War Within The War

Meanwhile, in northern Iraq:

SULAIMANIYAH, 21 June 2007 (IRIN) - Hundreds of Iraqi Kurds have been forced to flee their homes after up to 30,000 Turkish soldiers massed on the Iraqi-Turkish border and launched attacks against Kurdish fighters, Iraqi border police say.

Local aid agencies said Kurdish fighters had prevented them from entering the villages, which were being targeted. [How? Like via a battle?]

"The bombardments have forced hundreds to abandon their homes and leave for safer areas. Some houses were looted by Kurdish fighters, according to witnesses in the area," said Rastgo Muhammad Barsaz, spokesman for the non-governmental organisation Kurdistan Campaign to Help Victims of War.

"Dashati Takhe village, on the border near Zakho, is one of the most affected areas. We have been informed of civilian causalities but we don't know how many, as we are being denied access to the area. But by telephone, civilians have told us they are short of food and water," Barsaz said.

It was said before the war began that if we invaded and took out Saddam, that the whole place would turn into a mess. Isn't that what's happened?

You get the feeling that the Turks are simply waiting for the Iraqi government to fail at which time they can "legitimately" enter Kurdistan and take control in a defacto annexation of northern Iraq. It would be a twofer for them: get rid of a terrorist "nest" and a thorn in their rear-end and give them lots and lots and lots of petroleum. Not a bad use of military force from their perspective.