Comments on: Iran shelling Iraqi Kurdistan

By: LarryD

LarryD — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 18:46:44 +0000

Thanks, Michael, for that detail, I didn’t know anything more about PJAK than the article mentioned.

Given that, a rare opportunity for co-operation may exist. I don’t know how the Iraqi Kurds feel about the PJAK, but we’ve no reason to give them sanctuary.

By: Michael J. Totten

Michael J. Totten — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 18:36:48 +0000

Oh, and PJAK is a terrorist organization. It is the Iranian branch of the Marxist-Leninist PKK out of Turkey. LarryD is right they their presence clouds the issue. This is a red-on-red fight in friendly territory.

By: Michael J. Totten

Michael J. Totten — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 18:34:08 +0000

The reporter who wrote that article for the Guardian is Michael Howard. He’s a friend of mine and one of the most professional, honest, and intelligent journalists I’ve ever met. He knows his subject well, and his off-the-record, in-person, and unprinted analysis of Iraq is spot-on.

It is very much to the Guardian’s credit that he is on their staff.

By: LarryD

LarryD — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 17:46:39 +0000

Either they are terrorists or they are in fact the nation of Iran attacking Iraq.

False dichotomy, Roger. Terrorists deliberately target civilians, that doesn’t exclude regular national forces from committing acts of terror. Certainly Saddam did enough of that against his own population.

PJAK’s presence clouds the issue, though. Still, very close to open acts of war. Either they (the IRG) are really desperate to keep the lid on in Iran, or else they’re sure we won’t react seriously to the provocation.

By: tim maguire

tim maguire — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 15:54:17 +0000

As I understand the GWOT, we are supposed to apologize to Iran for whatever we did to make them attack Kurdistan. Simultaneously, we should be pressuring the Kurds to surrender.