It’s been several days since the Turkish forces launched their big military operation in northern Iraq to rout out the Kurdish separatists, the PKK. And I have yet to see a serious reaction from the Iraqi government, or at least from the Kurdish forces.
Nouri al-Maliki “condemned” the Turkish attacks. The Kurdish leaders’ statements were came a little short of vowing to defend their territories. And the US administration, which is, in the eyes of Iraqis, responsible for protecting the average Iraqis, only said “We urged the Turkish government to limit their operations to precise targeting of the PKK; to limit the scope and duration of their operations.”
That left me to wonder: why is it so casual that Turkey is invading Iraqi lands, attacking its territories and as a result forcing out hundreds of Iraqi families out of their homes and turn them into homeless population?
We don’t have a real government in Iraq. So, when the Turkish government informed the Iraqi gang about the military operation beforehand, the Iraqi gang did not try to secure a safe place for the displaced, which doesn’t surprise me!
It is unreasonable that the Iraqi government is not taking all necessary steps to stop the Turkish attacks. If the government is not protecting its people from terrorist attacks around Iraq, is not providing jobs for Iraqis, is not rebuilding the country, is not giving financial support for widows and orphans, is not improving, or for that matter recreating the infrastructure in the country, is not housing the homeless returnees after they were forced out of Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, is not bringing hope back in Iraq, WHY IS IT STILL IN POWER?
And the Kurds. They have the pesh merga. Where is the pesh merga? Why aren’t they defending Kurdistan? I find it very appalling that their territories are invaded and attacked and they don’t try to defend it. In any country in the world, unless it’s Iraq in spring 2003, if an invader attacks, people are legally allowed, and are supposed to defend their lands. Why is the Kurdish government so quite about this and only “promise to defend ourselves if this continues,” when we know very well that the Kurds have no good relations and don’t trust the Turkish government?
I had to go deeper with this issue. And this is what I came with:
The Kurdish leaders want a separate Kurdistan state eventually. Of course they cannot achieve this separation without the American blessings. The current Iraqi gang, represented by the Shiite turbaned snakes and the Iraqi Islamic party, only disagree with the Kurds in public. But in fact they don’t care whether Iraq is one state or three or four, as long as their bank accounts are fed regularly. [I hope this fact doesn’t require a new evidence by now!]
The PKK is based in Kurdistan. It is internationally labeled a “terrorist” group and the United States wants to eliminate its threat because of that. Turkey on the other hand wants to eliminate the PKK because it’s considered the government’s main political rival, and like in any Middle Eastern government, rivals should be executed.
The Kurdish leaders have long used the PKK as a Joker card in their relations with Turkey. It is there when the Turkish government decides to mess with the Kurdish region in Iraq, militarily or economically. Because the PKK is hosted in Kurdistan, they are in debt to the Kurdish government. The Kurdish leaders can easily unleash the PKK operators to disturb Turkey, even if for a short period of time.
Therefore, I think the deal was as follows:
The Turkish government wants to get rid of its rivals, the PKK. Of course they cannot do that without a permission from the US administration. So, the Turkish leaders waved the pressure card; the US bases in Turkey. Turkey promised to not raise the issue of these bases, or how long they will be there, as long as the Turkish forces are allowed into Iraq to fight the PKK. PKK, labeled “terrorist” group by the US. So, it is a mutual interest to end its power.
The Kurdish government, represented by Jalal Talbani and Masoud Barzani, is very upset with the Shiites and the Sunnis in the Iraqi gang over two main issues: 1- city of Kirkuk and 2- the share of Kurdistan region in Iraq’s budget, which the Kurds say should be 17% plus the salaries of the pesh merga and the Iraqi gang says it should be 14% and the pesh merga salaries should be included. And these two issues have been on the table since mid 2003, which means they’ll never reach a compromise on them. So, they want to start the process of separation earlier. Who is going to prevent them!
So, it came down to this:
- The US promised the Kurds to put pressure on the Iraqi gang to give Kurdistan the 17% of Iraq’s annual budget plus enough cash to pay the pesh merga.
- The Turkish government promised the US to stop negative intervention in the region Kurdistan if the US opened the Iraqi borders for the Turkish troops to invade Iraq. The US on the other hand promised more help and support with Turkey’s the European Union issue if Turkey helped eliminate the terrorist group.
- Barzani and Talbani will be quiet on the invasion and only “condemn” until the Turkish military operation is over.
One thing the Kurdish government in Iraq did not think through: Turkey will never let the Kurds have their own separate state. They’ve never done, and they will never do.
PS: Ali has a new post.
