It never fails, the Iraq situation is finally turning around and another problem asserts itself:

Iraq pledges to tackle Kurdish rebels

Haroon Siddique and agencies
Tuesday October 23, 2007
Guardian Unlimited

The Iraqi prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, called the PKK a 'terrorist organisation'. Photograph: Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images

Iraq today pledged to shut down the operations of Kurdish rebels operating in the country amid frantic efforts to head off a Turkish attack.

The Iraqi prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, called the Kurdistan Workers party (PKK) a "terrorist organisation" and announced that he would "shut down their offices".

The move came as the US and Iraq attempt to avert a threatened invasion by Turkish troops looking to crush PKK fighters operating on the Iraqi border.

"The PKK is a terrorist organisation and we have taken a decision to shut down their offices and not allow them to operate on Iraqi soil," Mr Maliki said.

"We will also work on limiting their terrorist activities, which are threatening Iraq and Turkey."

He gave no details of how the rebels could be prevented from launching attacks from their remote mountain bases in northern Iraq. [link]

Un-needed drama at the border. The last thing that country needs is for Turkey to come in and take on the Kurds; but, unless Iraq (and the U.S.) can control the PKK then Turkey will have to do something. Turkey can't continue to be targeted on cross-border raids without defending its people.

I hope Maliki can contain the PKK (and shut them down) for the sake of Iraq and his people. If Turkey has to come after them, the diplomatic situation will be a mess.

tag: Iraq, PKK, Turkey, Middle East, Blogpower, LordNazh