CUMHURIYET- Columnist Mustafa Balbay writes about the current conditions in northern Iraq and analyses the approaches of countries in the region towards a likely US operation in Iraq. A summary of his column is as follows:
The number of people looking to benefit from developments in northern Iraq seem to be on the rise. Firstly, the terrorist PKK, now called KADEK, is trying to answer the following question: Will we get an autonomous region in northern Iraq during the reconstruction of Iraq? Following the Gulf War, the PKK acquired some land in northern Iraq. However nobody came and settled on this land. This time, it would like to obtain an autonomous region where people do actually live. If they succeed in carving out such an autonomous region, they will have two objectives. Their first would be to deepen their links with the West, and the second they have their eye on is to gather approximately 4,000 terrorists and give them training. The second group with an interest in northern Iraq is the northern Iraqi Kurds. The Kurdish tribe leaders in northern Iraq, Mesud Barzani and Jalal Talabani, are both busy calculating how they can emerge from a war in Iraq as more powerful leaders. The latest reports indicate that the two Kurdish groups, which in the past have had perennially rocky relations, have now agreed to establish a joint parliament. In addition, if there are no last-minute hitches, Iraqi opposition group leaders will be holding a meeting in Washington today. Their meeting will focus on this topic: What kind of government can be formed after Saddam Hussein is ousted? It would not be a surprise if each group leader was also making plans to somehow try and gain power by himself. King Abdullah of Jordan went to the US earlier this week to meet with US President Bush. Abdullah declared that Jordan didn't want an operation in Iraq, or at least that's what the international community was told. However, it's possible that privately Abdullah explained to Bush that he was concerned that publicly supporting such an operation could cause the collapse of his monarchy, considering the fact that Palestinians make up 45 percent of the Jordanian population. Moreover, there are also Iraqis living in Jordan. So it is possible that Jordan promised the US 'discrete' support in an operation launched against Saddam. As for the US plans, it's widely believed that, due to seasonal weather conditions, the US won't be launching an operation during the next few months. However, preparations are already underway for an operation. According to recent reports from the US weapons industry, the US has developed new weapons and military techniques to use in a sudden strike. Iraq seems to present the best opportunity to try them out.
SOURCE: OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER, DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF PRESS AND INFORMATION