August 8, 2007

Turkey, Iraq Unite in Opposition to PKK

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I’ve written recently (here and here) about rumors that the Turkish military may be preparing to go after PKK fighters based in Iraqi Kurdistan. The latest news is that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, have signed an agreement to take on PKK forces based in northern Iraq’s remote Kandil Mountains, near the Iranian border. As Maliki told a gathering of reporters in Ankara:

We found a mutual understanding with the Turkish side about the need to co-operate to confront the activities of all terrorist organisations in Iraq, including the PKK… There was agreement to unite our joint efforts to find a solution that will end, eliminate, and cancel [the PKK’s] presence on Iraqi territory through shared action by both parties.

So, is it really going to be that easy? Should we write off the PKK altogether? Nope, not according to Time‘s Andrew Lee Butters in Beirut. You can read his thoughts here.

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We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

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