|
Barzani sez he'll resign if Turks send troops
Iraqi Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani was quoted as saying that there would be âdire consequencesâ if Turkish troops entered Iraq and threatened to resign from the Governing Council. Ankara has offered to send forces to Iraq but the US-appointed Council opposes involvement of troops from any of Baghdadâs neighbours. âIt is not just the Kurds who are opposed to Turkish military presence,â Barzani was quoted in the Ashark al-Awsat newspaper as saying. Kurds, who dominate northern Iraq, are particularly opposed to Ankaraâs presence. They accuse Turkey of trying to stir up ethnic tensions between them and the Turkmen minority in Iraq.
| Which seems to be an accurate charge... |
Barzani heads the Kurdish Democratic Party. The Turkish military has wanted its troops would respond to any Iraqi Kurd attack. âOur position is very clear and firm. The Turks will bear the responsibility for sending their troops into Iraqi territory despite Iraqi opposition,â said Barzani.
| Yeah. And we'll bear the cost, both ways... |
Posted by: Fred Pruitt 2003-10-17 |
