Future Liberations of iraq

With pre-emptive warfare a fashionable doctrine these days, other nations could soon invade to "free" Iraq from whatever they desire: Islamic extremists, the US, multi-nationals, et al.

Turkey looks like it may be first, invading northern Iraq to fight the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) a secular left guerrilla outfit. Condoleeza will be in Turkey Friday for talks. Who better to trust to calm the situation?

Ankara will tell Rice that the PKK’s presence in northern Iraq...is now tolerated and supported by the Iraqi Kurds... Turkish officials want the US secretary of state to accept and acknowledge this publicly and thus tell the international community that a possible cross-border operation by Turkey would be necessary to deal with the terrorist threat although Ankara is willing to continue trying diplomatic means.

Interestingly, the Kurdish cross-border attacks on Iran, under an offshoot named the PJAK, are not labeled terrorist actions and are rumored to be supported by the US. From the NYT:

But while the Americans call the P.K.K. terrorists, guerrilla commanders say P.J.A.K. has had “direct or indirect discussions” with American officials. They would not divulge any details of the discussions or the level of the officials involved, but they noted that the group’s leader, Rahman Haj-Ahmadi, visited Washington last summer.

Biryar Gabar, one of 11 members of the group’s leadership, said there had been “normal dialogue” with American officials, declining specifics. One of his bodyguards said officials of the group met with Americans in Kirkuk last year.

...

Guerrilla leaders said the Americans classify the P.K.K. as a terrorist group because it is fighting Turkey, an important American ally, while the P.J.A.K. is not labeled as such because it is fighting Iran.

In fact, the two groups appear to a large extent to be one and the same, and share the same goal: fighting campaigns to win new autonomy and rights for Kurds in Iran and Turkey. They share leadership, logistics and allegiance to Abdullah Ocalan, the P.K.K. leader imprisoned in Turkey.

I remember years ago, before we launched a shock and awe campaign on the citizens of Iraq, people suggesting that destabilizing Iraq could lead to civil war and ignite the conflict between Turkey and the Kurdish region in Northern Iraq, among other things.

They were called "Saddam Lovers."