Turkish Forces may have entered N Iraq

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2003-03-20 12:50pm

I've heard that they've entered Northern Iraq...

Crazy_Vasey · Post by **Crazy_Vasey** » 2003-03-20 12:51pm

Hmm, the Kurds are in Northern Iraq right? I'm getting a bad feeling about the Turks going in there...

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2003-03-20 12:53pm

Crazy_Vasey wrote:Hmm, the Kurds are in Northern Iraq right? I'm getting a bad feeling about the Turks going in there...

Yeah. And SDN is about to enter a new period of flameage once
our "Favorite" appears

Knife · Post by **Knife** » 2003-03-20 12:54pm

Doubt it, US special forces are present in Northern Iraq and the Turk's have given us permission to overfly their territory. It would be ironic (to say the least) if our fighters over flew their territory per their permission, just to bomb their troops.

Crazy_Vasey · Post by **Crazy_Vasey** » 2003-03-20 12:56pm

I'll be pissed if we sell the Kurds down the river in exchange for the use of Turkish airspace.

Dahak · Post by **Dahak** » 2003-03-20 12:57pm

Knife wrote:Doubt it, US special forces are present in Northern Iraq and the Turk's have given us permission to overfly their territory. It would be ironic (to say the least) if our fighters over flew their territory per their permission, just to bomb their troops.

Turkey has stashed her troops at the border for some time now.
They want to protect the Turkmen popoluace in Northern Iraq. And the Kurds are their "Arch enemy", so I expected them to go in there.

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2003-03-20 12:57pm

Crazy_Vasey wrote:I'll be pissed if we sell the Kurds down the river in exchange for the use of Turkish airspace.

Ah, but our favorite will soon be along to "educate" us on why we should
sell the Kurds down the river in exchange for da Turks...

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2003-03-20 12:58pm

Fleischer just said at a press conference that there is no information on this.

Knife · Post by **Knife** » 2003-03-20 01:03pm

Dahak wrote:
Knife wrote:Doubt it, US special forces are present in Northern Iraq and the Turk's have given us permission to overfly their territory. It would be ironic (to say the least) if our fighters over flew their territory per their permission, just to bomb their troops.
Turkey has stashed her troops at the border for some time now.
They want to protect the Turkmen popoluace in Northern Iraq. And the Kurds are their "Arch enemy", so I expected them to go in there.

I understand that they (Turks) want to protect their interests, but one of the reasons to get troops up in Northern Iraq, weather from Turkey or other means, is to prevent skirmishes involving the Turks and the Kurdish.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-03-20 01:04pm

Turkish forces have been holding a strip of Iraq along there border for years. But it does seem that even more reinforcements are being sent in.

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2003-03-21 04:15am

Saw reports that the Kurds in Northern Iraq are able to contribute 90,000
troops to the US offensive in the north...

It's all confusing right now for those of us who don't have TOPSECRET
clearances

Post by **Edi** » 2003-03-21 04:20am

According to news reports yesterday evening, the Kurdish forces are going to be organizationally under US command, so if the Turks start hostilities against them, that'll result in a real mess. I think this is an intentional side effect planned by the Kurds, and I don't bame them. Turkey has stated that it intends to send troops into the Kurdish northern Iraq, and the aim is undoubtedly to seize control of as much territory and oil interests as possible. The part about "preventing refugees from overrunning the border" that was given as the reason yesterday is rather transparent.

Edi

Enlightenment · Post by **Enlightenment** » 2003-03-21 04:21am

MKSheppard wrote:Saw reports that the Kurds in Northern Iraq are able to contribute 90,000 troops to the US offensive in the north...

Where are you getting this? None of the mainstream media outlets have mentioned much of anything about what's going on in nothern Iraq.

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2003-03-21 04:24am

Enlightenment wrote: Where are you getting this? None of the mainstream media outlets have mentioned much of anything about what's going on in nothern Iraq.

From a reporter from FOX News in Northern Iraq in the kurdish zone.

Say what you will about Fox, but they're getting the best shots of this
entire war

Enlightenment · Post by **Enlightenment** » 2003-03-21 04:31am

MKSheppard wrote:Say what you will about Fox, but they're getting the best shots of this entire war

After last night's debacle where they reported that the Iraqis had gassed Kuwait City, I'm not about to trust Faux further than I could throw them.

Any organization that throws around allegations of WMD usage without bothering to check its facts first simply shouldn't be trusted. WMD really aren't the kind of thing to be reported lightly.

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2003-03-21 04:36am

Enlightenment wrote: Any organization that throws around allegations of WMD usage without bothering to check its facts first simply shouldn't be trusted. WMD really aren't the kind of thing to be reported lightly.

*points to footage of 1st Mar Div attacking last night and Rick Leventhal*

Crazy_Vasey · Post by **Crazy_Vasey** » 2003-03-21 09:05am

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/2871817.stm

"We have taken a break in talks with the US because there are snags both concerning airspace use and movement of Turkish troops into Iraq," a Foreign Ministry official told the Associated Press news agency.

