BAGHDAD, Feb. 22, 2008
Turkey Launches Incursion In N. Iraq
Ground Forces Chase Kurdish Rebels After Aerial Attack
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Turkish soldiers head toward Northern Iraq border near Sirnak, southeast Turkey. Turkey has recently bombed Kurdish rebel camps in northern Iraq after Washington shared intelligence about the positions of the rebels in the area. (APTN)
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Turkish army tanks move along a road near the Turkish-Iraqi border town of Silopi in Sirnak province, southeastern Turkey, Friday, Feb. 22, 2008. (AP Photo/Mehmet Ersoy)
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Followers of a radical anti U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr carry his portrait during a ceremony to mark a fourth anniversary of the Shiite uprising against the American occupation in Sadr City, Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, Feb. 21, 2008. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)
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Photo Essay
Turkey-Iraq Tensions
Nation mulls cross-border military incursion into northern Iraq to chase Kurdish rebels.
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The offensive, which started late Thursday after aircraft and artillery blasted suspected rebel targets, marked a dramatic escalation in Turkey's fight with the PKK rebel group even though Turkish officials described the operation as limited.
Turkish military said five of its troops and 24 Kurdish rebels were killed in clashes. At least 20 more rebels were killed by artillery and helicopter gunships, it said.
A military officer of the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq said on condition of anonymity that several hundred Turkish soldiers had crossed the border. The coalition has satellites as well as drones and other surveillance aircraft at its disposal.
CBS News correspondent Allen Pizzey in Baghdad reports Turkey's incursion runs the risk of involving soldiers in clashes with Iraqi Kurdish forces if it continues for any length of time, or expands beyond border areas.
The Kurdish Pesh Merga forces, who Pizzey says are both well-trained and highly motivated, have warned in the past that they would retaliate if Turkish forces attack Kurdish villages.
Pizzey adds that any clash between Turkish and Iraqi Kurdish forces could also prove problematic for the American military, as the U.S. is morally, if not legally bound to help Iraq defend its sovereignty.
Sky-Turk television said about 2,000 Turkish soldiers were in Iraq, operating against rebel camps about two miles in from the border. NTV television said a total of 10,000 soldiers were inside Iraq in an operation that had extended six miles past the frontier. The activity was reportedly occurring about 60 miles east of Cizre, a major city near the border with Iraq.
It was not possible to independently confirm the size or scope of the attack on the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, which is considered a terrorist group by the United States and European Union. CNN-Turk television, citing Turkish security officials, said the operation could last two weeks.
The advance was the first confirmed Turkish military ground operation in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003. Turkey's army is believed to have carried out unacknowledged "hot pursuits" in recent years, with small groups of troops staying in Iraq for as little as a few hours or a day.
Turkey staged about two-dozen attacks in Iraq during the rule of Saddam, who conducted brutal campaigns against Iraqi Kurds. Some Turkish offensives, including several in the late 1990s, involved tens of thousands of soldiers. Results were mixed, however, with rebels suffering combat losses but regrouping after Turkish forces withdrew.
The PKK militants are fighting for autonomy in predominantly Kurdish southeastern Turkey and have carried out attacks on Turkish targets from bases in the semiautonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq. The conflict started in 1984 and has claimed as many as 40,000 lives.
Turkey's government has complained that Iraqi and U.S. authorities weren't doing enough to stop guerrilla operations. The Turkish air force has been staging air raids on PKK forces in the north since December with the help of intelligence provided by the U.S., a NATO ally.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that he called his Iraqi counterpart, Nouri al-Maliki, on Thursday night to give him advance warning of the operation. Erdogan said he later briefed President Bush in a telephone call.
"The Turkish armed forces will return after they finish their job," Erdogan said in a televised speech. "The goal of the operation and of operations that will be conducted is just, and only, PKK camps located in the north of Iraq."
Confirming the advance notice, White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said the Bush administration was urging Turkey to show restraint.
"We were notified and we urged the Turkish government to limit their operations to precise targeting of the PKK - to limit the scope and duration of their operations - and we urged them to work, directly, with Iraqis, including Kurdish government officials, on how best to address the threat," Stanzel told reporters.
Turkey's president, Abdullah Gul, issued a statement saying the military would be careful in attacking the guerrillas in tough terrain and weather. "Utmost care is being taken so that innocent civilians living in the region are not negatively affected," he added.
