Story from the www.indymedia.org:8081 newswire
Article by: BA-CESI Thursday 04 Jul 2002
Summary:...seven thousand US soldiers arrived in Turkey during the last two weeks....this number will increase to twenty-five thousand in July. ... 20 thousand marines to Kuwait ...
Reference at indymedia website: http://www.indymedia.org:8081//front.php3?article_id=189945
Article: Fwd from a Middle East Activist:
This is the translation of an alarming report cabled by Iran\'s state-run news agency (IRNA) and appeared in today\'s Kayhan Newspaper in Tehran.
Hossein Alizadeh Campaign of conscience for the Iraqi People Fellowship of Reconciliation e-mail; Iraq at forusa.org website: http://www.forusa.org/Programs/Iraq/default.html +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +
Military build up in American bases in Qatar, Turkey
Damascus, Syria, Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA): Sources close to Damascus-based Iraqi opposition forces told IRNA that more than 3 thousand American troops have been recently stationed in the mountainous region of South east Turkey bordering Iraq . These sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, added that US plans to send a total of 25 thousand troops to its military base in incerlik (south east Turkey) of which some 7 thousand soldiers are already in the region. This is at a time when Americans are preparing 3 major military air fields in Iraq Kurdistan (including Bamerli base) for landing their C-130 planes. Earlier British newspaper Independent indicated that CIA has selected a number of military airfields in Arbil, Dahuk and Suleimaniyeh in northern Iraq to be used in imminet US assault agaisnt Iraq.
Meanwhile the Alqanat Arabic news website quoted diplomatic sources in Qatar\'s capital that the US Al-Adid military base in this Persian Gulf State has been witnessing an unprecedented level of activity in the past few days. Diplomats in Doha believe these military activities, which are taking place immediately after recent US threats against Iraq, are possibly in preparation for attacking this country.
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Subject: [iac-disc.] US Soldiers in Turkey for Iraq Operation? Date: Mon, 01 Jul 2002 18:06:55 -0500 From: Rahul Mahajan <rahulm at mail.utexas.edu To: iac-discussion at yahoogroups.com
Hello, all. A rough translation of an article in the Turkish newspaper Yeni Safak.
date of article is June 27, 2002.
In solidarity,
Rahul Mahajan
http://www.yenisafak.com.tr/arsiv/2002/haziran/27/g4.html
US Soldiers in Turkey
It has been reported that seven thousand us soldiers arrived in Turkey during the last two weeks. Most of the American soldiers who arrived in Turkey via large cargo planes have been settled in the ncirlik base near Adana.
Apparently, the military buildup in the region is because of U.S. plans to start an operation against Iraq in July or August.
It has been stated that US sent 7 thousand soldiers to Turkey for this purpose in the last two weeks and that this number will increase to twenty-five thousand in July. It has also been claimed that the U.S. plans to maintain a force of at least 35-40 thousand persons during the Iraq operation. According to the information received, U.S. has accelerated its contacts with the Iraqi dissidents. The U.S. administration has been in frequent contact mainly with KDP head Massoud Barzani, as well as increasing its contacts with some Iraqi dissidents.
Kuwait would like Assurances.
At the same time, it has been learned that Kuwait would like security guarantees from the United States. Kuwait has communicated to the United States that they are worried that Iraq would strike them in case of a possible war and thus would like a substantial military build-up near the Kuwait-Iraq border. It\'s been learned that the U.S. has assigned 20 thousand marines to the task, which it found to be a reasonable request. Reports indicate that a small number of the marines are transferred to land, while the majority of them are kept ready at airbases. According to information obtained from sources in the foreign ministry, the US has been sending envoy teams to the regions in the past 10 days. The sources point out that the envoys sent to Northern Iraq, Egypt and Saudi Arabia may be connected to an operation against Iraq, and that they expect the region to come under even more turmoil in January and February.
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>From the Bay Area Coalition to End the Sanctions on Iraq (ba-cesi) e-list:
----------------- \"As-Safir\" Beirut, Saturday, 29 June 2002.
American Forces In Northern Iraq
London - \"as-Safir\": Highly informed diplomatic sources have disclosed to \"as-Safir\" that the United States of America has begun to carry out a plan of security and military operations aimed at Iraq, that American troops have entered areas in northern Iraq, and that major bases have been set up for them inside Jordan.
The sources report that the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), George Tenet, personally visited northern Iraq when he recently paid a visit to the region. There he gave orders to begin a security
operation immediately after President George Bush signed the order empowering the CIA to topple Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. The sources said that the new element in the plan concerns the supposed role of Jordan and that King Abdullah II in agreeing to vacate two military airfields in Jordan to be used by the American troops. Some two thousand American troops have already landed in Jordanian territory. In addition, dozens of soldiers together with members of American intelligence, have been transported into Iraqi territory. The sources said that the Americans have begun a campaign of making contact with the numerous forces in the Iraqi opposition, but that great difficulties confront the idea of setting up an alliance similar to the \"Northern Alliance\" in Afghanistan.
The sources report that the United States presented the plan to Saudi
Arabia, but Riyadh reiterated its refusal to allow its territory to be used for any military action against Iraq. It appears that the matter was taken to other countries to obtain their permission to use their territories should that become necessary.
The sources said that the United States had presented a plan for emergency economic aid to Jordan in case its economic and trade relations with Iraq fall into a crisis.
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\"as-Safir\", Beirut, Friday, 28 June 2002.
The Turkish paper Yeni Safak, reported on 27 June 2002, quoting sources in the Turkish Foreign Ministry, that the US has transported about 7,000
troops via heavy transport planes to the Incirlik airbase near Adana in the last two weeks. The paper added that Washington had begun to strengthen its forces in the area after its decision to begin military operations against Baghdad within the coming two months. The paper said that the number of US troops in Turkey would be increased from 7,000 to 25,000 troops during next month.