Tulsi joins the party of Common Sense

[News_Editor]

Turkish planes bomb Kurdish region in Iraq after rebel attack on soldiers

2011-08-18 10:53:31 GMT+7 (ICT)

BAGHDAD, IRAQ (BNO NEWS) -- Four Turkish fighter jets bombed suspected Kurdish rebel bases in Iraq on Wednesday evening after an earlier ambush killed at least seven Turkish soldiers, officials said.

According to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, the four Turkish aircraft heavily bombed the Meteen area, and at around 9 p.m. local time, more planes entered Iraq's air space above the Kurdistan region in the Soran District of Erbil Province and the Qandeel Mountain valley, the National Iraqi News Agency (NINA) reported.

No information was available regarding the magnitude of the damages caused during the bombing, but reports said the Kurdistan region suffers from Iranian artillery bombings almost every day, causing deaths and material damages.

Earlier on Wednesday, twelve Turkish soldiers were killed when a roadside bomb and an ambush targeted a military convoy in Turkey's southeastern province of Hakkari near the Iraqi border. Among the fatalities was a military officer who was in command of the troops.

The attack was reportedly carried out by Kurdish rebel group the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which have killed at least 34 Turkish soldiers since July.

The PKK, which has been labeled as a terrorist organizations by the United States and the European Union, was established in 1984 in its efforts to establish the eastern and southeastern regions of Turkey as an autonomous Kurdish state. Over 40,000 soldiers and civilians have been killed in violent clashes since the group took arms. The PKK maintains its military bases across the Iraqi border.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-08-18

[cihan]

i hope most of them die with this air strike. terrorism is spreading everywhere

[Scott]

I lived in Northern Iraq for a number of years. Those Turkish airstrikes seldom, if ever, get the PKK. They do, however, kill a lot of Iraqi Kurds who have no affiliation with the Turkish situation.

[cihan]

in war on terrorism, sometimes innocent people can die too same happen in iraq afghanistan and pakistan but this doesnt mean we have to stop fighting with terror.

[muratremix]

So when rebels in Yala province kills civilians they are addressed as Terrorists, but when this happens in another Country, they become "rebel"?. That is called "Discourse" in social sciences. Definition if Terrorist is very clear actually. No need to label them as rebels.

[mpoppel]

So when rebels in Yala province kills civilians they are addressed as Terrorists, but when this happens in another Country, they become "rebel"?. That is called "Discourse" in social sciences. Definition if Terrorist is very clear actually. No need to label them as rebels.

The difference:

The rebels in Libya are fighting to overthrow the government of Gaddafi and the PKK is fighting to partly overthrow the Turkish government so they can establish their own autonomous Kurdish state in eastern and southeastern Turkey. Yesterday's attack was aimed against the Turkish military, not civilians. Terrorists such as al-Qaeda are usually fighting for their beliefs, which is Islam in their case.

reb·el/ˈrebəl/

Noun: A person who rises in armed resistance against an established government or ruler.

ter·ror·ist/ˈterərist/

Noun: A person who uses terrorism in the pursuit of political aims. More »

Edited August 18, 2011 by mpoppel

[Scott]

I am not inclined to get into a slinging match over rebel or terrorist labels. The PKK have been labeled a terrorist organization and they have certainly created grounds for that label in Turkey.

The pursuing of the PKK into Iraq has always been a contentious issue--as it is with any country.

During the time that I was there, the Turks continuously ignored the no-fly zone and bombed villages quite far into the interior of the Northern region. There was dubious reason to believe that any PKK members would take shelter that far in Iraq, especially given the logistics in travel and the completely different tribal and linguistic affiliation of the area.

[muratremix]

Mpoppel, It's obvious you have no first-hand information in this matter, however I do. Because I'm from Turkey.

First of all, you need to distinct between the State and the Government. PKK is in list of Terrorist groups of USA. They have changed their name after that but it doesn't matter. They used to kill civilians who doesn't support their cause, even babies in their bed. Now they only kill soldiers to look like Libyan or another rebel group. Turkish state or government is not fighting against rebels, we're definately not slaughtering civilians like Arab leaders do.

So in your point of view, Muslim part of Thailand can expect autonomy and seperate themselves from Thailand and merge into Malaysia later on? The world system doesn't work like that.

[cihan]

i have never seen rebels before who kills 6000 civillians and transporting drugs from iran and ıraq to europe over turkey.

[zydeco]

Everybody's bombing somebody else somewhere these days. Got an itch? Drop a bomb! It's how you enrage enemies and influence the undecided into becoming your enemy.

[muratremix]

Everybody's bombing somebody else somewhere these days. Got an itch? Drop a bomb! It's how you enrage enemies and influence the undecided into becoming your enemy.

I hear that USA may lead Turkey to use this excuse to enter Syria to detain Dictator Esad. What excuse you ask? Well, what if thousands of Terrorists move to Syria for shelter?