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Iraqi Leaders Donât Want Turkish Troops
In other news, dog bites man. EFL.BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Iraqâs interim leaders told U.S. officials Wednesday they donât want peacekeepers from Turkey or other neighboring countries but are willing to soften their opposition to avoid a confrontation with the U.S.-led coalition. "Thank you for liberating us, effendi, but would you please keep the cursed Turks out of here?" They delivered their message as several thousand Shiite Muslims marched to coalition headquarters to demand the release of a cleric arrested for ``anti-coalition activities.ââ Protesters hurled stones and sandals - an Iraqi gesture of contempt - at U.S. troops as they dispersed without winning the preacherâs freedom. And we didnât gun âem down in the streets like Saddam would have. Wonder if MoveOn.org will credit us for the difference? The Turkish parliamentâs decision Tuesday to authorize the sending of Turkish peacekeepers to join the coalition was applauded in Washington, which is eager to bring in more troops to ease the burden on the 130,000 American soldiers. However, the decision upset many Iraqis because of the legacy of 400 years of Turkish colonial domination of what is now Iraq. Opposition to the Turks runs deepest in the north, where Iraqâs minority Kurds have watched ethnic cousins across the border in southeastern Turkey wage an on-off separatist guerrilla war in recent decades, in part from bases in northern Iraq. Some Iraqis also worry that Turkey may support the interests of ethnic Turks in northern Iraq, a small minority often at odds with their Kurdish neighbors. Iyad Allawi, president of the U.S.-appointed Iraqi Governing Council, told The Associated Press that ``important sensitivitiesââ were involved in deploying Turkish troops in Iraq. The spokesman for the council, Haider Ahmed, said members told chief U.S. administrator L. Paul Bremer that council members did not want to see any peacekeeping troops from countries - including Turkey - that border Iraq. Canât say that I blame them. After meeting with the council, Bremer said he was willing to discuss the issue but that the final decision rested with the coalition. Sounds like the decision has been made. Despite their opposition, key council members said they wanted to avoid a showdown with the Americans over the Turkish presence. Mouwafak al-Rabii, a Shiite member of the council and longtime human rights activist, told reporters ``there are still differencesââ with the coalition over the Turks ``but they are reconcilable differences.ââ ``We donât want any confrontation with the Coalition Provisional Authority, and we have decided to work together,ââ al-Rabii said. ``This is not a stumbling block in our relationsââ with the coalition.ââ Iâm impressed (seriously) with the common sense and maturity being shown here. Posted by: Steve White 2003-10-09 |
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