Iraq Report: The Turkish Invasion That Wasn't

Yesterday's news from Iraq was dominated by rumors of a Turkish invasion of northern Iraq. The news turned out to be false, as Ankara, Baghdad, and Washington all denied the reports from two unnamed Turkish officials. Turkey has seen an increase in attacks from the radical Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) over the past several months, and has been pressuring the Iraqi and U.S. governments to conduct military operations against the terrorist group, which is holed up in the mountainous regions in the Kurdish provinces. The Kurds are adamantly opposed to allowing the Turkish military to conduct operations in Iraqi territory to root out the PKK.

A US soldier from the 1st Battalion 28th Infantry
Regiment, Delta Company takes a look on the roof of an
Iraqi home during a random check in the southwestern
Bayaa neighbourhood of Baghdad. AFP/Roslan Rahman

The impact of last week's battles in Amiriyah, between Iraqi residents, insurgent groups, elements of the Anbar Salvation Council, and U.S. and Iraq security forces on one side, and al Qaeda on the other, is still being sorted out. U.S. forces are now conducting joint patrols with the Amiriyah "freedom fighters," who oppose al Qaeda's presence. Reports on jihadist websites indicate al Qaeda in Iraq and the Islamic Army in Iraq have patched up their differences. The Islamic Army is one of the groups that fought al Qaeda in Amiriyah. It is unclear exactly who makes up the "freedom fighters," but it should be remembered that groups like the Islamic Army in Iraq have been split, with some elements supporting al Qaeda and others supporting the anti-al Qaeda Anbar Salvation Council.

The raids against al Qaeda in Iraq's network and insurgent cells continue. Today, Coalition forces captured 16 al Qaeda during raids in Fallujah, Hit, and Baghdad. Wednesday's raids in Anbar province and Mosul resulted in one al Qaeda killed and six captured. Also on Wednesday, Coalition forces killed two terrorists and captured ten others while working to dismantle car bomb cells in Baghdad. "Intelligence reports also indicate that the VBIED cell is responsible for chlorine attacks, assassination attempts against Iraqi officials and other high-profile attacks in Baghdad," noted Multinational Forces Iraq. In a separate raid, Coalition forces killed an al Qaeda emir and captured three of his associates. Muhammad Mahmud ‘Abd Kazim Husayn al-Mashadani was identified as the "al-Qaeda emir in the Hay al-Jamah area of Baghdad and part of a deadly vehicle-borne improvised explosive device cell."

Earlier in the week, Iraqi Special Operations Forces captured "four suspects believed to be coordinating and conducting extra judicial killings in the Baghdad area." Coalition forces captured six insurgents southwest of Radwaniyah and two terrorists were killed and eleven captured during a three day operation northeast of Balad.