From: Robert Comer 

And we know how good this administration is with diplomacy!. :(

--
Bob Comer


On Thu, 7 Jun 2007 14:38:46 -0400, "Rich Gauszka"
 wrote:

>That's the problem. One of the US allies, Turkey or the Kurds, will be
>pissed and a middle ground approach will irritate both sides. This would
>take a pretty big effort in diplomacy from a current US Administration that
>equates diplomacy with BOOM.
>
>
>"Adam" <""4thwormcastfromthemolehill\"{at}the
field.near the bridge"> wrote in
>message news:46684f59$1{at}w3.nls.net...
>> Hum maybe. The key will be what the US does not the Kurds.
>>
>> Adam
>>
>> Rich Gauszka wrote:
>>> yet more fuel to the fire
>>>
http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_columns_100042_04/06/2007_840
82
>>>
>>> The Kurds lived in the region for millennia before the arrival of the
>>> Turks.
>>> Today they are divided among four states, with most living in Turkey,
>>> followed by those in Iraq, Iran and Syria. At the Treaty of Sevres in
>>> 1920,
>>> the Kurds saw their dream of a homeland almost become reality but the
>>> treaty
>>> was stillborn. In 1945, in a part of Iran that was occupied by Soviet
>>> forces, Kurds set up the Republic of Mahabad. By the end of 1946, after
>>> the
>>> Soviet withdrawal, this rebellion was crushed by the Iranians. Later,
>>> backed
>>> by Iran and the United States, the Iraqi Kurds rose against
the regime in
>>> Baghdad. But in 1975, the shah made a deal with Iraq and abandoned the
>>> Kurds, as did the US. Inevitably, after each rebellion the
Kurds suffered
>>> terrible reprisals. That is why they say the Kurds have no friends but
>>> the
>>> mountains.
>>> ....
>>> As true practitioners of realpolitik, the Kurds of Iraq have in the past
>>> allied themselves with Turkish forces against Turkey's Kurds, knowing
>>> that
>>> they need Ankara's tolerance to survive. But now that Kurdish
autonomy in
>>> northern Iraq is a fact, and with the US making it abundantly clear that
>>> they are not in favor of Turkish adventurism, the Iraqi Kurds
will fight.
>>> The Turkish tanks now massing on the border may suffer the same fate as
>>> Saddam's when they are forced to leave the plains of Mesopotamia and
>>> enter
>>> the mountains. Also, if Turkish forces start to lose blood and treasure
>>> in
>>> Iraq this may prompt a broader rebellion in southeastern
Turkey that will
>>> be
>>> difficult to control. The military cost will be inestimable, but the
>>> political one will be even greater and will lead to greater Kurdish
>>> confidence at Turkey's expense.
>>>
>>>
>>> "Adam"
<""4thwormcastfromthemolehill\"{at}the field.near the
bridge"> wrote
>>> in
>>> message news:4667ce88$1{at}w3.nls.net...
>>>>
http://news.google.co.uk/news?q=turkish+troops+northern+Iraq&hl=en&um=1&sa
=X&oi=news&ct=title
>>>>
>>>> Many many coverages.
>>>>
>>>> Hum.
>>>>
>>>> One wonders if DC or at least the local US HQ was pre-informed.
>>>>
>>>> "Turkish security officials say several thousand
Turkish troops have
>>>> crossed into northern Iraq to chase Kurdish guerrillas who
operate from
>>>> bases there.
>>>>
>>>> The officials tell The Associated Press that the raid is limited in
>>>> scope and that it does not constitute the kind of large
incursion that
>>>> Turkish leaders have been discussing in recent weeks.
>>>>
>>>> The last major Turkish incursion into northern Iraq was in
1997, when
>>>> about 50,000 troops were sent to the region. The officials
have not said
>>>> where the Turkish force was operating and have not said
how long they
>>>> would be there.
>>>>
>>>> The US military says it can't confirm the reports but is "very
>>>> concerned.""
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Meanwhile Gul is denying...
>>>>
>>>> "Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul denied
Wednesday that Turkish
>>>> troops had entered neighboring northern Iraq in a
cross-border operation
>>>> to hunt down separatist Kurdish rebels.
>>>>
>>>> Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul denied Wednesday that Turkish
>>>> troops had entered neighboring northern Iraq in a
cross-border operation
>>>> to hunt down separatist Kurdish rebels.
>>>>
>>>> "There is no incursion into any other country at the
moment," Gul told
>>>> reporters here. "
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Note the use of "at the moment". i.e. this is
true so long as what's
>>>> planned has either (A) ended or (B) not started.....
>>>>
>>>> Oh joy.
>>>>
>>>> My big worry in all this Iraq mess has been Turkey turning
away from the
>>>> West & to the South.
>>>>
>>>> People on the right in the US witter on about AQ....AQ ain't squat
>>>> compared to Turkey.
>>>>
>>>> An "activist" Turkey in the ME.....lead by
"islamists" keen to push an
>>>> alternative Islamist approach to  AQ/Saudi or Hezbollah/Iran or
>>>> Hamas/Muslim Brotherhood
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Blimey this could get fun fast.
>>>>
>>>> The reality in the ME is that there are only 3
"natural" powers: Egypt,
>>>> Persia/Iran, and Asia Minor/Turkey.
>>>>
>>>> All the others are shooting stars either propelled by outside power
>>>> (Israel) or temporary resources (Saudi/oil rich Arab
states in general).
>>>>
>>>> Twas ever so. e.g. Eqyptians vs Hittites vs Persians (esp with the
>>>> arrival of Cyrus).
>>>>
>>>> External empires have always found this e.g. Anthony &
Cleopatra,
>>>> Parthian wars etc.etc.
>>>>
>>>> Adam
>>>
>>>
>

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