November 29, 2007:
Iraqi Kurds are reporting that
PKK leaders in Iraq are increasingly afraid of arrest or capture. Specifically,
the PKK commanders believe that Turkish forces are cooperating with some Iraqi
Kurd organizations. Here's the scenario: If the Turks move on PKK bases or
camps, the Iraqi Kurds and the PKK leaders attempt to sneak away, the Iraqi
Kurds will detain them. One report cropped up that PKK fighters have already
broken up into smaller groups and are leaving bases in northern Iraq for
safe-haven in southern Iraq. Some are allegedly moving into camps close to the
Iraq-Iran border. It looks like the PKK are not anticipating a Turkish strike
as much as they fear Iraqi police or military cordons. There is also another
possibility, that these reports are Iraqi "spin." The Iraqis want to convince
the Turks that they are attempting to control the PKK. However, the "spin
scenario" isn't very likely. The Turks have been quite willing to accuse the
Iraqi government of failing to act and at the moment they aren't doing
that. Turkey has received promises from
Iraqi senior officials (including Iraqi Kurdish leaders) that they will act to
stop the PKK from launching attacks into Turkey.
November 27, 2007: The Turkish Army has begun a new
psychological warfare campaign. Turkish aircraft are "leafleting" they are
dropping propaganda leaflets on PKK base areas in northern Iraq. The leaflets
promise any PKK fighters who return to Turkey and surrender that they will "be
welcomed" and treated decently.
November 26, 2007: The anti-Iran Kurdish rebel
group, the Kurdistan Free Life Party (the acronym is PJAK, or sometimes PEJAK),
accused the Iraqi Kurdish regional government of "blockading" (cordoning)
routes into the Khandil Mountains. The PJAK is an ally of the PKK (more
accurately, it's the PKK operating in Iranian Kurdistan). A PJAK spokesman
demanded that the Iraqi government "reopen all roads" into the mountain region.
Another PJAK statement essentially accused the Iraqi Kurdish government of
being "anti-Kurd" and "anti-nationalist" (ie, anti-Kurd nationalist). These are
heavy duty accusations on the part of PJAK. They are another indication that
the Iraqis are taking some actions to limit PKK (and PJAK) movement within
Iraq.