Bush attempted to mollify Turkish Prime Minister Rejep Tayyip Erdogan at a White House meeting on Monday, but given Erdogan’s belligerent comments afterwards, I’d say he did not succeed. As I’ve noted before, Washington would never have asked Israel to stand by and wring its hands after Hamas blew up dozens of civilians and soldiers in the space of a month. Nor would any Israeli government probably be able to weather the wrath of its public if it tried any such thing. Likewise, passions are running high among the Turkish public after the Kurdish Workers Party [PKK] killed and kidnapped Turkish troops in eastern Anatolia, and Erdogan does not have forever to demonstrate decisiveness.
McClatchy reports that Erdogan’s fears are founded, and that the Peshmerga fighters of Iraqi Kurdistan are highly sympathetic to the PKK guerrillas, and actively help them at the Turkish border.
Reuters reports civil war violence in Iraq for Monday:
‘ MOSUL – Six people, including a woman, were found shot dead in northeastern Mosul on Monday, police said. Some bore signs of torture. Also, a decapitated body was found in the southwest of the city. [Six bodies had also been found on Sunday.]
BAGHDAD – Three bodies were found across Baghdad on Monday, police said. [Four were found on Sunday.]
BAGHDAD – A roadside bomb targeting a joint Iraqi army and police patrol killed two pedestrians and wounded seven others in the Zaafaraniya district of southern Baghdad, police said.
BAGHDAD – Gunmen shot dead a senior Baghdad civil servant in the Ghadeer neighbourhood of eastern Baghdad, police said.
BAGHDAD – Gunmen killed Hamad Abdul-Latif, a member of the Khadhra neighbourhood council, in western Baghdad’s Jamiaa district, a hospital source said. . .
BAGHDAD – One person was killed and three wounded when a roadside bomb exploded near a car in eastern Baghdad’s Baladiyat district, police said.
BAGHDAD – One policeman was killed and six others wounded when a roadside bomb exploded near a police patrol in Harthiya in western Baghdad on Sunday, police said. . . ‘
‘ Diyala
– Monday morning , a roadside bomb targeted a police patrol at Jalwla of Khanaqeen (north of Baquba) injuring one policeman .
Salahuddin
– Early morning , police found two dead bodies for policemen on the high way between Tikrit and Dour . . .
Basra
– Sunday night, gunmen threw grenade at the head of environment department’s house in northern Basra trying to assassinate but he survived having only some damage to the house . No casualties recorded. ‘
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