So when we left off the story yesterday, US Secretary of State Condi Rice had just made a surprise visit to the northern oil city of Kirkuk, apparently to congratulate the provincial council for a move toward Kurdish-Arab reconciliation. But while Condi was doing that, the Turkish army invaded Iraq! And then the president of […]
US Provided Real Time Intelligence for Turkish Strikes on Iraq
Ann Scott Tyson and Robin Wright of WaPo confirm from Washington sources that the US provided to the Turkish government ‘real time intelligence’ on Kurdish Workers Party [PKK] guerrillas holed up in Iraq. That is what Turkish Chief of Staff Yasar Buyukanit had alleged in the wake of Turkish bombing of Iraqi territory. Since the […]
Zawahiri: Iraq Main field of Jihad Attacks Iran, Muqtada, Nasrallah
The USG Open Source Center summarizes the main points in the new video released by al-Qaeda’s number 2 man, Ayman al-Zawahiri. Zawahiri identifies Iraq as the primary field for jihad or holy war and defends the Islamic State of Iraq (radical Sunni Muslims in Iraq) from charges of having been especially vindictive and destructive. Zawahiri […]
Iraqi Parliament Condemns Turkey Turkey says US Authorized Air Strikes on PKK
The Iraqi parliament on Monday condemned Turkish air strikes on what it said were bases of the Kurdish Workers Party inside Iraqi territory. The parliament decried what it called a “cruel” violation of Iraqi “sovereignty.” Over two dozen Turkish troops have been killed in recent months by PKK guerrillas, who Ankara says are based in […]
Rubin on ‘Who is to Blame’ on Afghanistan
Juan is traveling and will post later on Monday. Until then, have a look at Barnett Rubin’s important essay, “Afghanistan: Who is to Blame?”
Siddiqui: Musharraf ‘Defacing’ Pakistan Constitution
The USG Open Source Center translates from Urdu a critical commentator on Pervez Musharraf’s ‘defacing’ of the Pakistan constitution. Musharraf has lifted the state of emergency in preparation for elections, but there are suspicions he will have them rigged. Press restrictions remain in effect. ‘Pakistan Commentary Criticizes Musharraf for Defacing Constitution, JudiciaryCommentary by Irfan Siddiqui: […]
Turkey Bombs N. Iraq; Unpopular British Hand over Security Control in Basra
In the far north of Iraq, Turkish warplanes bombed villages that its security specialists say were harboring terrorists of the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK). The bombing campaign is the latest in a series of actions that have brought tensions to a boil in the Kurdish-dominated north. In Iraq’s deep south, Britain turns general control of […]
Obama vs. Bush On How Honesty is the Highest form of Leadership
Hillary Clinton fired the co-chair of her New Hampshire campaign, Bill Shaheen, because he speculated that Barack Obama would be attacked by Republicans for admitting youthful drug use,if he were the nominee. She then apologized to Obama. But in this controversy, what is forgotten is that our current incumbent also admitted to youthful drug use: […]
Kurdish Press Freedoms Curtailed
The parliament of the Kurdistan Regional Authority, a part of Iraq, has just passed a very dangerous press law, which has drawn vigorous protests from Iraqi Kurdish journalists. AP reports that: ‘ Under the measure, journalists can be prosecuted in counterterrorism courts, which could bring the death penalty, and newspapers can be shut down for […]
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