into buildings or strapping on bombs either. Ya can''t have it both ways. We got the ones who just want to make a lot of money like the rest of us...I don''t see many Americans marching in the streets to protest violent Islam either. Think about it--those whose blood boils enough to march also boils enough to hate what the west has done continually to the ME for the past century. Be thankful for small miracles.
And if you want millions of Muslims or just plain ol'' Americans in the streets marching--just tell them they are in line for a 50.00 Nintendo Wii. lmao - Reply to this comment
- Does it really matter at this point. Both countries are full of savages that know/want nothing but violence. It''''s their history. Posted by jboxton at 05:56 PM : Dec 17, 2007
Guess you are the kind of person that could beat someone in the head with a hammer and claim it was their soft skull that resulted in them being bludgeoned to death. Since we started all of this horror and bloodshed and it was based on lies no less--we can hardly call anyone savages or talk about a bloody history. Name one country in the west who are not up to their elbows in the blood of their victims from so many past and present wars......LOL - Reply to this comment
- Somebody please tell Al Maliki: that as long as Bush''s oil grabbing, eternally lying, politicald1ck is up his azz, and as long as Rice, Cheney, Rummy and others can make ''surprise visits'' without permission from his government, and as long as America can station mercenaries in Iraq with immunity and impunity, and as long as he can neither pardon or grant amnesty to whomever he wants without Bush''s say so, and as long as we pay his salary and that of all other collaborators....IRAQ HAS NO SOVEREIGNTY. Pretty to think so, though.....lmao
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- The bare bones minimum of Iraqis that have been murdered directly by various U.S. agents during the current illegal war against that country, is beyond 100,000 dead, according to the best available estimates. - FEELFREE1
Wow is that a fact that can be substantiated in anyway? Come on, here is your chance, prove what you say just once. Just once prove you know what you are talking about. - Reply to this comment
- FeelFree. he is pathetic. Each time I see his/her posts I picture an unemployed fat guy in his mother''''s attic, living off Ritz crackers. Total zeeee Posted by robertkjjj at 08:30 PM : Dec 17, 2007
ha ha yeah fat unemployed and bald!! ha ha ha - Reply to this comment
- 50 jets and only 2 civilians killed - the US should take lessons from Turkey''s pilots.
- Reply to this comment
- We had no right granting anything to Turkey that involves Iraqi airspace, they have an elected government that Turkey should have dealt with and asked permission from. It wasn''t our call.
- Reply to this comment
I wonder if the Turks use Chevron "Human Energy" in their planes, when they bomb Kurds?- Reply to this comment
- "jackie0428,
That''''s right. Saddam should have showed us the WMDs he didn''''t have. That was his only way out."
I remember the Iraqis saying to the UN, "we can not show you what we do not have"
At the time it was clear that Bush was going to invade Iraq regardless of what was or wasn''t found. The whole charade was a joke.
I agree that Bush is responsible for every war-related death in Iraq since March 2003. All unnecessary deaths. Bush has the blood of hundreds of thousands of men women and children dripping from his hands.
Merry Christmas, killer Bush. - Reply to this comment
- "Denounces Bombing Of Suspected Kurdish Rebel Bases As Violation Of Iraqi Sovereignty"
But Not A Peep About How The US Fails To Provide Security For The Land They Occupy And Govern.
What Sovereignty? - Reply to this comment
- Jackie and MichaelT, you both totally owned FeelFree. he is pathetic. Each time I see his/her posts I picture an unemployed fat guy in his mother''''s attic, living off Ritz crackers. Total zeeee-ro. Posted by robertkjjj at 08:30 PM
You just described yourself perfectly. Good job at projection! - Reply to this comment
- Iraq doesn''t have any sovereignty. Iraq has as much power over its own affairs as a puppet does. This is why they are known as puppet governments. Duh.
- Reply to this comment
- Getting back to the article,
"America gave intelligence," Kanal D television in Turkey quoted the nation''s military chief, Gen. Yasar Buyukanit, as saying. "But more importantly, America last night opened (Iraqi) airspace to us. By opening the airspace, America gave its approval to this operation."
Is this a way of continuing Dubya''s Christian Crusade against Iraq muslims?
Or is it a way to beg another NATO member to rescue him from a lost war as he fooled them in Afghanistan?
Or, just a Guernica II, as Hitler did to Guernica, Spain? - Reply to this comment
- ...geez compuer night at the home?
- Reply to this comment
- I plan to extract my share of that debt from the hides of the Bush regime apologists.
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Posted by FeelFree1
Bring it on, dummy..... - Reply to this comment
Re: "Rammed by a donkey"---hahahhah priceless."
Posted by robertkjjj
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Yet another family-values Bush regime dead-ender obessed with homosexuality and beastiality.
These folks seem unable to mask their dementia and fetishes.- Reply to this comment
