Iraq fears Turkey troop build-up
Iraq says Turkey has 140,000 soldiers along its border, prompting fears of an incursion against Kurdish guerillas.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari, an ethnic Kurd himself, said his government was against any breach of Iraqi sovereignty.
He called for talks with Ankora to solve the issue.
Turkey accuses Kurdish separatists of staging attacks from inside Iraq. It has often warned Baghdad that it is prepared to take military action.
While this is a potential problem, Turkey is unlikely to do anything really serious as long as the U.S. and the U.K. are in-country. The potential for concern occurs if there is a precipitous troop withdrawal. The Kurds are likely to see that as an opportunity to declare an independent nation and would want Turkish Kurdistan included with Iraqi Kurdistan. Just another example of how "troops home now" really means "bigger middle east war."
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