Crossfire War – Rapid Fire News=ankara – Damascus – Tehran Watch – West Asia Theatre: Ankara – Riyadh – Damascus – Tehran – Baghdad/Arbil – Mosul – Kirkuk – Sulaimaniyah; Heavy Fighting on Both Sides of Turkey/Iraq Border – Pkk Stages Attack on Turkish Troops in Southeast Turkey – Turkish Army – Air Force Attack Targets in N. Iraq – Pres. Abdullah Gul to Chair Security Summit – Turkish Chief of Staff Recalled From Rome – Turkey Fm in Saudi Arabia – U. S. Sec. of Defense Gates on European Crisis Tour
Night Watch: Hakkari – Xinhua reports Chief of General Staff General Yasar Bukuyanit has been recalled from Rome so he could attend the Security Summit Sunday evening chaired by President Abdullah Gul. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for the meeting after nearly 20 Turkish soldiers were killed by Kurdish PKK fighters, using heavy weapons, in a pre-dawn morning attack in Turkey’s southeast. This will add weight to the argument of those who want a large military invasion. In other action, Ankara states 23 Kurdish militants were killed in the Dagliea region of Yuksekove town in Hakkari province near Iran’s border. [XINHUA]
Mateen Mountains – Turkish air and artillery are also attacking targets in Iraq’s Duhuk province. Aysar Jerjis, Mayor of Kani Masi stated, “The Turkish artillery shelled some 10 Kurdish villages including the mountains of Mateen in Duhuk province at about 6:00 am, but there were no casualties. More than 50 heavy artillery landed on the targeted areas that were located some 80 km (50 miles) northeast of provincial capital of Duhuk.” This is probably designed to deliberately displace the local population before Turkey’s invasion and occupation. All this year Tehran has been bombarding Kurdish villages across Iran’s border with the same result. Another Mayor, Ismail Ahmed of Amadiyah said 500 Iraqi families have already left his village in the Sarsang area due to the bombardment a few days ago. The Turkish air force has also damaged a bridge in the Nezdoori village of Batofah area of Duhuk province. [XINHUA]
The price of oil could easily surpass $100 per barrel if the PKK blow up oil pipelines in Kurdish areas that go to Turkey. Abdul Rahman al-Jad, head of foreign affairs for the PKK is threatening to do so if the Turkish army continues its operations against the PKK and current news indicates Ankara is preparing a large offensive. Cooler heads are not prevailing. Ankara’s response, its Action Plan, is not something Turkey has planned overnight. The Turkish government and other governments in the region knew the London-Washington occupation was going to be heavily attacked causing regional instability, an instability Ankara-Damascus-Tehran-Riyadh intend to use to have more influence not only in Iraq but to reduce the West’s military presence in the region.
Jeddah – AP reports Turkey Foreign Minister Ali Babacan has arrived in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and was met by the Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud. Babacan is no doubt here to receive further regional support for Ankara’s invasion and the House of Saud agrees completely especially since it is a profound embarrassment to the West and Riyadh’s former allies London-Washington. [ASHARQALAWSAT]
Heidelberg – Amidst this foreign policy catastrophe U.S. Secretary of Defence Robert Gates has just begun a whirlwind tour of Europe beginning with the Ukraine where he will meet President Viktor Yushchenko Sunday and may attempt to arrange the Allies using bases in Ukraine for attacks on Iran. He is then scheduled to confront Turkey Defence Minister Vecdi Gonul. Gates will visit the Czech Republic then proceed to the Netherlands for a conference with NATO Defense Ministers which was probably originally scheduled to discuss just Afghanistan but they all know fighting is about to resume in Southeast Europe over Kosovo. Gates last stop is to be Heidelberg where Washington has its European military headquarters and where the final review will be made on the forces needed to confront these non-agenda wars. [XINHUA]
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