Rice calls Kurdish guerrillas a common enemy but Turks demand action, not words

[rodeodance]

Source: afp




Rice calls Kurdish guerrillas a common enemy but Turks demand action, not words

By Matthew Schofield, McClatchy Newspapers Fri Nov 2, 3:18 PM ET

ANKARA, Turkey - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Friday branded the Kurdistan Workers' Party a "terrorist organization" and a "common enemy" of the United States , Turkey and Iraq , but she stopped short of committing Washington to military action against the guerrilla force.

Turkey has threatened to launch military operations against the group in Iraq alone if necessary, and Turkish officials indicated that they weren't satisfied by what Rice told them in talks Friday.

"This is where the words end, and the action needs to start," Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said. "Her words were good to hear, but words offer nothing new," said another government official, who requested anonymity because he isn't an authorized spokesman.

The Bush administration has assured Turkey at least four times that it would take action against the PKK, as it's known in its Kurdish initials, but hasn't done so, in part because there are no U.S. troops in Iraq available for such a mission.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/mcclatchy/20071102/wl_mcclatchy/20071102bcusturkey_attn_national_foreign_editors_ytop;_ylt=AsZ6EUeyUnLmt_iAXKNGCXWs0NUE

[Kagemusha]

1. Barzani says they're Kurdish brothers and Kurd will not turn on Kurd,

so who cares what Rice says?

[gateley]

4. I think the Kurdish contingent has been living in Turkey for some time and

have been treated poorly, hence they began fighting for their rights and ultimately began utilizing terrorist tactics.

Ideally the Kurds in Turkey could go back into Iraq, but understandably, that part of Turkey is their homeland and they don't want to leave, so it's not an easy solution.

I also don't think Turkey is going after Iraq, per se, but after the PKK specifically.

I posted the videos here on DU, but don't think they got many views. If so, maybe someone who saw them who has a better memory than I can shed some more light.

[gateley]

2. I saw an interview on Al Jazerra English with reps from Turkey and Iraq (probably

of them was the person mentioned above). They both agreed the PKK was a terrorist group. It's a really dicey situation.

I also head that the US has agreed to take action, but Turkey said 'no'.

Wonder what the real story is. I won't be looking to Condi for the truth...

[aquart]

3. Not MY enemy.

Mean sons of bitches, though.

[Javaman]

5. the first american bullet fired at the kurds will take iraq from a quagmire to a shitstorm

in nothing flat.

ricechecks is a fucking idiot and it's showing.

[nealmhughes]

6. Here is an excellent map from le Monde Diplomatique that shows the Kurdish areas from Turkey to Iran

I think it is obvious that this is a lot of ground and even in Anatolia, the Kurdish population is highly dispersed, and some even in Georgia!

The Treaty of Sevres settled nothing, it seems.

[eppur_se_muova]

7. Yesterdays allies are today's bombing coordinates?

That should win friends and influence people.