A report from the new Middle East—and a glimpse of its possible future



State of the Union January
February 2008 Atlantic Monthly | by Jeffrey Goldberg

Not long ago, in a decrepit prison in Iraqi Kurdistan, a senior interrogator with the Kurdish intelligence service decided, for my entertainment and edification, to introduce me to an al-Qaeda terrorist named Omar. “This one is crazy,” the interrogator said. “Don’t get close, or he’ll bite you.”


  

Kurds rely on Turkey for workers, goods



July 2, 2007 | By Nicholas Birch

IRBIL, Iraq - Growing tensions between Turkey and Kurds in control of northern Iraq belie a deepening cooperation, as Turkish companies, workers and goods flock to a market enriched by 17 percent of Iraq's oil revenues.


  

Turkey election stirs optimism, change for Kurds



July 15, 2007 | By Paul de Bendern

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Reuters) - Pro-Kurdish politicians are poised to enter Turkey's parliament for the first time in more than a decade, bringing hope to many Kurds that their cultural and political rights will be addressed.


  

Talabani suggests 'general amnesty' for PKK


ANKARA, Oct 24 (AFP) - 11h39 - Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, in an interview published here Monday, suggested a "general amnesty" by Ankara for Turkey's Kurdish PKK rebels to end fighting in southwest Turkey.


  

Kurdish Defendants Find Support in Town's Clasp



Refugees in Va. Hamlet Arrested in Oct.

By Karin Brulliard - Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, June 18, 2006; A01

HARRISONBURG, Va. -- There is a Kurdish section at a cemetery in this Shenandoah Valley town. Four Kurdish babies were born in one recent week. And nearly a decade after the first Kurdish refugees settled here, the community has produced some reluctant celebrities.


  

Turkish Troops Enter Iraq in Pursuit of Kurdish Militants



February 23, 2008 | By ALISSA J. RUBIN and SABRINA TAVERNISE

BAGHDAD — Turkey’s military said Friday that it had sent troops into northern Iraq on Thursday night, in what Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey called a limited operation to weaken Kurdish militants there.


  

Offer to deploy Kurdish militia against Iraq insurgents


BAQUBA, Iraq, June 25 (AFP) - 18h09 - The governor of a Kurdish province in northern Iraq offered Saturday to send Kurdish militiamen to help restore security in neighbouring areas ravaged by the persistent Sunni Arab insurgency.

  

Kurdish writer leaves exile in Scandinavia


ISTANBUL, Aug 3 (AFP) - 4h09 - After 28 years of exile in Europe, Kurdish-language writer Mehmed Uzun has returned to Turkey at a pivotal time in its history, when he believes Turks and Kurds must choose between peaceful coexistence and a return to violence.

  

Jaafari's cabinet pledges allegiance to 'federal Iraq'


BAGHDAD, May 9 (AFP) - 11h56 - The Iraqi cabinet was sworn in for the second time in a week Monday after Kurdish leaders insisted a reference to federalism that had been removed from the original text be reinserted.


  

White House Wants Turkey to Stay Out of Northern Iraq



10 October 2007 | White House |  By Scott Stearns

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan says his government will submit to parliament plans for a possible military operation against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq. VOA White House Correspondent Scott Stearns reports, the Bush administration says cross-border security concerns can be better addressed by working with the government in Baghdad.