Turkey bombs northern Iraq

[demagogic_schizoid]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7146567.stm

[Dom]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7146567.stm

This is going to get serious and soon....

[fresh]

Hell of a trick for a flightless bird! The logistics are mind-boggling! ;)

[HilbertSpace]

The shelling, however, makes perfect sense.

[Ferrus]

And thus far Northern Iraq has remained comparatively peaceful.

[Karl]

This isn't surprising. PKK is one of the stronger anti-imperialist forces in the region, although I'm not going to make it out to be more powerful than it is.

And the funny thing is that creating instability by acts like this will only increase the power of revolutionaries like these, and of religious terrorists. I see it in Turkey's interest to cooperate with the Iraqi government on this issue.

Or am I misinterpreting the situation on this last point?

[nonperson]

And thus far Northern Iraq has remained comparatively peaceful.

The Iranians have been shelling the Kurds too.

[nonperson]

This isn't surprising. PKK is one of the stronger anti-imperialist forces in the region, although I'm not going to make it out to be powerful.

And the funny thing is that creating instability by acts like this will only increase the power of revolutionaries like these, and of religious terrorists. I see it in Turkey's interest to cooperate with the Iraqi government on this issue.

Or am I misinterpreting the situation on this last point?

No it is in the Iraqi interest to co-operate with the Turks. Water flows down hill. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tigris)

[helium]

I see it in Turkey's interest to cooperate with the Iraqi government on this issue.


No it is in the Iraqi interest to co-operate with the Turks.

It is in the interest of Kurds, both in northern Iraq and in Turkey, to have their own state. They've been pretty direct about it. Iraqis may not be worrying about it right now (they would probably storm in years later and try to take the area back like they did with Kuwait), but Turkey certainly doesn't want a Kurdish uprising in its back yard.

[nonperson]

but Turkey certainly doesn't want a Kurdish uprising in its back yard.

I wasn't saying anything about the Kurds' right to self-determination. The Kurds' main problem, shared with other stateless peoples, is that there are too many factions.

[LastRailway]

If actually Kurdistan did form a state, it would occupy parts of Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran.
I was a bit surprised seeing the date of the article. I think these are news from 1st or 2d of September.

[helium]

I wasn't saying anything about the Kurds right to self-determination. The Kurds' main problem, shared with other stateless peoples, is that there are too many factions.

I quoted what you said. I don't need to know what you didn't say. You didn't say anything about the quality of peanut butter in Brisbane, either. Who cares? The existence of factions among Kurds (which identity is merely a faction itself) is irrelevant, by and large, since it doesn't change the fact that Kurds in both states are threatening the peace in both states. Iraq and Turkey are both made up of factions, too. What I found amusing was taking sides on which state should rightly take the responsibility for "the Kurds," as though the Kurds were merely unruly children, when clearly the Kurds have been pushing for independence for a long time. The interest of states at one time may have been to simply leave the Kurds alone. Now the interest lies only with the Kurds.

[nonperson]

I quoted what you said. I don't need to know what you didn't say. You didn't say anything about the quality of peanut butter in Brisbane, either. Who cares? The existence of factions among Kurds (which identity is merely a faction itself) is irrelevant, by and large, since it doesn't change the fact that Kurds in both states are threatening the peace in both states. Iraq and Turkey are both made up of factions, too. What I found amusing was taking sides on which state should rightly take the responsibility for "the Kurds," as though the Kurds were merely unruly children, when clearly the Kurds have been pushing for independence for a long time. The interest of states at one time may have been to simply leave the Kurds alone. Now the interest lies only with the Kurds.

Sorry I was just rambling on too.....

[nonperson]

http://www.kraft.com.au.kraft-hosting.net/products/peanut/images/peanut_butter_jars.jpg

Australians have access to a wide variety of different peanut butters. Don't know if they can get Peter Pan. I am still looking to see if Kurds eat peanut butter..........

[helium]

Australians have access to a wide variety of different peanut butters. Don't know if they can get Peter Pan. I am still looking to see if Kurds eat peanut butter..........

:lol:

[nonperson]

:lol:

:grin:

[songbird36]

This, from the Ag (on Time.com) today. Hilarious :)


Fighting the war in Iraq will remain the U.S. Military's main focus despite the worsening situation in Afghanistan. That was the message delivered yesterday by Adm. Michael G. Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "It is simply a matter of resources, of capacity. In Afghanistan, we do what we can. In Iraq, we do what we must," said Mullen. That will have the Taliban quaking in its boots.

[C.J.Woolf]

The Afghans have outlasted every occupier, and they've been occupied by some good troops (Alexander the Great's Macedonians and the Victorian British, for example).