Oh boy, this is going to throw a monkey wrench into the plans of the Obama Administration:
Iranian aircraft attacked three villages inside Iraq over the weekend. The airstrikes — Iran’s first on Iraqi soil since the U.S. invasion — could complicate the Obama administration’s efforts to normalize relations with Tehran.
“The bombardments appeared to have targeted the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK), an Iranian Kurdish separatist group which has launched attacks on Iran from rear-supply bases in the mountains of northern Iraq,” AFP reports. Iran has attacked the Kurdish group before, with artillery. But this is the first time the Iranians followed up, with assaults from the air.
“The incident comes a week after reports of a clash between Iranian police officers and suspected PJAK fighters in the country’s western province of Kermanshah,” Al-Jazeera reports. “At least 10 policemen and 10 fighters were killed in the gun battle.”
Details on the airstrikes remain sketchy. Voice of America says the attacks were carried out by helicopters, which remained in Iranian airspace. Al-Arabiyah television, on the other hand, says it was “Iranian planes [that] raided those villages.”
via Iran Launches Airstrikes on Iraqi Villages | Danger Room.
Hmmm… Did not President Obama say this at one point?
Sounds like Barry is now going to get a full dose of reality, when it comes to Iran and their way of doing business. I wonder what he will do? Possibly employ some smart power and leadership to the situtation? Will he call for a meeting with the top military brass and make a decision based on the interests of the United States?
Don’t bet on it, he’s too busy out taking a stroll with his American-Hating, White Man-Hating Wife.
I am afraid that this is what the next 4 to 8 years is going to be like. International Threats and a Liberal President who is more interested in making photo ops that he is trying to defend our nation and interests. All the while spending this country into a giant economic hole. I am just glad, that I did not vote for the man; I couldn’t, I would not be able to live with myself, if I had of. The man is obviously not qualified for the office; and I am not talking about the Birth Certificate thing either. I am just referring to the man’s ability to lead the country. President Obama is a complete buffoon, who landed this election because of his skin color.
This should be a very interesting story to watch and follow. If it is not buried by our drool bucket Liberal Media. 🙄
Throw a wrench in Obama’s plans? Yeah it could do that but Iran and (most of) Iraq has been trading brutalities with the Kurdish people for decades. The Kurds have formed a very real threat to the territorial integrity of Iraq and Turkey for decades.
If Obama wants to use this as a causes belli he will. It would be disingenuous for an American president to do so, given our repeated and very recent black ops inside Iran (recently initiated by GWB). Thus while you tell us what happened (Iran bombing Kurds) what we don’t learn here is why. Was the USA once again using the Kurds to do proxy war with Iran? IT makes little sense for Iran to provoke an ostensible American protectorate given their desire not to be nuked back into the stone ages.
Naturally the Kurds will call for US help as they have for decades and we might help them or ignore them as we’ev alternately done for decades. The reaction of the Iraqi government should be interesting. While “their territory” has been invaded, the North of Iraq (Kurd territory) has been effectively made autonomous by ourselves in the 1st and 2nd Gulf Wars and Iraq Proper hates the Kurds with true genocidal passion.
It’s not the first time this has caused a problem on the order of threatening to dissolve NATO because if Turkey’s threatened response. Obama’s mission, like any meddling president before him, is to contain and pacify this situation. I’m not going to bother calling this one until I hear the Iranian side of the argument.
Thanks for the insight Oyate. 😀
Another place to check out is http://www.aina.org/
They have complaints of Kurd genocide against Iraqi Christian pacifists.
I recall Turkish incursions into Kurd territory after guerilla ops in Turkey also ( oops. Terrorists ! I must be P.C. ).
This is no group of innocents suffering unprovoked harassment.
I do tend to feel sympathy for the Kurdish people. Under Reagan they were encouraged to rise up against Saddam. We promised them materiel, weapons and ammo. They started the uprising and we quickly pulled ALL support. Saddam kept the pressure on until they ran out of ammo and then we walked in and just slaughtered hundreds of thousands of them.
Fast forward to Gulf War 1. SAME THING. Rise up, reclaim your land and we’ll be there to support you with weapons and ammo. We’ll protect your skies from Iraqi warplanes we told them.
Lies once again. GHWB pulled the support and though we did in fact suppress Iraqi warplanes that were a threat to US, we let him take every copter he could get his hands on and once again the slaughter.
This time around with GWB, we once again saw these poor people as allies and they said “FUCK YOU, WE’RE STAYING PUT AND WE’LL FIRE ON ANYONE UNDER ANY FLAG THAT MESSES WITH US”.
Due to the anililation and subsequent disbanding of the Iraqi army and security forces, there was no slaughter and the Kurds quickly reformed security and their economy. The North could be considered the ONLY place in Iraq where something approaching normal life and trade continue. And now, for the first time in decades the Iraqi Kurds have more peace and stabilty than ever and we still do business them because we know they could be the straw that breaks the US camel’s back. The Kurds are capable of mounting a fiercer insurgency or resistance than anything Saddam could have hoped for. Saddam and his regime fought to preserve Saddam and his regime. The Kurds fight for their families and food stocks near at hand. They have never given up and I don’t expect they ever will.
For now the Kurds know their position: the USA has to pander to them or they can destroy all of our ambitions in the region. In return for not directly defying USA interests in Southern Iraq, we the USA use our considerable influence in keeping Turkey quiet and non-responsive to continued attempts to form an independent Kurdistan. It’s a delicate balance but it’s the best they’ve had in decades.
Very pragmatic players, those Kurds.
Just an FYI…. The reason that comment went into moderation, is because of the f-word used. I don’t mind, I just like know who’s using the f-word and why.
Using the f-word is fine. Using the f-word towards me, is not. 😀
I say let’s get out of all Middle East and let them kill each other, then we can pick up the pieces.