Turkey rejects cease-fire by Kurdish rebels, forces mass on Iraqi border

[Flabbergasted]

Source: Boston Herald

Turkey rejects cease-fire by Kurdish rebels, forces mass on Iraqi border
By Associated Press
Tuesday, October 23, 2007

BAGHDAD - Turkey’s foreign minister rejected any cease-fire by Kurdish rebels Tuesday as he met with Iraqi leaders in Baghdad to press them to crack down on the guerrillas. Turkish forces massed on the border and tensions rose over a threatened military incursion.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, himself a Kurd, said Iraq’s central government and authorities in its Kurdish autonomous region in the north would work together to deny the rebels freedom of movement, funds and representative offices. He said a high-level political and military delegation would travel soon to Turkey.

Iraqi officials have been saying that guerrillas with the rebel Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which is known by its Kurdish acronym PKK, were based in inaccessible mountainous areas of northern Iraq.

Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said there are several ways to fight terrorism and Ankara would use them when appropriate. The buildup of troops along Turkey’s border with Iraq, meanwhile, continued with military helicopters airlifting commando units into the area overnight.

The mix of diplomatic and military activity followed Sunday’s rebel ambush near the Iraqi border that left 12 Turkish soldiers dead, 16 wounded and eight missing.



Read more: http://news.bostonherald.com/news/international/middle_east/view.bg?articleid=1039965

[Mojorabbit]

1. If they go in

we are never going to get out of there.

[billyoc]

2. The first four words of that sentence are unnecessary. n/t

[acmavm]

3. And the last part is a given.

[Flabbergasted]

4. Beat me to it... nt