Painting by Iraqi artist Betool Fekaiki
At 5:13 PM, 
1) One should not confuse PKK (Kurdish Workers Party) with Kurds. PKK is a Marksist-Leninist terror organization that is rejected by a big majority of Kurds. PKK makes its money from drug trafficking and kills indiscriminately using suicide bombers (most recent PKK attack in Turkey hit a bus and half of the killed were school children). PKK uses N. Iraq as a safe haven to launch hit and run attacks across the border in Turkey.
2) Turkey had been asking Iraqis and Americans for years to get rid of PKK camps in N. Iraq. Iraqis admit that they have no control on that part of the country high in the mountains. If Iraqis cannot clean up the terrorist bases in their territory, somebody has to do it for them. Turkey has repeatedly declared that she respects Iraq's territorial integrity. Turkey's limited security operations are legitimate by international law. UN recognized Turkey's right to self defense against PKK and asked Turkey to avoid civilian causalities in these operations and finish the job as soon as possible, which is precisely what Turkey is doing.
3) One does not "invade" a country with only a few thousand troops. Turkey has an army of 500,000 and has just sent 2-5K commandos targeting PKK camps in remote mountains in N. Iraq far away from any civilian populations. These operations are conducted in cooperation with US military intelligence. US feeds the Turks real-time satellite imagery to track PKK movements for precise targeting and avoiding civilians.
4) Turkey fights with PKK and not with Kurds. This is not an issue of Turks versus Kurds as some try to portray. Turkey is the biggest investor in Iraqi Kurdistan. Many hospitals, schools and hotels in Iraqi Kurdistan are built by Turks. N. Iraq gets almost all of its electricity and gas from Turkey. A prosperous and stable northern Iraq is in the best interest of Turkey. PKK’s dream is to create an ethnic war between Kurds and Turks. It has not been successful until now. l doubt it that it will.
EXCELLENT comments, 24. My thinking is close to yours, especially when talking about the Maliki government. It is so useless, impotent and obviously subordinate to American interests that it serves NO purpose other than to convince people outside Iraq that America is in Iraq as a partner of a legitimate and sovereign and functioning government.
Iraqis in Iraq know the truth about the ramshackle fraud that is the Iraqi government; people outside Iraq do not. It's a fig leaf for the eternal Occupation of Iraq, in other words.
BTW, I also agree with your reasoning on the Turkish invasion. For some reason the Kurds always get shafted, in the end. There's no way that the Turks will agree to a separate Kurdistan, and I think that this invasion is a way for Turkey to send a message to the Kurds to this effect.
At 3:09 AM, An Italian.
@ Omar.
Very good post. Of course, the deceptively named 'Iraqi government' has no control whatsoever on the situation, so no wonder that they can just make some subdued noise, since the Turks agreed with the Americans before launching their attack.
As for the Kurds in general, now they can see once more that it was not very clever on their part to have taken the Americans and the Israelis as their allies. And whenever those allies have to choose between the Kurds and the Turks, they choose the Turks, and sell the Kurds down the bridge for potential genocide at the hands of the Turks.
What surprised me a bit more is the position of the Kurdish Regional Government: I wouldn't have imagined that they would blatantly betray their fellow Kurds from Turkey, giving assistance (as it seems the Talabani PUK is doing) to the enemy against their brothers, despite some ritual noises of protest. The only good thing that can come from this is that not just the Iraqi Kurds, but all the Kurds, will come to regard the two 'parties' of Talabani and Barzani for what they are, that is, two mafia gangs of warlords, who actually could not care less for the Kurdish people.
And notice, dear Omar, how immediately a pro-Turkish propaganda agent showed up in reaction to your post: it would be interesting to see from which country he/she posted ...
The PKK was using women for suicide bombings when Zarqawi was in diapers. Even Ocala,who founded the group, calls them murderous thugs. They're no "Turkish rival". They're also no friend of the Kurds. Iraq can celebrate when every last one of them is dead or captured. Why would anyone complain about Turkey going after the PKK? Well,except those who want Iraq to fail in every way possible. Mostly just a few bloggers and al Qaeda.
Omar,
Its good to see a new post of yours.
I agree with most of what you have said, but I have to disagree on one point.
I don't think it would be wise for the Iraqi Army or Peshmarga to get into this battle. Its not an Iraqi battle although it is on Iraqi lands. I understand fully that it is a big violation and big disrespect to Iraq and mainly to the "government of Iraq". But getting into a fight with Turkey is not a good thing right now.
This issue should have been handled way earlier than now by the government. They should have asked them to leave the Iraqi lands and if they disobey, they should have been thrown out of Iraq by force, and I mean Iraqi force.
And this incident is nothing but another example of how weak and unwise the government is.
