Developments in Iraq
December 18, 2007
Turkish Troops Cross the Border
About 300 Turkish troops have crossed into northern Iraq. Turkish officials claim that Kurds in the region are responsible for mounting attacks on Turkish soil. They also claim that Kurdish seperatists (who want their region of Turkey made into a Kurdish state) are taking shelter in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq (Reuters). The Turkish government has also arrested Nurettin Demirtas, the head of the largest Kurdish party in Turkey, for allegedly using false medical documents to avoid military service (BBC).
The British Pull Out of Basra
In southern Iraq, British forces have withdrawn from the city of Basra, handing responsibility over to Iraqi forces. The few remaining troops (left behind to help in case of an emergency) will be base out of Basra airport. According to Reuters UK, “Control of Basra province will be the biggest test yet of the Iraqi government’s ability to keep the peace without relying on troops from either the United States or its main ally.”
However, Basra’s police chief has complained that the British have “left him to cope with militia, gangsters, and beheadings of women considered insufficiently Islamic” (Guardian). On top of that, al-Qaeda duputy Ayman al-Zawahiri is claiming that the British are “fleeing” Basra, not simply handing over the reins to the locals (BBC).
