If only Iraq could do the job in Mosul
Turkey is not interested in gaining an inch of Iraqi or Syrian soil. It only wants stability and security in the neighboring border areas
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari have both in the past two days declared they are against any Turkish military operation on Iraqi soil. That, of course, includes a Turkish assault on Mosul where DAESH is holed up. DAESH seized control of Mosul and chunks of Iraq and Syria several years ago.
It is still fresh in our minds how the so-called Iraqi army fled Mosul and served the city to DAESH on a silver platter. It is also clear that the Iraqi army with Iranian recruits has not managed to take back Mosul or any meaningful part of Iraq for several years, much to the dismay of Iran and the U.S.
Iraqi officials are trying to cover up their inability to preserve the sovereignty and territorial integrity of their country by raising Turkey's military presence in Northern Iraq and trying to divert attention.
Turkish military presence in Iraq is legitimate for two reasons. Masoud Barzani's administration invited Turkey to the region in 1996 when the forces of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan led by Jalal Talabani ganged up with the PKK to beat the Barzani forces. Turkey sent two tanks of battalions and its F-16 fighters to help Barzani and beat the living daylights out of the Talabani-PKK alliance. After that an agreement was signed in Ankara between Barzani and Talabani where Turkey was charged with monitoring a cease-fire between the sides. Turkish forces were stationed at a base called Bamerni, an old small airfield. They are still there. Since then much has changed in Iraq and DAESH's invasion of a chunk of Iraq including Mosul made Turkish presence more vital.
The other reason why Turkey intervened in Northern Iraq is because its PKK terrorists are holed up in the Qandil Mountains just across the Turkish border from Hakkari province. The PKK uses the rough terrain of the mountains to hide and send terrorists into Turkey to undertake terrorist actions. The central Iraqi regime and Barzani have not been able to cope with the PKK and thus Turkey has had to take matters into its own hands to deal with these terrorists as well as DAESH.
Turkey has trained Barzani's forces as well as the Iraqi Arabs to deal with DAESH. Yet neither the peshmerga forces of Barzani nor the so-called Iraqi army is capable of dislodging DAESH from Mosul.After DAESH invaded Mosul, it attempted to occupy Irbil and Kirkuk and was nearly successful. But thanks to Turkey and the U.S. they were beaten back. Is this how al-Abadi and al-Jaafari preserve Iraq's territorial integrity and sovereignty?
Turkey's border areas near northern Syria came under DAESH attacks. DAESH also sent live bombs into Turkey and killed scores of people including innocent civilians, women and children. So Turkey used its right to self-defense and entered Syria, wiping out DAESH presence on the border areas neighboring Turkey in just 10 days. The Americans were so impressed with this outstanding performance that they offered to retake Raqqa, which is DAESH's command center, with Turkish help.
Now the U.S. is also floating the idea that Turkey could help them out in sorting out the mess that has been created in Mosul.
Turkey is not interested in gaining an inch of Iraqi or Syrian soil. It only wants stability and security in the neighboring border areas. But it is clear that Abadi and Jafari are incapable of this. So instead of complaining they should be more than happy that Turkey is prepared to dislodge the DAESH presence in their country because it is clear Iran is also incapable of doing the job.
It is still fresh in our minds how the so-called Iraqi army fled Mosul and served the city to DAESH on a silver platter. It is also clear that the Iraqi army with Iranian recruits has not managed to take back Mosul or any meaningful part of Iraq for several years, much to the dismay of Iran and the U.S.
Iraqi officials are trying to cover up their inability to preserve the sovereignty and territorial integrity of their country by raising Turkey's military presence in Northern Iraq and trying to divert attention.
Turkish military presence in Iraq is legitimate for two reasons. Masoud Barzani's administration invited Turkey to the region in 1996 when the forces of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan led by Jalal Talabani ganged up with the PKK to beat the Barzani forces. Turkey sent two tanks of battalions and its F-16 fighters to help Barzani and beat the living daylights out of the Talabani-PKK alliance. After that an agreement was signed in Ankara between Barzani and Talabani where Turkey was charged with monitoring a cease-fire between the sides. Turkish forces were stationed at a base called Bamerni, an old small airfield. They are still there. Since then much has changed in Iraq and DAESH's invasion of a chunk of Iraq including Mosul made Turkish presence more vital.
The other reason why Turkey intervened in Northern Iraq is because its PKK terrorists are holed up in the Qandil Mountains just across the Turkish border from Hakkari province. The PKK uses the rough terrain of the mountains to hide and send terrorists into Turkey to undertake terrorist actions. The central Iraqi regime and Barzani have not been able to cope with the PKK and thus Turkey has had to take matters into its own hands to deal with these terrorists as well as DAESH.
Turkey has trained Barzani's forces as well as the Iraqi Arabs to deal with DAESH. Yet neither the peshmerga forces of Barzani nor the so-called Iraqi army is capable of dislodging DAESH from Mosul.After DAESH invaded Mosul, it attempted to occupy Irbil and Kirkuk and was nearly successful. But thanks to Turkey and the U.S. they were beaten back. Is this how al-Abadi and al-Jaafari preserve Iraq's territorial integrity and sovereignty?
Turkey's border areas near northern Syria came under DAESH attacks. DAESH also sent live bombs into Turkey and killed scores of people including innocent civilians, women and children. So Turkey used its right to self-defense and entered Syria, wiping out DAESH presence on the border areas neighboring Turkey in just 10 days. The Americans were so impressed with this outstanding performance that they offered to retake Raqqa, which is DAESH's command center, with Turkish help.
Now the U.S. is also floating the idea that Turkey could help them out in sorting out the mess that has been created in Mosul.
Turkey is not interested in gaining an inch of Iraqi or Syrian soil. It only wants stability and security in the neighboring border areas. But it is clear that Abadi and Jafari are incapable of this. So instead of complaining they should be more than happy that Turkey is prepared to dislodge the DAESH presence in their country because it is clear Iran is also incapable of doing the job.