Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
New York Times
November 2, 2007 By Richard A. Oppel Jr.
SALAHUDDIN, Iraq, Nov. 1 — While Turkish and American officials have stepped up criticism of Iraqi Kurdish leaders for failing to curb the guerrilla fighters who have sanctuary in northern Iraq, a top British official lent his support to the Kurdish regional government during a visit on Thursday and indicated that he was confident of its commitment to resolving the crisis.
The British defense secretary, Des Browne, appeared here at a news conference with Massoud Barzani, the Kurdish leader of northern Iraq. Mr. Browne said that he had seen “a serious commitment to implement a range of measures which will make a difference.”
Mr. Browne’s comments stood in contrast to remarks last week by the State Department’s senior Iraq adviser, David M. Satterfield, that the United States was “not pleased with the lack of action” shown by Kurdish leaders.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey was quoted this week accusing Mr. Barzani of “aiding and abetting” the Kurdish guerrilla group, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party.
The guerrillas’ bloody cross-border attacks on Turkish forces have put enormous political pressure on Turkish leaders to show that they are taking swift action against the rebels. Turkish military forces are now massed at the Iraqi border for a potential invasion, though Turkish officials have suggested that no action will be taken before Mr. Erdogan meets with President Bush in Washington next week.
And while Turkish officials contend that a Turkish attack only on guerrilla bases in northern Iraq would not be an “invasion,” Mr. Browne suggested that the British government wanted no form of Turkish offensive inside Iraq.
“The whole focus of our efforts and the advantage of me being here today is that I can make a contribution to the collective efforts to ensure that no such cross-border operation ever takes place,” Mr. Browne said.
Turkish officials also said Thursday that they had initiated economic sanctions against the Kurdish guerrillas, though they did not say what the sanctions were or how they could frame them to affect only the guerrillas.
The Iraqi Kurds depend on imports from Turkey for electricity, food and other critical needs, and they fear that the closing of trade routes would be devastating. Mr. Barzani said that Turkey had just closed its airspace to flights headed toward northern Iraq, but Turkish officials denied taking that step.
November 2, 2007 By Richard A. Oppel Jr.
SALAHUDDIN, Iraq, Nov. 1 — While Turkish and American officials have stepped up criticism of Iraqi Kurdish leaders for failing to curb the guerrilla fighters who have sanctuary in northern Iraq, a top British official lent his support to the Kurdish regional government during a visit on Thursday and indicated that he was confident of its commitment to resolving the crisis.
The British defense secretary, Des Browne, appeared here at a news conference with Massoud Barzani, the Kurdish leader of northern Iraq. Mr. Browne said that he had seen “a serious commitment to implement a range of measures which will make a difference.”
Mr. Browne’s comments stood in contrast to remarks last week by the State Department’s senior Iraq adviser, David M. Satterfield, that the United States was “not pleased with the lack of action” shown by Kurdish leaders.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey was quoted this week accusing Mr. Barzani of “aiding and abetting” the Kurdish guerrilla group, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party.
The guerrillas’ bloody cross-border attacks on Turkish forces have put enormous political pressure on Turkish leaders to show that they are taking swift action against the rebels. Turkish military forces are now massed at the Iraqi border for a potential invasion, though Turkish officials have suggested that no action will be taken before Mr. Erdogan meets with President Bush in Washington next week.
And while Turkish officials contend that a Turkish attack only on guerrilla bases in northern Iraq would not be an “invasion,” Mr. Browne suggested that the British government wanted no form of Turkish offensive inside Iraq.
“The whole focus of our efforts and the advantage of me being here today is that I can make a contribution to the collective efforts to ensure that no such cross-border operation ever takes place,” Mr. Browne said.
Turkish officials also said Thursday that they had initiated economic sanctions against the Kurdish guerrillas, though they did not say what the sanctions were or how they could frame them to affect only the guerrillas.
The Iraqi Kurds depend on imports from Turkey for electricity, food and other critical needs, and they fear that the closing of trade routes would be devastating. Mr. Barzani said that Turkey had just closed its airspace to flights headed toward northern Iraq, but Turkish officials denied taking that step.