Nihat Ali Ozcan, a terrorism expert with at the TEPAV research center in Ankara, said the operation was likely launched to hit at guerrillas before the traditional start of the fighting season in the spring.
"I think it is aimed to keep the PKK under pressure before the group starts entering Turkey," he said on CNN-Turk television.
The operation was reportedly concentrated in the Hakurk region, south of the Turkish border town of Cukurca.
The Turkish military posted photographs on its Web site that it said were images of the operation. In one photograph, five soldiers in white suits walk up a snowy hill in the dark. Others show a soldier walking with a land mine detector and three military helicopters on the ground.
PKK spokesman Ahmad Danas said two Turkish soldiers were killed and eight wounded in clashes along the 240-mile border, but there was no comment from the Turkish military and no way to confirm the claim independently.
Matthew Bryza, U.S. deputy assistant secretary of state for southeastern Europe, said Bush promised Turkey's prime minister at a Nov. 5 meeting that Washington would share intelligence on the PKK.
"The land operation is a whole new level," Bryza said in Belgium. "What I can say is that what we've been doing until now has been working quite well."
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed concern about the escalation. He said he recognized Turkey's need for security, but appealed to Turkey and Iraq to work together to promote peace.
"The protection of civilian life on both sides of the border remains the paramount concern," Ban said, repeating calls for the PKK guerrillas to end their attacks inside Turkey.
The European Commission, the administrative body of the European Union, appealed to Turkey to act with restraint.
"Turkey should refrain from taking any disproportionate military action and respect human rights and the rule of law," commission spokeswoman Krisztina Nagy said.
"The EU understands Turkey's need to protect its population from terrorism," she added. "We encourage Turkey to continue to pursue dialogue with international partners."
In other developments:
(AP Photo/Karim Kadim )
The decision was revealed in a message read by clerics during prayer services.
"According to an order by Sayyid Muqtada, activities of the Mahdi Army will be extended ... for another six-month period," al-Sadr's aide Hazim al-Aaraji said, using an honorific during his sermon at the Kazimiyah mosque in Baghdad.
The cease-fire has been one of three important factors that have helped reduce violence since mid-2007. The two others are the influx of thousands of U.S. troops last summer, and emergence of Sunni-dominated groups that are fighting against al Qaeda in Iraq.
© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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See all 91 CommentsImpeach, arrest, and try this lying traitorous coward, for treason, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and corruption.
brianbwb, let''s relax a bit a do something nice for someone because it seems like it can do you some good. Get a life and help someone instead of posting uneducated remarks.
Peace and Love
By uneducated, I presume you disagree, or otherwise believe my statement to be incorrect?
Please feel welcome to show how any of my statement is not substantiated by factual evidence, in other words, educate us as to how lying about a threat as a pretext for invasion, lying about torture, occupying a country, and then failing to provide protection for those under your occupation, condemning a man because of a chemical gas attack on a group of people, yet saying nothing when another country goes in to complete the genocide against the same people, is somehow an incorrect assessment of the events since the buildup to the invasion of Iraq.
I would be interested to hear your justification.
Correct, you are wrong thinking we want to see your porn spam. Reported, again.
By the way, by opposing the fascist agenda of the current administration, and calling for personal responsibility for his crimes, I am doing something nice for future generations.
Posted by ilikecats1 at 06:00 AM : Feb 22, 2008
Do tell...you mean like dumping the Clinton deal with N. Korea and engaging in name-calling instead for years, which got us nowhere, only to reinstate the Clinton deal with add-ons for having pisssed off the N. Koreans?
Or maybe ranting and raving for years about an Iranian nuclear weapon program what had been shut down?
Yeah, this administration has been a marvelous example of statesmanship...lol.
Still out there, Hoos? still waiting for your explanation...
Chrrrp, chrrrp, (sounds of crickets)
give me a p, P!, give me t, T!, give me a s, S!, give me a d, D! whats that stand for? POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER!!! who has a bad case of it? MCVET!!!
So now the USA unleashes the vicious Turks on the Kurds. Or can''t stop them--after all Bushit gave any potential invader a ready-made excuse and precedent. And the Turks are vicious--ask the Armenians.
So yet another rationale for the disastrous "W" war evaporates.
I GUESS THE TURK''S INVASION OF IRAQ IS A GOOD THING, RIGHT? HOW FAR WILL THEY BE ALLOWED TO GO BEFORE IT BECOMES A BAD THING?
