Paul Wolfowitz is a sick, sick man. Ever see Dr. Strangelove?
Iraqis force rethink on Turkish help
Coalition seeks to downplay role of Ankara's troops
Ewen MacAskill, diplomatic editor
The Guardian (UK)
The US-British coalition in Iraq is running into problems over its
attempt to bolster its forces with Turkish troops.
Washington and London have been forced to rethink by the level of
hostility generated in Iraq by the prospect of troops from Turkey, a
neighbour and detested former colonial power.
The crisis has also sparked a fresh round of in-fighting in Washington
between the Pentagon and the state department.
Several options are being considered to try to minimise Iraqi anger.
One being floated is for Turkish troops to serve in Iraq but not in
uniform, a proposal that is unlikely to go down well with the Turkish
high command. Another is for the Turkish troops to be given tasks that
would not involve highly visible frontline policing of the kind being
carried out by US and British troops. Instead, they would be used to
train the Iraqi army or as border guards.
Yet another is to halve the proposed number of Turkish troops, from the
estimated 10,000 being suggested at present.
The Turkish parliament voted last week to send the troops, a move
gratefully seized on by the US and British governments, who have had
little success in obtaining troops from other countries for duties in
Iraq. But the Iraqi governing council voted by 24 to 0 against the move.
It is understood that Paul Bremer, the US envoy to Iraq and head of the
coalition in Baghdad, is sympathetic to the Iraqi governing council and
favours minimising the role of Turkish forces.
Mr Bremer is from the state department, though until now has enjoyed the
backing of the Pentagon. But Paul Wolfowitz, the deputy US defence
secretary, favours maximum involvement of Turkish troops.
The extent of the dilemma facing the US and British governments was
underlined yesterday when the Iraqi Kurdish leader, Masoud Barzani,
threatened to resign from the Iraq governing council if the Turkish
troops arrive.
Turkey has a long history of suppression of the Kurds, including those in
Iraq. Mr Barzani told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper: "The intervention of
Turkish troops in Iraq will have dire consequences.
"Military involvement in Iraq by a neighbouring country will create a
dangerous situation and lead to greater instability."
The urgent need for more troops to bolster US and British forces was
underlined by the highest-ranking Briton in Iraq, Sir Jeremy Greenstock,
who said Iraq's open borders must be blocked.
"I don't believe that having open borders or ammunition dumps around the
country open to the world helps in damping down the use of violence on
Iraqi territory. These gaps need to be plugged," he told journalists in
London on a visit from Baghdad to brief Tony Blair on recent
developments.
The US and British forces are worried about the extent of easy movement
across the border not only of supporters of the former regime but of
elements bent on mischief and supported by the Syrian and Iranian
governments.
Sir Jeremy, until recently the British ambassador to the United Nations,
said there was a need to redouble efforts on the security front.
"There is a security threat and challenge, particularly in Baghdad and in
the 'Ba'athist triangle' north and west of Baghdad. I think it will go on
for some time. You will be reporting bangs every few days in and around
Baghdad."
He added: "That is not going to knock us off our stride ... we have to
redouble our efforts to meet that [threat]."
--
--=( Ö§âmâ ßíñ Këñ0ßí )=----- ----- --- - -
Rebel Alliance Galactic Usenet News Service
--- --- ---=================----------- - -
.
|
|
| User: "Frank Booth" |
|
| Title: Re: Wolfowitz Wants U$ to Betray Kurds |
18 Oct 2003 04:37:34 AM |
|
|
"R.A.G.U.N.S. ®" <abuse@anarchy.gov> wrote in message
news:OBK94183514D8B1E0001138@r2-dv8.anarchy.gov...
Paul Wolfowitz is a sick, sick man.
the classic "little man".
he's a load who should have been swallowed.
.
|
|
|
|
| User: "Grantland" |
|
| Title: Re: Wolfowitz Wants U$ to Betray Kurds |
17 Oct 2003 08:35:39 PM |
|
|
"R.A.G.U.N.S. ®" <abuse@anarchy.gov> wrote:
Mr Bremer is from the state department, though until now has enjoyed the
backing of the Pentagon. But Paul Wolfowitz, the deputy US defence
secretary, favours maximum involvement of Turkish troops.
The neo-cons want a disaster and a wider, regional war. That much is
clear. Israel could then run riot with impunity, conquering for Eretz
Yizrael. Wolfowitz very badly needs to be shot as a traitor. All of
them. Traitors.
Grantland
.
|
|
|
|
|
Related Articles |
|
|