At 5:17 PM,
i'm glad you wrote about this because i find the entire pkk/turkey/iraq/us thing very confusing. there are some things in your post that are new to me. i guess it never occurred to me the turkish government considered the pkk as its rival. how can the pkk seriously think it can
why is it so casual that Turkey is invading Iraqi lands
very strange indeed. i am not clear how or why the US or iraq, if they approve of this invasion, and consider the pkk terrorists, why they didn't take care of this threat themselves. i can't imagine if a terror group existed inside the US, that our government would condone an outside country to come, invade, and tackle the threat. that seems insane. also w/the US so gangho on chasing terror, why leave the pkk alone? i read today they have exited already.
WHY IS IT STILL IN POWER?
beats me. somebody must think it serves some function.
Where is the pesh merga? Why aren’t they defending Kurdistan? I find it very appalling that their territories are invaded and attacked and they don’t try to defend it.
somebody must be making some serious backdoor deals is all i can think of. it's as if iraq is just some hole anybody can come shit in.
also, i can't understand what the pkk think they are accomplishing by bombing buses w/children. and the US, it seems it is using iraq as a bargaining chip for favors from turkey. this is disgusting. we had a conversation here a while back regarding turkey vs the pkk wrt the US, which side they would come down on. it seems so bizarre to say to turkey, its ok if you want to come bomb kurdistan. what of the innocents? the people who live there w/this in their backyard. why does america think it is ok to airbomb iraqi homes, but leaves the pkk alone for turkey to bomb? very weird.
i have read the post numerous times in the last few days and really didn't know how to respond, it just seems so weird, the whole thing.
very sad indeed. and the iraqi government?? allowing/agreeing another country to invade? if these kurdish leaders want the pkk dealt with, they could friggin do it themselves for heavens sake!
annie
At 5:25 PM,
At 9:30 AM,
i read this, and it reminded me of something from my earlier post.
"My city, Mosul, was safe for those who have no connection with Americans or government intelligence, but now it is not safe for anyone after the explosion at the Zinjilly neighbourhood that was carried out by Peshmerga (Kurdish militias) and Americans to justify the new surge against the city."
Mosul city, 300 km north of Baghdad, is under a major siege by the U.S. military supported by the Kurdish militia and Iraqi troops from southern Iraq. The city, a Sunni stronghold, has been a target for Kurdish militias attempting to cleanse it of its Arab majority in order to support claims that it is a Kurdish city.
perhaps this was part of a 'backdoor deal'. one thing is certain in my mind, whatever is going on we aren't getting the truth of the plan, for it just doesn't make logical sense for leaders to approve a foriegn element attacking their region.
annie
At 9:40 AM,
At 9:57 AM,
also, turkeys invasion was announced 2/26.
what else was happening that got drowned out?
BAGHDAD, Feb. 27 (UPI) -- At least 25 Iraqis were killed or injured in separate incidents in Kirkuk and Mosel, security officials reported Wednesday.
recent update Top US military official visits Iraq rebel stronghold
KIRKUK, Iraq (AFP) — Admiral Mike Mullen, head of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, visited the Sunni rebel bastion of Hawijah in central Iraq as part of a tour of the country, US officials said on Monday....
On Sunday, he took a tour of Hawijah which included a visit to the local market to see the "improvement in the security" in the Sunni bastion, Mullen told local reporters.
Hawijah is one of the most restive cities in Iraq with regular car bombs, shootings and attacks on US forces.
"He was here for two hours and met some members of the Al-Sahwa groups," said Hawijah police chief Lieutenant Colonel Fatah Abdallah, referring to the Sunni groups fighting Al-Qaeda.
"He heard our demands and promised to support us. He hailed the Sahwa forces."
hmm, i wonder if their will be another 'surge' near kirkuk?
annie
At 6:55 AM,
At 11:33 PM,
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lesson to trial audio of what was said by Judge Russell?
My owned lawyers entering the documents,that are not on the Affidavit of documents list? of the Government.
There was Evidence tacking out By the applicant's Lawyers ,one day before trial and so on? date February 28/2005 ? the Applicant will not know until March 5/2005? the Applicant respond with a letter to his LAWYERS with a letter dated March 5,2005.
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At 8:19 AM,
The Iraqi cabinet did finally come out with a stronger worded condemnation of Turkey's incursions into Iraq. Still not kicking them out, but I don't know if the Iraqi Army or the Peshmerga are strong enough to do much about it. I doubt the U.S. will do much either, as Turkey is an ally. Besides, the U.S. is doing almost the same thing in Pakistan.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080226/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_turkey;_ylt=AiDBimOBcRH41Zng8NBQQLWs0NUE
Omar, thank you for putting up a new post. The last one had just about enough comments already. Hopefully this one will be a little easier to follow and involve a bit less argument.