Just like the Iraq war will pay for itself. I still can''t believe that any one fell for that one. That shows how stupid some people are.
Your rationale for staying in Iraq (no WMDs, Saddam gone)is now is that we must prevent genocide.
The Turks, who you have given billions of US taxpayers dollars to stand down, are invading for the purpose of committing genocide.
I know there will be no action to protect the sovereign nation of Iraq.
=?=?=?=?=?=?=?=?=
What is the NEW reason we are spending $275,000,000 per DAY and losing American lives????????
Oh hell, how come they let this stoolie out of the country? Isn''t the Condi Rice''s job? Where is our Princess of Incompetence?
Since the Iraqi''s wouldn''t honor the fake oil contracts the Kurds signed with Hunt Oil of Texas, Bush is sending the Turks in for a litte Iraqi intimidation. Whatta guy!
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Posted by jwind11 at 07:54 AM : Feb 22, 2008
+ report abuse
Do you get some sort of sick satisfaction out of attacking a War Hero? This guy was a Sgt. in the United States Marines. He lead a unit that won the Presidentual Unit Citation amoung a lot of other medals. Now everyone KNOWS why you attack him but is it American. Sure he doesn''t agree with you and yes he does it in a very colorful way but he IS right you know. Maybe you should pick on someone more you size. Sarge is so far out of your class he''ll have you for lunch!
Posted by skyk at 09:09 AM : Feb 22, 2008
He does it for one simple reason, he''s an as*shole. Some people just are.
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Posted by jwind11 at 07:54 AM : Feb 22, 2008
+ report abuse
Do you get some sort of sick satisfaction out of attacking a War Hero? This guy was a Sgt. in the United States Marines. He lead a unit that won the Presidentual Unit Citation amoung a lot of other medals. Now everyone KNOWS why you attack him but is it American. Sure he doesn''''t agree with you and yes he does it in a very colorful way but he IS right you know. Maybe you should pick on someone more you size. Sarge is so far out of your class he''''ll have you for lunch!
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Posted by skyk at 09:09 AM : Feb 22, 2008
Skyk, Jwind11 didn''t serve his country, he can''t understand the passion of one who has served.
When you''ve literally laid down your life, and lost part of your body for your country, wouldn''t you say that you had a right to speak passionately about it when you see it totally conscrewed up by the Neocon regime?
Jwind11 hasn''t a freaking clue!
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NO - hate is hate - MCVet continues to throw hateful words such as Nazi, etc, when many persons of Jewish dissent find that outright distasteful and offensive. Just as he should not be allowed to call blacks the N word, etc. I fully respect his position and his circumstances, but his situation does NOT warrant anyone authority or the right to be downright hateful and disrespectful.
Jwind11 hasn''''t a freaking clue!
Posted by RowdyTexan2 at 09:19 AM : Feb 22, 2008
Absolutely! There is not a thing wrong with hating someone who has earned that hate. Some here put me down because of the hateful things I say about that as*shole Bush and his puppet-master Cheney, but the truth is they''ve earned that hate many times over. Or are we not supposed to hate a Bin Laden or a Charles Manson?
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My son was killed by a black man that was drunk at the wheel - do I have the right to HATE all blacks? Can I use obscene language such as the N word? Have I earned that hate? Seriously Sgt, I fully agree with your hatred towards Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and all the other bubbling idiots in this administration, but respectful arguements and statements about their numerous misdeeds can be done in an orderly fashion. I also served my country for 20 years and one of the main reasons I retired was to get away from all this Bushcrap and his unauthorized military war. But your statement is not supportable on merit.
Posted by JERSupporter at 10:40 AM : Feb 22, 2008
Of course not, but you certainly do have the right to hate that particular person. For instance I hate Bin Laden, but I don''t hate all Muslims or all Saudi''s. I hate Bush, but that doesn''t mean I hate all phony Texans, just him.
Wish I could, but I can''t. While do all of the other things to get them out of power and hopefully in front of a court of law at some point facing prison, I have to express my hate for them so they or their few remaining supporters don''t ever get the idea that they''re going to get away their crimes. Bush is a mass-murdering SOB and deserves to be hated.
