There is an intense internal debate in Turkey about whether Ankara should push across the border to root out guerrillas of the Kurdistan Workers' party (PKK), based inside the Kurdish autonomous region of northern Iraq. Turkey accuses the PKK of launching attacks inside Turkish territory.
The Turkish government, which faces a general election next month, has appeared so far to want to avoid a military incursion. But a bomb attack in Ankara two weeks ago in which six people were killed, has been blamed on Kurdish separatists and put the issue of terrorism, and Turkey's appropriate response to it, at the top of the election agenda.
The above is from Steve Negus and Vincent Boland's "US warns Turkey not to invade Iraq" (Financial Times of London). The northern section of Iraq was supposed to be the 'safe' area, the one with no worries. Never true and with increased violence (especially with self-determination at stake), Turkey is far from the only problem they face. Staying on the topic of the tensions, this is from The Turkish Daily News' "Border tension heats up - US urges Turkey not to cross border:"
The United States yesterday urged Turkey not to conduct a cross-border operation into northern Iraq, following repeated threats by the Turkish military against both the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and Iraqi Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani.
Border tensions increased over the weekend as Kurdistan Patriotic Unity (KYB) forces stopped a team of Turkish special forces in northern Iraq. Turkey's Chief of General Staff Gen. Yaşar Büyükanıt, hinted on Thursday at potential combat with Barzani's forces in northern Iraq if Turkish troops cross the border. Troop movements on Turkey's southeastern border have prompted speculation of a possible incursion into Iraq's largely autonomous northern Kurdish region.
"We would prefer that we continue to work through this problem with them to try and safeguard Turkey, and hope that there will not be unilateral military action across the border into Iraq," Robert Gates, U.S. Secretary of Defense, on Sunday told a news briefing at an Asian security conference in Singapore.
Remember that in Kansas City, MO today, Adam Kokesh faces a hearing because the US military has nothing better to do with their time. [See "US military goes after veterans," The Third Estate Sunday Review.] From Iraq Veterans Against the War's "Adam Kokesh Hearing Update:"
IVAW member Adam Kokesh is in Kansas City for his hearing on Monday, June 4. Adam is accompanied by members Liam Madden and Cloy Richards. All three are facing investigations by the Marines for their participation in an IVAW action.
Adam, Liam and Cloy appeared on Good Morning America on Sunday, June 3rd. Click to watch the video and other video coverage.
Click here to send a message to General Darrell Moore, Convening Authority for the Kokesh hearing.
More updates will follow. To donate to Adam's legal defense fund, click here (include "Adam Kokesh Legal Defense Fund" in the Special Project Support box).
For the latest on Adam's hearing, click here.
An Iraq War veteran -- who insists on remaining anonymous as "only a representative" of his fallen comrades -- began walking laps around the state capitol building Memorial Day morning at 8:00 am. Fifty-eight hours later, he was still walking. Although some on the scene summed up his condition as a “health crisis” due in large part to weather extremes, he told supporters he will not rest until he has finished walking laps for every U.S. service person killed in Iraq. March now continuing 8 am to 8 pm daily, others now being asked to help walk all of the names of those killed.
View the Courage to Resist photo gallery
A visibly exhausted veteran of the Iraq War moved into his 5th straight day of circling the State Capitol here Friday to remember U.S. troops killed in Iraq -- a half-mile loop for each one -- and to call for an immediate end to the war.
Sunday, Isaiah's The World Today Just Nuts "Bully Boy's Immigration Plan" went up and Kat's latest review, "Kat's Korner: Those Jones girls," went up Saturday.
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