Kurds flee homes as Iran shells Iraq's northern frontier
This just showed up on the Guardian! Not much to say at this point, but had to get it out there.
This is huge! The implications here are twisted and quite concerning.
First, an excerpt of the Guardian article
Kurds flee homes as Iran shells Iraq's northern frontier
Michael Howard in Qandil Mountain
Friday August 18, 2006
The Guardian
Turkey and Iran have dispatched tanks, artillery and thousands of troops to their frontiers with Iraq during the past few weeks in what appears to be a coordinated effort to disrupt the activities of Kurdish rebel bases.
Scores of Kurds have fled their homes in the northern frontier region after four days of shelling by the Iranian army. Local officials said Turkey had also fired a number of shells into Iraqi territory.
You KNOW (edit:I should say, you'd THINK) this is gonna be used as a pretext to hit Iran, by Bush and pals. But with Turkey in the mix too, it's gonna get messy.
I get the feeling that both Iran and Turkey are of the impression that the US can't really do much about it.
Been wondering when this would start. Things just got a whole lot more complicated in Iraq...
UPDATE:
From what I'm getting here, looks like this has been going on low-level for a while. Haven't seen anything about it prior to tonight.
A quick google gets this:
Google query, not much.
The initial news stories go back to July 22 or so. Why haven't we heard anything about this here in the states I wonder...
Thanks to kidneystones for the map!! I jacked his topic and the guy helps me put this together. Major kudos.
Addendum: This is the source article for the map below, which goes into detail relevant to the map.
Blood borders: How a better Middle East would look
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
AFJ - By Ralph Peters
The following story from, Kurdish Aspect Kurdish news & opinion site says:
Meanwhile Turkey and Iran’s government are amassing thousands of troops along the Iraqi border. According to the Turkish online newspaper Zaman, the number of Turkish troops deployed in the country’s south-east near the Iraqi border has recently been increased to 200,000.
Some analysts say that besides sealing off their borders to the guerrillas, both Iran and Turkey may be trying to intimidate Iraqi Kurds. The Iranians and Turks fear Kurdish success in creating an autonomous region in northern Iraq, and the prosperity of their enclave could encourage their own Kurdish minorities.
This situation has been coming to a slow boil over the past several years, since we've been in Iraq. I would speculate that the possibility of the Kurds gaining legitimacy as a independent entity, is at least part of the reason they denied allowing thier territory to be staged from, by our troops before the invasion in Mar '03.
So at this point in time, we have Shia attacking Sunni, *Sunni attacking Shia as well* (heaven forbid I appear "biased"), small skirmishes between the Kurds and the Shia militias, death squads, both the Shia and Sunni attacking our troops, Israel's pounding on Lebanon and basically losing (by thier own media and public opinion polls, mind you), and rampant corruption at all levels.
Add to that This situation with Iran and Turkey, and well, we got a recipe for a serious firestorm that could blow the whole region up.
So, in the court of public opinion in certain places, is that we're effectivley providing aid and comfort to a terrorist group, who has been terrorizing Turkey and Iran.
Can you say hypocritical? How bout double-standard?
UPDATE Thanks!:
On the rec list?! Excellent!! Never expected to make it up there! Thanks for the mojo, as well as, so long and thanks for all the fish! I'm burnt out for the day, sweet unconsiousness here I come!
UPDATE #3:
I'm in process of researching the opinions and perspectives of a few friends of mine from the middle east. As I get feedback, I'll be either adding it here, or starting a new diary, with the discussion and opinions that result. I expect that there will be plenty of interesting perspectives on the way.
Also, you might want to check out these other diaries mentioned in the comments. They are directly pertinent to the discussion and very informative!
Iraq Civil War: Kurdish Secession
by Left Click
Is This To Be the New Middle East?
by naltikriti
Hopefully I didn't miss any in there. Still running through the comments.