Iraq complains about Turkey bombing

BAGHDAD - Iraqi leaders complained Monday that Turkey had not coordinated with Baghdad before sending dozens of warplanes to bomb Kurdish rebel targets in northern Iraq-the largest aerial attack in years against the outlawed separatist group.In Turkey, a U.S. Embassy official in Ankara said Washington was informed about the operation."It was a Turkish operation, it was a Turkish decision. We were informed," the official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, as the official was not authorized to speak to the media.The Iraqi parliament condemned the bombing, calling it an "outrageous" violation of Iraq's sovereignty that killed innocent civilians.Iraq's Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said the Iraqi government thought Turkey would coordinate with it before striking the rebels from the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, inside Iraq on Sunday. He also indicated that the fact Iraqi civilians were killed showed Turkey had not hit the right target."What happened yesterday was based maybe on misinformation," Zebari said.An Iraqi official said the planes attacked several villages, killing one woman. The rebels said two civilians and five rebels were killed. Turkey insisted the strikes were aimed at rebel targets and not at the civilian population.As many as 50 fighter jets were involved in the airstrikes, Turkish media reported. Turkey has recently attacked the area with ground-based artillery and helicopters and there have been some unconfirmed reports of airstrikes by warplanes.The attack came a month after the U.S. promised to share intelligence with Turkey to help combat the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK and Turkey's military chief, Gen. Yasar Buyukanit, said U.S. intelligence was used Sunday."America gave intelligence," Kanal D television quoted Buyukanit as saying. "But more importantly, America last night opened (the Iraqi) airspace to us. By opening the airspace, America gave its approval to this operation."In Washington, a Pentagon official said that the U.S. military has been sharing intelligence with the Turks, but that he did not know exactly what information was given to aid with the airstrikes or when it might have been given.Another defense official said the U.S. had made sure Turkey would have clear use of the skies to enable the strikes.They both spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the record.Defense Department spokesman Bryan Whitman said only that; "The U.S. continues to assist with information to the Turkish government that will help them deal with the insurgent situation that they have up there."Jamal Abdullah, a spokesman for the regional Kurdistan government, said the air raids were "a violation of Iraq's sovereignty."He said the bombers did not distinguish between militant and civilian targets, even though Turkey's government has said "they are not an enemy of the Kurdish government or its people."Masoud Barzani, leader of the autonomous Kurdish region, in a statement condemned the attacks, which he said were "conducted with indirect U.S. approval, as defending the sovereignty of Iraq and the Kurdish region is within the Americans' responsibilities."Turkey's military on Monday was assessing the damage caused to the PKK. Private NTV television said at least one rebel command center in Qandil was destroyed in the strikes. The mountain is a base for the PKK's leadership council and a network of camps, although some reports have suggested the rebels may have abandoned their bases in anticipation of attacks.Turkey has massed tens of thousands of troops along its border with Iraq...
To read more go to:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071217/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq;_ylt=AoMX4XEBuDXzVUPVBN6HTYOs0NUE

As in the days of Noah....