Kurdish rebels say they won't disarm ("We are not terrorists")

[Barrett808]

Kurdish rebels say they won't disarm
By YAHYA BARZANJI, Associated Press Writer

QANDIL MOUNTAIN RANGE, Iraq - A leader of Kurdish rebels battling Turkey's government said in a rare interview that his guerrillas will not give in to U.S. pressure to disarm without a "political project" that fulfills their calls for autonomy.

The Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, invited a group of journalists to meet with party officials late Wednesday in the rugged, isolated Qandil Mountain in

Iraq's northeast corner where the group is based.

"We will remain in the Qandil Mountains area and any demand to disarm without a political project is tantamount to suicide for us," said PKK co-president Murat Karayilan, who has seldom met in person with the media.

Kurdish rebels "will not repeat the mistake" of offering an unconditional cease-fire, Karayilan told the reporters, who were brought to the clandestine site following an hour-long ride on winding mountain roads aboard a rebel-operated bus.

(more)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060825/ap_on_re_eu/iraq_turkey_kurds

[godai]

1. Kurdistan, one of the future United States of Iraq

That's my best case scenario, 3 states from what is now Iraq. Seems Kurdistan works best for this to happen, since they have basically established themselves as an autonomous area and could be incorprated into the USI with the right kinds of bribes (oil rights probably). Bushco likes to take credit for the quiet in the north but just try to disarm the Kurds and see what happens. Worst case, more likely, is a civil war ending with Sunni and Shiite states and Kurdistan, possibly 3 separate countries. This is all a horrible mess but all * wants is to get to the next Presidential election and leave this for someone else to fix. He needs to pay a price for the chaos that he has caused. Impeacement sounds appropriate.

[WCGreen]

2. Guess what....

The Kurdish problem could spill into Iran and Turkey and cause a whole bunch of instability....

The Kurds have been fighting for a homeland since the 1800's....

[FlavaKreemSnak]

3. If they are fighting back against us or our ally they are a terrorist

So if we want to say that in this case Turkey is our ally then they wouldn't be any different from the people in Lebanon who fight back against Israel. Some of them won't like it because they got to be our ally when we needed them to kill Iraqis who were against the occupation but because we are the ones occupying and have more bombs we get to say who is a terrorist and if you disagree then you are one too and can also get bombed or detained indefinitely if you are a person.

[eccles12]

4. I am sure that Hizbollah feels the same way. nt

[Javaman]

5. As long as Turkey and Iran continue to shell the Kurds...

does anyone honestly believe that the Kurds will willfully disarm???

talk about disconnect.