Talks are due to resume on Friday evening.

The US does not want Turkish forces to enter Iraq, fearing possible clashes with the local Kurdish forces.

Good. It's the right thing to do. Tell the Turks to fuck off if they won't leave the Kurds alone, they're not essential to the effort by any means and on my opinion we need good will from the Iraqis more than we need Turkish air space.

Dahak · Post by **Dahak** » 2003-03-21 11:58am

Crazy_Vasey wrote:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/2871817.stm

"We have taken a break in talks with the US because there are snags both concerning airspace use and movement of Turkish troops into Iraq," a Foreign Ministry official told the Associated Press news agency.

Talks are due to resume on Friday evening.

The US does not want Turkish forces to enter Iraq, fearing possible clashes with the local Kurdish forces.
Good. It's the right thing to do. Tell the Turks to fuck off if they won't leave the Kurds alone, they're not essential to the effort by any means and on my opinion we need good will from the Iraqis more than we need Turkish air space.

Just because they pause the talks doesn't mean that Turkey would stop its troops from deploying in Northern Iraq.
That's THE chance of a lifetime for Turkey. GEtting rid of some Kurds, and grabbing some oil. THe perfect solution.

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2003-03-21 12:06pm

Dahak wrote: Just because they pause the talks doesn't mean that Turkey would stop its troops from deploying in Northern Iraq.
That's THE chance of a lifetime for Turkey. GEtting rid of some Kurds, and grabbing some oil. THe perfect solution.

Mr. B-52 may have something to say about that....

Dahak · Post by **Dahak** » 2003-03-21 12:11pm

MKSheppard wrote:
Dahak wrote: Just because they pause the talks doesn't mean that Turkey would stop its troops from deploying in Northern Iraq.
That's THE chance of a lifetime for Turkey. GEtting rid of some Kurds, and grabbing some oil. THe perfect solution.
Mr. B-52 may have something to say about that....

And on what ground would you bomard Turkey?
When the USA can lead an unsanctioned war of agression, anyone can. That's the lesson to be learned from this publicity stunt called "War".
That would open up a whole new can of trouble for the USA and the world as such.

Bombing your allies might shed a not so good light on you...

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2003-03-21 12:13pm

Dahak wrote: Bombing your allies might shed a not so good light on you...

Well, if we tell them to stay the fuck out of N Irak, and they go in
anyway, we're justified in bombing them back to Turkey to protect
the Kurds from the genocidial shitheads known as the Turks...

plus, it would endear the entire population of Iraq to us greatly.

Dahak · Post by **Dahak** » 2003-03-21 12:16pm

MKSheppard wrote:
Dahak wrote: Bombing your allies might shed a not so good light on you...
Well, if we tell them to stay the fuck out of N Irak, and they go in
anyway, we're justified in bombing them back to Turkey to protect
the Kurds from the genocidial shitheads known as the Turks...

plus, it would endear the entire population of Iraq to us greatly.

No, it wouldn't.
Kurds aren't very popular with the Iraqis, either. Or with anyone in that region for that matters.

You can ask the Turks to stay out, but you can't order them. And if you can invade, anyone can...

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2003-03-21 12:28pm

Dahak wrote: You can ask the Turks to stay out, but you can't order them. And if you can invade, anyone can...

That may be true, but we're the big dog on the block...

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=s ... s_turkey_1

Powell to speak with Turkey on overflight row within hour

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) said he hoped to speak to Turkish leaders within the hour in an attempt to iron out a row over opening up Turkish airspace to US planes for the war with Iraq (news - web sites).

The United States is "furious" with Turkey over continued delays in opening Turkish airspace to US warplanes as the war against enters a key phase, senior officials said earlier.

The officials, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, accused the Turkish government and its powerful military of "obstructionism" and said Ankara was severely testing Washington's goodwill.

Dahak · Post by **Dahak** » 2003-03-21 12:32pm

MKSheppard wrote:
Dahak wrote: You can ask the Turks to stay out, but you can't order them. And if you can invade, anyone can...
That may be true, but we're the big dog on the block...

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=s ... s_turkey_1

Powell to speak with Turkey on overflight row within hour

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) said he hoped to speak to Turkish leaders within the hour in an attempt to iron out a row over opening up Turkish airspace to US planes for the war with Iraq (news - web sites).

The United States is "furious" with Turkey over continued delays in opening Turkish airspace to US warplanes as the war against enters a key phase, senior officials said earlier.

The officials, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, accused the Turkish government and its powerful military of "obstructionism" and said Ankara was severely testing Washington's goodwill.

So?
It's not that they talked for the last weeks/months...
I doubt the Turks will refrain from sending troops in Northern Iraq (which they very well already have been doing...), just because Powell talks to them again.

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2003-03-21 04:23pm

Turkish PM sez Turkish troops will enter N Iraq; gives no date or time.