Crossfire War – Rapid Fire News=Tehran – Ankara – Baghdad Watch – West Asia Theatre: Tehran – Baghdad – Damascus – Ankara/Arbil – London – Washington; Iran Increases Range of Artillery Bombardment of Kurdish Towns as Washington Begins Troop Withdrawal – Iran Military Now Able to Monitor All Surface-Air Traffic in Persian Gulf – Military Delegation from Iran Arrives in Ankara – France FM Kouchner Scheduled to Visit Ankara Oct. 5 – Spain PM Zapatero Arrives in Moscow
Night Watch: JOMAN – As Washington withdraws a Marine unit from Iraq, AFP reports Tehran has extended the range of its artillery bombardment into Kurdish areas of northern Iraq across from Iran’s border. Abdul Wahid Koani, Mayor of the town Joman stated, “The Iranian forces began their bombardment again on Wednesday evening targeting far away from the border. This time the Iranian bombardment was different as it targeted a town deep inside Iraqi territory.”
No casualties have been reported since the area’s population had begun to flee earlier this year as Iran’s attack’s began as part of the preparation for Turkey’s invasion into northern Iraq to destroy bases of the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), the nationalist group fighting for an independent Kurdistan. No government in the region, or in the West and Russia, desire to see an independent Kurdish country since it would disrupt all of West Asia (Middle East). [GULFTIMES]
The PKK began armed conflict with Ankara in 1984, mostly in Turkey’s southeast and an Iranian Kurdish counterpart the PJAK has confronted Tehran. Shells from Iran’s bombardment landed in the Haj Umran area hitting targets on two mountains and villages that had been abandoned. The area is 10 miles (17 km) inside Iraq. Ankara-Baghdad have just signed a military cooperation agreement on the Kurdish issue and supposedly have agreed to no “hot pursuit” of Turkish forces to pursue Kurdish groups into Iraq, but there are 200,000 Turkish troops poised just for that near Iraq’s border. An announcement on a Kurdish news site linked to Crossfire War stated this latest Ankara-Baghdad agreement is very similar to the one Turkey had with Saddam Hussein. During Hussein’s Presidency, Ankara invaded and occupied northern Iraq a number of times.
Strait of Hormuz – Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have just stated they have activated a system which enables them to monitor all the surface and air traffic in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz due to a system designated “Hod Hod” (Hoopoe). It can transmit recorded film to military centers all over the country round the clock and can take detailed photographs even at night. [IRNA]
Ankara – According to Debka’s intelligence sources a high-level military delegation from Iran, led by a general, and has just arrived in Ankara secretly. I suspect it is to alert the Turkish government, especially its military command, on the rest of the timetable Tehran-Damascus have outlined for the expansion of this year’s war with Israel. Tehran, having Palestinian militant groups in Gaza, Hamas-Islamic Jihad, increase their Qassam rocket fire and mortar barrages into Israel has forced Jerusalem into planning a massive invasion-occupation of that part of the Palestinian state.
I suspect the next phase is for Palestinian militant groups in the West Bank part of the state then attack Israel and right afterward Hezbollah shows its support by firing its rockets and missiles from Lebanon in the name of supporting Palestinian people. Israel will of course strike back very heavily and that is when Damascus-Tehran enter the conflict. Syria’s entry will be mostly directed at the Golan Heights and Iran will enter to generate more Islamic radicalism throughout the region, especially in Egypt to remove President Hosni Mubarak, the last Islamic head of state attempting to work with the West. Mubarak will declare war on Iran before he is removed. The West will be powerless to help him. [DEBKA]
The military delegation may be also meeting the Iranian general who arrived in Turkey February, General Alireza Asqhari one of Iran’s leading missile experts who is now a high level liaison officer between Turkey-Iran. Both governments know fighting is about to resume in Southeast Europe during which some of Iran’s Shahab-3 ballistic missiles will be launched from Turkey at Vienna where the UN agency that has been investigating Iran’s nuclear weapons program is based. Southeast Europe is Iran’s avenue of invasion into Europe and it will have not only Turkey’s support but also the support of every government in the Balkans who all hates Vienna-Brussels even more than Tehran does.
Paris – In the darkness of these events, AKI is reporting France Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner is to make an official visit to Ankara on October 5 for meetings to discuss what are described as “bilateral questions.” A diplomatic way of saying there will be an attempt to understand each other as both governments are on opposite sides in World War III. [AKI]
Madrid – In an expression of the same concern, Spain Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero arrived in Moscow Friday for discussions with Russia President Vladimir Putin on a wide range of issues all across the World War III spectrum, from West Asia-Southeast Europe-Caucasus-South Asia. I suspect Zapatero will be given a briefing on Moscow’s preparations to end the military standoff with Georgia and Moscow’s moves when fighting resumes in the Balkans. Putin will no doubt say Moscow will continue its support of Belgrade (military assistance-shipments of material) and expect NATO’s occupation will end. He may even say the governments that are still responding to orders from Brussels, which eliminates Athens-Ankara. Zapatero may respond by saying Madrid will work with Brussels as long as the alliance responds effectively in the war, which means Madrid will not be following Brussels much longer. [TDN]
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