Iraq president to move against Kurdish rebels

[Barrett808]

BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said he had personally intervened with the Turkish government to diffuse tensions over cross-border raids by Kurdish guerrilla movements in northern Iraq.

Last month, Ankara threatened military action if cross-border attacks by militants from the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) did not cease.

"I have personally intervened on the issue of the PKK and I called the Turkish envoy and assured him the Iraqi government is serious about stopping the use of Iraqi land by armed groups against neighboring countries," said Talabani, himself a Kurd, in a press conference about security matters.

"Iraqi will do its utmost to stop the PKK from using Iraqi land against Turkey," he said, adding that he had already closed some offices for pro-PKK groups.

(more)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060802/wl_mideast_afp/iraqturkeykurdsunrest

[endarkenment]

1. No he won't.

The Iraq president isn't going to do anything about the PKK. First, he has no power, second while he is a member of the rival Kurdish PUK faction, the last thing the Kurds are going to do is restart their own internal PKK-PUK civil war.

[Kagemusha]

2. So just empty promises to delay and diffuse.

The thing is, the Turks know all about those kind of lies.

[endarkenment]

4. We have destabilized the entire region.

Then again, that was the plan. In the end, the national aspirations of the Kurdish people are traditionally sacrificed as a bargaining chip by the greater and lesser powers.

[alfredo]

5. the PNAC said they were not happy with the status quo. They

wanted chaos, they wanted the Middle East destabilized. They figure the wars would weaken the governments and we could waltz in and pick up the pieces.

[Jim__]

3. If Turkey starts bombing the shit out of Iraq and slaughtering Iraqi

civilians, from Kirkuk all the way down to Basra, will bush say it's just Turkey exercising its right to defend itself.