The Iraqi government on Tuesday condemned Turkey's raids into northern Iraq and demanded that Turkey withdraw its troops, as fighting continued for a sixth day between Turkish forces and Kurdish rebels.
"The council expresses its rejection and condemnation to the Turkish military incursion which is considered a violation to the Iraqi sovereignty," the Iraqi cabinet said in a statement. "The cabinet stresses that unilateral military action is not acceptable and threatens good relations between the two neighbors."
The semiautonomous Kurdistan Regional Government also condemned the raids in a special session on Tuesday.
[. . .]
In an interview on Tuesday, a P.K.K. spokesman expressed confidence that the rebels had the backing of the Kurdish regional government, which has repeatedly demanded the removal of Turkish troops. But the spokesman, Ahmad Danes, said the rebel group felt betrayed by the United States, which has said Turkey warned it of the raid. He said the Kurdish rebels kept the mountainous north of Iraq free of insurgent terrorists.
The above is from Michael Kamber's "Iraq Cabinet Demands Turks Leave Kurdish Area in North" (New York Times). Robert Gates (Sec. of Defense) is stating that the action needs to be quick and finished soon. The PKK is attacking Turkey but Turkey's response needs to be swift and over soon is his assertion . . . while the US -- which was never threatened by Iraq -- hits the five year mark on the Iraq War next month.
John Affleck (AP) continues to report on the pilgrims:
Shiite pilgrims headed to a major religious gathering were again targeted by extremists Wednesday when a roadside bomb detonated near a bus in Baghdad, killing one traveler, police said.
The blast came just days after a flurry of attacks on a massive pilgrimage to the holy city of Karbala, 50 miles south of Baghdad. Shiites from across Iraq and some foreign visitors are marking Arbaeen, the end of a 40-day mourning period following the anniversary of the death of Imam Hussein, one of Shiite Islam's most revered figures.
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Added: Amy Goodman is too busy selling Barack Obama to tell the truth. In headlines yesterday, she offered up Chris Dodd's endorsement of Bambi. She made that the LEAD HEADLINE of today. The Media Hooker wants the world to believe that it is the most important story today. If she bothered to act like a journalist -- it's apparently impossible for her to be one at this point, so just act like one -- she'd know what she's talking about. She says an "unnamed" soldier shot himself to avoid returning to Iraq. Matthew Myers is the name of the "unnamed." It's in this morning's Los Angeles Times -- in a story by Molly Hennesy-Fisk entitled "Officials call shooting of soldier a ploy". If Amy Goodman weren't so busy lying and promoting Obama -- in direct violation of Pacifica guidelines -- she might be able to get her facts right. Instead she reveals herself to not just be a hooker, but a stupid, stupid hooker.
iraq
the new york times
