Rice Snubbed By Kurdish Leader

BBC News is reporting that Massoud Barzani, the head of Iraq's Kurdish regional government, has refused to meet the US Secretary of State because of the US position on Turkish cross-border raids.

Speaking to reporters in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil, the prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Nechirvan Barzani, said its president had refused to meet Ms Rice because of Washington's tolerance of the recent Turkish raids.

"It is unacceptable that the United States, in charge of monitoring our airspace, authorised Turkey to bomb our villages."
Nechirvan Barzani
PM, Kurdish Regional Government

"It was decided that Massoud Barzani would go to Baghdad to take part in a meeting with Condoleezza Rice and other officials, but he will not go now as a sign of protest against the American position on the bombings by Turkey," he said.

"It is unacceptable that the United States, in charge of monitoring our airspace, authorised Turkey to bomb our villages," he added.

Is this what is meant by 'diplomatic pressure'? It appears we don't have enough clout to make any change in this region. I agree that there is an expectation that the United States will not allow Turkey to make incursions of a more serious nature in favor of it's tinhorn, root'n'tootin' shootout in Iraq. I think people in Kurdish Iraq have about had enough.

What I can't figure out is where this country can possibly go from here in this stalemate. Turkey is a NATO ally, should we be alarmed at the possibility of further erosion?

I think so.

•  Tip Jar

  As if there wasn't enough to worry about already.

  by Dems2004 on Tue Dec 18, 2007 at 03:22:05 PM PDT

  •  *This would be funny*

    if it wasn't so sad. Can we call her Condi Dangerfield now? She just can't get no respect.

    by cackyp on Tue Dec 18, 2007 at 04:34:04 PM PDT

•  This is but another crime in the Big Blockbuster

  Book of Bush's War Crimes. Maybe the Iraqis will start to see the writing on the wall.Unless they get the US out, their Country is gone to them!

  by Owllwoman on Tue Dec 18, 2007 at 03:25:39 PM PDT

•  This is a very dangerous situation

  Of our making.

  I was stationed in Turkey from 1980 to 1982 and I have never heard such hatred in my life, as I heard from Turks when speaking about Kurds.  Talk such as "kill them all," and "Hitler had the wrong target".  It should have been obvious to these neocons, who by their own admission were very smart people," that their invasion of Iraq could result in the establishment of a separate Kurdish state, and that the Turks would never accept a Kurdish state with whom their Kurdish minority, actually a majority in much of eastern Turkey, could join.

  by Navy Vet Terp on Tue Dec 18, 2007 at 03:30:06 PM PDT

  •  It should have been obvious...

    LOTS of things should have been obvious before these fools decided to invade Iraq.  They were obvious to so many of us with even a rudimentary knowledge of history and culture.  The plain fact is they didn't care.  God (in a voice remarkably similar to that of Dick Cheney) told W to invade and invade he did.  That every stinkin' thing that we have tried to accomplish there has turned to s**t must be just the result of the gays who want to get hitched or the Mexicans pouring over our borders or lack of telecom immunity - or something.  This was as predictable as the sunrise and yet these jokers thought they could just waltz in and fix everybody right up.  

    by luckylizard on Tue Dec 18, 2007 at 03:46:48 PM PDT

    •  And get the rights to 80% of the Iraqi Oil

      reserves for the Cabal Buddies after a couple of 'not smart bombs' and setting up a puppet gobbernment. Then just start the pumping 'to pay for Operation Iraqi Liberation-O.I.L.'.

      by deMemedeMedia on Tue Dec 18, 2007 at 05:17:43 PM PDT

•  I can't blame him

  She's not qualified for the job. All that is going on right now is a blietzkrieg by bushco to salvage his legacy.

  No one wants anything to do with it.

  I really don't think other heads of state actually take her seriously after her 7 dismal years of service as National Security Advisor & then SOS.

  by flatford39 on Tue Dec 18, 2007 at 03:40:03 PM PDT

  •  this guy is no fool. she is looking for a photo

    opp and nothing more.

    by stodghie on Tue Dec 18, 2007 at 04:56:26 PM PDT

•  Keep...

  A Very close eye on this!!

  whittle bush may just have opened another Front in the Insurgency!

  The PKK had no bones with the U.S., and I'll bet they were doing some help with our Special Forces, these fighters are no slouches.

  Now the gloves are off, not only for the PKK but also the fact the U.S. has allowed Turkey to break the Iraq Airspace as well as Now cross it's borders through Military Actions. The Government? in Iraq won't fuss but Others Will!!

  He may just have Killed and Maimed more U.S. Troops by his nod and a wink!

  by jimstaro on Tue Dec 18, 2007 at 03:55:12 PM PDT

  •  Just when things were getting a little more quiet

    so, it seems W likes to see chaos, hatred and violence unleashed.

    In whose name does W authorize Turkey to attack anyone?  It was not approved by Iraq's government.  There is no UN resolution.  This reflects an unlawful mob mentality.  Add this to the long list of war crimes.

    by antirove on Tue Dec 18, 2007 at 04:46:48 PM PDT

  •  The only hope that I see that we possibly have

    is that the World separates ALL OF THE BUSHIES as a sub class and not as America. 'Cause snubbing Rice is truly snubbing all of US Policies. Rice is hopeless, but then she does take marching order. But then they may not be willing to wait another 400 days.

    The Kurds have been able to stay out of most of the mess and gain financially, but this is truly a mess. Kirkuk is also very symbolic as well as critical in the scheme of pipelines for 'internal Iraqi tension'.

    Dumbarse in Charge may surely have picked the scabs off the wrong wounds as you say. Bleed out, anyone?

    http://www.dailykos.com/...

    by deMemedeMedia on Tue Dec 18, 2007 at 05:01:03 PM PDT

•  No shit - Rice and Company just...

  authorized Turkey bombing the shit out of the Kurds.

  I'd snub a lot of people for a lot less!

  by ShainZona on Tue Dec 18, 2007 at 04:11:08 PM PDT