Posted by jwind11 at 11:44 AM : Feb 22, 2008
Naw, I''m having far too much fun laughing at right wing clowns like you and ilikecats1 and badaxmofo. You guys are nearly as funny as the 3 stooges! I get my daily chuckle reading your posts.
Why it is just getting started ! ! !
I don''t think anyone can ! ! !
Posted by jwind11 at 11:44 AM : Feb 22, 2008
Naw, I''''m having far too much fun laughing at right wing clowns like you and ilikecats1 and badaxmofo. You guys are nearly as funny as the 3 stooges! I get my daily chuckle reading your posts.
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Posted by SgtRDS
How is wanting mcvet to get help right wing? explain please
Obama saying he will end the war in Iraq is about the same as GWB saying the Palestinians and Israel will work it out in 2008.
Obama is alot like GWB ! ! !
GWB was all about change and hope too. Remember ?
GWB was all about change and hope too. Remember ? "--Posted by old300d
Except Obama is about 3-4 times smarter than the moronic, dyslexic Bushit. And, he''s not a spoiled silver-spoon rich kid whose powerful daddy greased the skids for him like Bushit''s dad.
Oh, and Obama can form a coherent sentence, and didn''t have to have a radio receiver strapped to his back in the debates so aides could feed him answers.
Furthermore, there is no doubt that Bushit is doing all within his power to make it impossible for the next president to reverse Bushit''s disastrous decisions. Bushit is good at putting the t*urd in someone else''s pocket. And good at lying.
Posted by skyk at 09:09 AM : Feb 22, 2008
HYPOCRITE! Remember that next time you bad mouth Mccain. Friggin LIBS.
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Posted by gkc99
anger is a sign of weakness
Posted by skyk at 09:09 AM : Feb 22, 2008
HYPOCRITE! Remember that next time you bad mouth Mccain. Friggin LIBS.
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Posted by mbcsmith
Its ok for them to do it mbcsmith
Both speak in strange ways about the middle east.
Both seem to not have a clue or are just telling people what they think people want to hear !
The Kurds, of course, had thought that the Great Emperor Bush II and the USSA were their friend, "liberating" them from Saddam Hussein and allowing them to form a stable, peaceful "almost" country of their own.
The Kurds simply do not understand that the Great Emperor is not interested in stability and especially peace! The Great Emperor wants war, loves war (while being careful not to get too close to it!) and dreams of the profits to be made from it, no matter who wins, if anyone!
Now there might be some who, like Harry Truman believed, that the Great Emperor Bush II is acting like the Great War Profiteer instead, and, according to Truman, should be judged a TRAITOR and punished as such. But, as the neocon talk-show motor mouths are so glad to point out, the days of FDR and Truman are gone, dead and buried, and there is a new agenda in the land today and its name is PROFIT!!!!!!
SIG HEIL, BUSH!!!!
sig heil, McCain????
If Obama removes US troops then everyone over there will start to use up all their bombs and they will need to buy more ?
What is Obama''s vision of the middle east after he removes US troops ?
If Obama follows through and removes troops without care then he could be our leader in the BIG WW3 ! ! !
Why think you for your concern. I''ll be sure to give your post the consideration that it deserves.
;-)
Posted by jwind11 at 12:25 PM : Feb 22, 2008
Because it''s obvious from your posts that you don''t give a sh*it about him and any veterans that disagree with your far right wing view, which pouts you in the same place as Bush and Cheney. Clowns who think people actually believe them.
Posted by jwind11 at 01:17 PM : Feb 22, 2008
Wrong again. Righteous anger is not.
Anyone else want to invade Iraq?
Please register with the USA, it''s free!
*** $275,000,000 per DAY borrowed from China and Saudi Arabia to fund the US occupation of Iraq
Why? WMDs - a lie
Why? Saddam - gone
Why? to protect Iraq''s sovereignity and prevent genocide - Turkey invades Iraq to eliminate the Kurds, genocide
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And a large slice of the budget for training and equipping the Turkish army is from US taxpayers
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"100 years in Iraq, FINE with me", says John McCain
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Posted by Edward1975
making childish comments about Bush gives them temporarily relief from their pathetic angry lives.
Posted by jwind11 at 03:37 PM : Feb 22, 2008
Shoo troll, shoo. You only exist here to be made fun of. So shoo.
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Posted by SgtRDS
And you are how old?
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Posted by SgtRDS
And you are how old?
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Posted by jwind11
5 year olds talk more maturely than you
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