The Turkish government is contemplating trade sanctions. They say they are relying on the Americans and the Iraqi government to control these terrorists. Is that enough? Should they invade? Should they bomb PKK strongholds in N.Iraq? Should they bomb Baghdad if they continue to have trouble with insurgents? Should they enforce sanctions and a trade embargo combined with military incursions?

This shouldn't be a question for us really.
After all, when there are terrorists in Palestine, we fully support Israel doing anything necessary and then some to stop it... even if it ultimately results in a net loss of regional stability.
Seems to me we should unabashedly back Turkey's decision to do the same in Iraq.

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"It's never over... BOY!"
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This is a question for us. The Turkish government has an obligation to protect its people. Turkey is waiting for Iraq and the US to handle the situation, which is good. Now we just need to do our part.

If we aren't going to stop the P.K.K from attacking Turkish citizens, then Turkey must. Sitting back and letting the attacks against Turkey continue really isn't an option.

Imagine if some organization in canada began to attack the U.S. if Canada could not stop it, we would be forced enter Canada and stop it ourselves.

A comment: The history of the Kurds is rather sad. They are no less entitled to a homeland than say the Palestinians, but they've been screwed by history. After the breakup of the Ottoman empire after WWI, many areas were promised an autonomous state, as were the Kurds at the Treaty of Sèvres in 1920, and this was supported by President woodrow wilson. Although everyone else just sort of forgot about this, the kurds never have. The issue will now be "resolved" by realpolitik since the US needs turkish airbases, but kurds probably will never stop fighting until someone handles their historic grievances.

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Justabubba: "that would include everyone"

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I meant to put this question in the "Opinions and Beliefs" section but anyhow, you hit on my underlying question here: we fully supported Israel's response to a Hezbollah inspired border incident. Israel responded by bombing much of Lebanon's infrastructure to rubble including parts of Beirut. Israel also launched a land invasion. Thousands were killed and cluster bombs left behind continue to kill and maim. Washington insisted this was a reasonable response. Therefore, is it reasonable for Turkey to bomb and invade Iraq, including Baghdad and leave a large number of cluster bombs in N.Iraq as a parting gesture?

I'm not sure that is a likely scenario. Turkey plans on entering northern iraq to stop the rebels. They have every right to.

If Iraq won't police it's citizens, Turkey must. I don't see how peppering Iraq with cluster bombs is an issue. Turkey is currently showing restraint and awaiting a US-Iraq response. It's not like they are going to run in and start bombing Iraq. Not unless they want to really (*)(*)(*)(*) us off.

Remember, we are still a super power. Hillary isn't running the place yet. Turkey will respect our interests.

Turkey does have every right to demand that Iraq take control of the situation. What do you expect Turkey to do? Hand out helmets to citizens living on the boarder?

The first thing "I" would try to do, is "go through channels". So in this case, that would be the Turkish government asking the Iraqi government, to go after these guys.

Then I'd give you know, a week, maybe two - and if that didn't work, then I'd do "surveillance", to see if I could find these guys and where they were coming from. And then, the next thing I'd try, would be to nab 'em at the border. And 'course, knowing the Turks ( ), if they nab even one of those guys, they're gonna know "instantly" where all the rest of 'em are too, so....

Well, so if that didn't work, I'd do exactly what the Turks are doing, which is to start piling on the troops and do a few cross-border incursions just to put the fear of God into those idiots. I mean, these guys are terrorists, right? They blow stuff up - gasoline depots, government buildings, that kind of thing. I mean, if the Iraqi's aren't going to help, and their people are on you turf, you've got a right to protect yourself. Kinda the same "logic" the Israelis use, in a round-about kind of way.

'Course, if I were Bushie, I'd have a tight leash on these guys, I mean, I'd let 'em go "so far", and then I'd make 'em back off. You know, we're talking about a sovereign nation and all that, and there's already a war there, and the Turks are our allies, right? So we gotta help 'em, and not help 'em, at the same time. So what we do is, let 'em go "so far", and then say, "eh... that's far enough".

I think though, what you'll find is, that the Kurds are very smart people. They're not like those dumb Sunni's that took five years to figure out AQ was gonna kill them too - I mean, the Pesh Merga is a top-notch militia and all that, and Talibani is a Kurd, and I think you'll find that at the end of the day, these people will keep themselves in check.

I mean, the only other option is to let Turkey walk into northern Iraq, and I don't think the US'll let 'em do that. You know, like, that would be the end of any hope Bushie has of claiming any kind of "success", right?

You've got quotitis - lose the quote frenzy.

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Blade: "more educated and literate people than Justabubba"

Justabubba: "that would include everyone"

http://politicalforum.com/showthread.php?t=27847