namelesstavern.net

by **Shneider** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 11:38 am

Possibly another front to the Iraq war.

Iraqi FM: Turkey massing 140,000 troops

By BUSHRA JUHI, Associated Press Writer 10 minutes ago

BAGHDAD - Turkey has massed 140,000 soldiers on its border with northern Iraq, Iraq's foreign minister said Monday, calling the neighboring country's fears of Kurdish rebels based there "legitimate" but better resolved through negotiation.
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The Turkish military had no comment to the remarks by Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, a Kurd from northern Iraq, and it was unclear where he got the figures. If they are accurate, Turkey would have nearly as many soldiers along its border with Iraq as the 155,000 troops which the U.S. has in the country.

In Washington, a Pentagon official disputed Zebari's assertion.

Zebari's comments came amid calls by Turkey's military for the government to give it the green light to carry out military operations in northern Iraqi against the rebel Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK.

"Turkey is building up forces on the border. There are 140,000 soldiers fully armed on the border. We are against any military interference or violation of Iraqi sovereignty," Zebari said in Baghdad.

Turkey has been pressuring the United States and Iraq to eliminate PKK bases in Kurdish-controlled parts of northern Iraq and has said it will carry out a cross-border offensive if necessary.

"Turkey's fears are legitimate but such things can be discussed," Zebari said. "The perfect solution is the withdrawal of the Turkish forces from the borders."

He added: "No one wants a new military conflict in the region."

He said there had been no "Turkey military violation until now," citing artillery shelling and Turkish surveillance overflights.

But in Washington, a Pentagon official disputed Zebari's assertion that troops were massing, saying no such movement has been picked up by U.S. satellites gathering intelligence there. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to speak on the record about the subject.

Defense Department spokesman Bryan Whitman repeated U.S. hopes that Turkey would not launch an incursion into Iraq.

"With respect to Turkey and the border region, they have legitimate concerns about terrorist activity of the PKK," Whitman told Pentagon reporters Monday. "We've been working with them and recognize that problem that exists there. But we're also encouraging them that an incursion into Iraq is not the way to solve this."

Turkey has long complained of U.S. inaction against separatist rebels, who have escalated attacks inside Turkey in recent months. Last week, Turkey's military chief asked the government to set political guidelines for an incursion into northern Iraq.

Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul on Friday confirmed that detailed incursion plans were ready.

Zebari said that his government cannot send its troops to secure the border with Turkey at a time when U.S. and Iraqi forces are fighting a deadly insurgency that has killed thousands of people.

"Our military forces are over-occupied with securing the streets and we do not have forces enough to open a new front. We do not want any conflict. However, no military violation has taken place till now," Zebari said.

Turkey has been battling separatist Kurdish rebels since 1984 in a conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people. There has been a recent surge in rebel attacks, and 67 soldiers have been killed this year. More than 110 rebels were killed in the same period, according to the Turkish military.

Zebari said the best way is to address Turkey's "legitimate security concerns" and revive the security and military commission which is made up of the united states, Iraq and Turkey.

___

Associated Press writer Pauline Jelinek contributed to this report from Washington.

by **Lyion** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 11:43 am

Why did I get a mental image of 140,000 Turkeys massing to invade Iraq....

Gooble, Gooble... :chef:

by **Lionking** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 11:58 am

lyion wrote:Gooble, Gooble...

I demand you produce an audio clip of a goobling turkey.

by **Kramer** » Mon Jul 09, 2007 2:44 pm

HA!

but also... what a fubar situation man.

at least in if we were in africa no one would have automatic weapons, just lots of spears and arrows....