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Show DAILY Wednesday, December 19, 2007 HERALD Turkish soldiers sent across border into Iraq Elena Becatoros THE ASSOCIATED BAGHDAD Turkey sent hundreds of troops across the border into the frigid mountains of northern Iraq on Tuesday, claiming it inflicted heavy losses on Turkish Kurd rebels in the small-scal- e incursion and from air strikes two days earlier. The offensive puts more pressure on Washington to mediate between Iraq and Turkey, two key allies in an unstable region. In a sign of increasing tension, the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees reported that more than 1,800 people fled their homes in parts of Iraq's semiautono-mou- s Kurdistan last weekend. International oil prices fell sharply late Tuesday after reports from Kurdish officials that the Turkish ground troops had withdrawn, easing fears that the conflict would disrupt oil supplies from the region. The Turkish military, however, did not confirm a pullout. Tuesday's raid was the first confirmed Turkish ground operation targeting rebel bases inside Iraq since the U.S. invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, though about 1,200 Turkish military monitors have operated in northern Iraq since 1996 with permission from local authorities. However, the incursion did not represent a large-scalpush that some feared could destabilize a relatively calm and which is part of Iraq adjacent to the nation's main northern oil fields around Kirkuk. In November, the Turkish military reportedly massed e Anne Gearan infrastructure and its human resources," it said, insisting that no civilian targets were harmed. It was unclear what role the U.S. played, if any, in Tuesregional militia. day's ground operation. U.S. military commanders The rebels, known as the in Iraq didn't know Turkey Kurdistan People's Paraty, or was sending warplanes to PKK, have battled for autonbomb in northern Iraq on omy for southeastern Turkey for more than two decades and Sunday until the planes had use strongholds in northern already crossed the border, r said defense and diplomatic strikes. Iraq for officials, who were angered Turkey has said it can no about being left in the dark. longer tolerate the attacks on Americans have been its troops, and in October Turproviding Turkey with intelkey's Parliament authorized the country's military to strike ligence to go after Kurdish back at the rebels inside Iraq. rebels in northern Iraq. And a "coordination center" has The latest operation involvbeen set up in Ankara so ing about 300 soldiers began about 3 a.m. and lasted 15 Turks, Iraqis and Americans hours before the soldiers recan share information, two ofturned to Turkey, Iraqi Kurd ficials said Tuesday. But defense and diplomatic officials said. officials in Washington and "Today's Turkish military Baghdad told The Associated '.i operation was a limited one, and the troops withdrew from Press that U.S. commanders in Iraq knew nothing about Iraqi territory," said Jabar Yawar, a spokesman for Sunday's attack until it was Kurdistan's Peshmerga militia. already under way. In its statement, the Turkish They spoke on condition of military said ground forces anonymity because they were based close to the border not authorized to speak on the crossed "a few kilometers" into record. northern Iraq after spotting a Their comments follow group of rebels trying to infilcomplaints by Iraqi leaders trate into Turkey overnight. Monday that Turkey hadn't "A heavy blow was inflicted coordinated with Baghdad on the group with the land before sending bombers to forces stationed in the area," strike PKK targets. it said. It was left to the Americans The military said it was not to inform Iraqi government able to give the number of reb- officials of Sunday's incurels who may have been killed sion, one U.S. official said. No problem occurred with during Sunday's airstrikes on PKK targets, but maintained a conflict in the air space, but that "many facilities harbor-in- g might have as both military the PKK were hit." and commercial flights go "The PKK has suffered through northern Iraq, the officials said. heavy losses in terms of its cross-borde- Maria Danilova weaken and surround Russia. But Moscow reacted with soft words Tuesday, welcomParliaKIEV, Ukraine ing the prospect of a Cabinet ment elected the fiery Yulia taking shape in Ukraine. Tymoshenko prime minister Tymoshenko outraged the Kremlin in April, when the U.S. Tuesday by the narrowest possible margin, in a striking magazine Foreign Affairs published an article in which she political comeback likely to strengthen Ukraine's ties to the urged Western nations to opWest and aggravate tensions pose what she called Moscow's effort to restore control of its with Russia. Now the big question is "lost empire." heroMore recently, she vowed whether the ine of the 2004 Orange Revolu- to get rid of a company, half d owned by Russia's tion, which split the country between those who favor close Gazprom, that acts as a middleties to Moscow and those who man in Russian natural gas sales to Ukraine. She has called seek greater integration with Europe, can hang onto her job. the sales arrangement "corTuesday marked the second rupt." "There cannot be any mediatime Tymoshenko has won the prime minister's post: her first tors on the gas market," she said Tuesday. stint ended after just seven months, when she was fired by Tymoshenko received 226 her Orange Revolution partner votes the minimum required for confirmation by the Viktor Yushchenko. Speaking shortly before