March 17, 2004

WESTERN KURDISTAN:

12 Kurds Killed in More Clashes with Syrian Police (Kerry Sheridan, 17 Mar 2004, Voice of America)

At least 12 Kurds have been killed in northern Syria, in the latest in a series of clashes with police that began last Friday.

Several people were shot to death in northeastern Syria on Tuesday, when security forces fired at Kurdish demonstrators. Hundreds had gathered to mark the anniversary of the devastating chemical attacks that Saddam Hussein launched against Kurds in northern Iraq 16 years ago.

The deaths followed several days of violence between Kurds and Syrian police, which began when fighting broke out between Arabs and Kurds at a football game last week. [...]

Ms. Harris said the unrest is the most serious in recent history, and is escalating. She said Kurds from Turkey have tried to cross the border into Syria to show their solidarity, but have been blocked by Turkish army forces. Kurdish groups in Iran and Belgium have held demonstrations to protest the treatment of Kurds in Syria.


You'd think Baby Assad would prefer the Qaddafi model to Saddam's fate.

Posted by Orrin Judd at March 17, 2004 8:42 PM
Comments

Or Ceausescu's fate...

Posted by: at March 17, 2004 9:41 PM

Baby Assad has learnt from the events in Madrid that the West has had its Stalingrad (from the islamofascist point of view that is). Now is the moment to crack down on domestic opposition and stir lots of violence in Iraq. It will fracture the coalition of the willing and with some luck, the US will elect John "Zapatero" Kerry and run away too.

Posted by: Peter at March 18, 2004 3:01 AM

Peter:

Would Syria really prefer civil war in Iraq, over American occupation of Iraq ?

The former would seem to be more of an unknown, which is always dangerous. What if fighting spilled over into Syria, and the oppressed masses rose up ?

Posted by: Michael Herdegen at March 18, 2004 5:01 AM

As Harry noted, the Kurds in Eastern Kurdistan have been seriously kicking up their heels as well. It may be time they had their nation united; but it must include Kirkuk and its oil. We move troops into the north to contain the Turks.

Let the Shia do as they will. That should keep them busy in Syria, Saudi Arabia and Iran for a while.

This would be a good message for Saudi Arabia: Start pumping more oil or we'll just pull our troops into enclaves and let the Middle East sort out their national boundries with the UN.

Posted by: Genecis at March 18, 2004 10:06 AM

Is that Iran stuff reported anywhere but anecdotally?

Posted by: oj at March 18, 2004 10:09 AM
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