| Submit your comments on this article |
| Axis of Evil |
| Turkish Troops in Northern Iraq |
| 2002-08-31 |
| The new chief of Turkey's powerful military has acknowledged Turkish military presence in neighboring Kurdish-held northern Iraq, but refused to elaborate on the force, news agencies reported Saturday, August 31, 2002. âWe have some military elements in northern Iraq to serve a specific purpose, but it would not be right for me to explain the reason for their presence,â General Hilmi Ozkok told reporters at a reception late Friday, August 30, 2002 the Anatolia news agency reported. So that one goes from rumor to confirmed... |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |
| #1 The question is why they are there. If they're dealing with Kurd separatists who've fled from Turkey to northern Iraq, that's not big news, though it could complicate things later. Perhaps they're giving us a helping hand training Kurds for the push south? That might come back to haunt the Turks unless we've all shook hands on how the region is going to look when the dust settles. I keep wondering if one of the major things holding us back on Iraq, in addition to the need for stockpiling more precision-guided weapons, is the Kurdish issue. It's the second-touchiest thing for the Turks, and we've got to keep them happy. Regards, |
| Posted by: Steve White 2002-08-31 15:56:57 |