the parliament from vote, Tymoshenko said it was deputies in her bloc and critical that the two parties put party. their differences aside. Tymoshenko took the oath of office clad in a dazzling "Today's vote is a moment of truth for the democratic co- white dress and wearing her alition," she told parliament. signature coif her blond hair Moscow openly endorsed braided and curled in a halo. "I congratulate everybody the Orange Revolution's major who voted for the democratic foe, Viktor Yanukovych, in the 2004 presidential contest forces, and those who did not we will make sure that we and the Kremlin has bitterly are their team too," Tymoshdenounced the results as part enko said, with a triumphant of an effort by the West to ASSOCIATED stop Kurdish rebels who attack Turkey troops along the border, and there are fears that a major Turkish offensive could cause civilian casualties and lead to conflict with the peshmerga, the fierce Kurdish Ukraine's parliament elects THE Rice, in Iraq, cites 'common interest' to 100,000 PRESS PRESS pro-Weste- A7 THE ASSOCIATED Secretary of State i PRSS Condoleez-z- a Rice said Tuesday the United States, Iraq and Turkey have a "common interest" in stopping Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq, and told Iraqi leaders they still have urgent work ahead to unite the country. "This is a circumstance in which ... we need an overall comprehensive approach to this problem," Rice said during a brief, unannounced visit to Baghdad and the contested oil capital Kirkuk in the north. "No one should do anything that threatens to destabilize the north." Turkey launched a small operation across the border overnight Tuesday, and its soldiers were still in Iraq when Rice arrived in nearby Kirkuk. Turkey says it must cross the border to pursue Kurdish rebels who use the border region to attack Turkey. Iraq's government objects and the United States has stood between its two close allies for months; The border problem has also soured U.S. relations with the I ; ' V t 4 STRONG; Associated Press Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice speaks to reporters news conference in Baghdad, Iraq, on Tuesday. at a BOB U.S. In Washington, White House many as 50 fighter jets into Iraq to conduct airstrikes against rebels from the Kurdish Workers Party, or PKK. The planes attacked several press secretary Dana Perino said she would not comment on the new operation until there was more concrete information about how far the incursion villages, killing one woman, went, how many people were Iraqi officials, said. Iraqi leaders had complained involved and other details. "Of course we are coordiMonday that Turkey did not coordinate with Baghdad benating with the Turkish and fore the largest aerial attack Iraqi authorities in the area," in years against the out lawed semiautonomous Iraqi Kurds. Perino said. "The PKK is a Rice did not hold a separate threat to Turkey, to Iraq and group. separatist Turkey's to the United States. And so we meeting with the Kurdish military chief said the strikes used U.S. intelligence, and U.S. continue to share information, leadership while in Kirkuk, and Kurdish leader Massoud share intelligence." officials said Washington was Barzani refused to attend a informed of the plan, Rice's visit Tuesday was meant to underscore an overall The Turkish army also sent meeting with her in Baghdad reduction in violence that the to protest the U.S. position that soldiers about 1.5 miles into r limited Bush administration largely attacks northern Iraq in an overnight are legitimate. operation on Tuesday, Kurdish attributes to the escalation of U.S. forces Bush ordered a officials said. Kurdish officials Kurdish leaders have also chafed under U.S. demands for said the Turkish troops left year ago. The military claims attacks in Iraq are at their lowgreater inclusion in the Bagh-da- d Iraq about 15 hours later. Rice made it clear the United est levels since the first year government and swifter of the American invasion in States supports efforts to work to complete a frame- work law for managing and quash any rebel movement, but 2003, finally opening a window she said it was a "Turkish deci- for reconciliation among rival distributing Iraq's oil wealth. sects. On Sunday, Turkey sent as sion" to act. ; cross-borde- : ; Yulia Tymoshenko as prime minister rn smile. "What we have to d y now is show society .Yushchenko's allies results." Party of Regions lawmaker Hanna Herman predicted the coalition would quickly fall apart, saying "the earlier they come, the earlier they'll tial elections. Viktor Luhovyk, a political analyst with the Dragon Capital investment house, said that while the Orange leaders have agreed to share power for now, their partnership is un- in parlia- ment. high-qualit- Yanukovych demonstrated But the narrow vote was an his skill at parliamentary ominous sign of how difficult it politics last year by wooing will be for the Yushchenko-Ty-moshenk- o his opponents in the legislature coalition to govern. to join in a coalition with the The Party of Regions, led by Party of Regions. the Orange Revolution's old Tymoshenko and Yushchenko have a history of tensions. adversary, former Prime Minister Yanukovych, is expected Both have shown interest in to challenge Tymoshenko and running in the 2010 presiden leave." Tymoshenko was one of the most energetic and recognizable figures during the Orange Revolution, the 2004 mass street protests that led to Yushchenko's election as president. stable. 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