TA-ATTACKS: Militants Threaten to Behead Turkish Hostages

Originally posted by drunk
This is just getting worse(not the thread) the issue of beheading hostages why cant the co-allition forces pull out? O.K cos they are afraid that people will think they cant finish what they started, i mean personally i think they should pull out cos this situation will get escalate into something far worse as long as the co allition forces are in Iraq.

We can't pull out. The only reason Al Queda is there in the first place is to try just that. If we pull out, al-queda moves in and makes iraq a centralized terrorist nation.

It has nothing to do with the beheadings of former civilians.. it has everything to do with preventing alqueda from taking over the region.

Some of you people really have no idea whats going on in Iraq. I served 11 months there and theres very little iraqi resistance. The terrorist networks of that entire region have reigned down on iraq calling it a "central battle ground".. we're not fighting Iraq, we're fighting the War on Terror in iraq's backyard...

If we leave now, these terrorist networks will eventually take out what pitiful democracy we have setup for iraq, and lay claim to the land. The beheadings by alqueda are just to rally their troops so to speak.. it will not, and has not, had any effect on the battle.

[edit on 26-6-2004 by rwsdakota]

Originally posted by spacechicken1
There are two things to consider here: one the Turks defeated the arabs and the persions and ruled them under foot for 500 years, they are the only muslim nation that is truly feared by the arabs. Second, they defeated the Brits and the Austrialians at Golipole and performed outstandingly well in the Korean war. If these dishonorable insurgents incite the Turks into military involvement it will be the begining of the end for them.

also in ww1 they beat an italian and greek invasion, they have a great military tradition and i dont think they ever have been defeated.

this is a foolish move indeed.

English man will be the next and then a spanish person aswell. It will keep going around in a cycle, until something is done to stop it.

Originally posted by JediMaster
They made a big mistake by capturing and threating to kill Arabs. The Turks will not stand for this, and I bet some of them will question al-Zarqwi as to why they are now killing fellow Muslims. Of course they will be brainwashed into some infidel killing crap.

The more they bully, the more the world becomes pissed off and wants their heads chopped off.

Turks are not Arabs. And, by and large, a lot of Turks would find that mix-up offensive. There's not much love lost between Turks and Arabs.

Originally posted by Valhall

Turks are not Arabs. And, by and large, a lot of Turks would find that mix-up offensive. There's not much love lost between Turks and Arabs.

Yep, and it should be noted that Iranians (Persians) aren't Arabs either.

muslims killing muslims? i though they only went after westerners. just goes to show you how crazy they are about getting what they want.

Originally posted by rwsdakota


We can't pull out. The only reason Al Queda is there in the first place is to try just that. If we pull out, al-queda moves in and makes iraq a centralized terrorist nation.

and if they do that we have a legit reason to turn it into a glowing waste land if they screw with us.

There's about a 40% chance these are Christian Turks. Up until about 15 years ago the country was 50/50 Christian/Muslim. And before that, mainly Christian.

So, we don't know yet.

[edit on 6-26-2004 by Valhall]

I don't think they are picky about who they kill, as long as they are foreigners, or allied with foreigners...

plenty of Iraqis have been killed by their own people, there are a lot of agendas and differnt groups using this upheavel to advance their own ambitions

and why is bush going to Turkey ? he and his advisors are really mad..I doubt he'll get out alive

we cant pull out now we have to get tough with the terrorists and they are fighting because they know that if Iraq is a democratic state more Muslims will want to be free and not oppressed so their way of thinking will go down and they cannot accept this.

by Sanctum
Bush arrives in Turkey
From correspondents in Ankara
June 27, 2004
news.com.au...

I'm guessing Bush is going to try to set up some deal to do with the Kurds and/or the oil they live on.

I'm particularly curious to see how all this pans out. I might have this all wrong but as far as I can see it goes something like this...

(takes a deep breath)

First of all Bush probably wants Turkey to play more of a role post-war Iraq. The Turks were against the war from the start, and wouldn't let the US use it's air bases. The Turks are basically at war with the the Kurdish separatists living in Eastern Turkey. The Kurds want to legitimize their homeland in northern Iraq as an independent Kurdistan. Bush says he wants to keep Iraq intact, and certainly won't want to lose control/influence in the Mosul oil-fields, but the Kurds were allies in the war with Iraq (and were viciously persecuted by Saddam), and Bush will probably want to give them SOME autonomy so as to keep them on-side.

If Bush persuades Turkey to come onside in support of the war more actively, in pursuit of a united Iraq, a key component of this is likely to be security of Northern Iraq and it's borders, which just happen to be the same borders of the Kurd's proposed Kurdistan. The Kurds therefore become an obvious ally to Al-Qaeda since they share a common enemy and aim, i.e, an iraq carved up into Kurdistan and one or two other Islamic states. The Coalition would then end up at war with the very people who Saddam to famously "gassed" and were used as one of the most repeated excuses to invade Iraq in the first place.

If however Turkey DON'T come on board more with the US, there is less chance of major conflict with the Kurds, which mean less chance of a divided Iraq, and more chance "success" for the coalition. Following this reasoning, it would be MORE beneficial to the terrorist cause if Turkey DID come on board with the the US as an Ally.

Now, Al-Qaeda aren't stupid. The Arabs aren't stupid. Their whole culture is one of complex tribal, allegiances and politics. In short they know EXACTLY who they are fighting, or terrorizing, and why. These recent kidnappings therefore aren't meant to discourage Turkey joining the war. They are instead trying to inflame SUPPORT for the war by getting the Turkish population angered!!

...and if THAT's what beheading is for, it's maybe time to reconsider the motives, and indeed the parties, actually behind them?

Do this make any sense??


[edit on 26-6-2004 by muppet]

Originally posted by Valhall
There's about a 40% chance these are Christian Turks. Up until about 15 years ago the country was 50/50 Christian/Muslim. And before that, mainly Christian.

So, we don't know yet.

Are you sure that it was Turkey? I'm pretty sure Turkey has been over 90% moslem since the 20's, and before that it was the embodiment of the islamic world, the Ottoman Empire.

Maybe you're thinking of Lebanon, which is said to be 30% Christian (Maronites, which I think is a Roman Catholic sect). Seeing as Moslem birthrates have tended to be very high, I wouldn't be surprised if the population 50 years ago was in fact 50/50.

Does anyone else find it interesting how Kurds seem to be the red-headed step children in the Moslem world? The Moslems' most celebrated hero is none other than Saladin, who was, surprise, a Kurd! In fact, I find it ironic how Saddam Hussein treated them so horribly, considering Saladin the Kurd was even born in Tikrit, Iraq!

Well, it's because they're christian, right?

And you are absolutely correct that I am way confused on my statements above. I think I did some of what you speculated, but also, remembering that the government was secular/christian ran until about 1991-92 is what also had me off. I remember when the transition from the secular/christian party to the Muslim party took place in the early 90's...in fact, I believe it occurred during Desert Storm and there was a bit of concern that Turkey's support would vanish after the Islamic party came into power. One thing i didn't realize for sure is that they are 98-99% Islamic! holy-moly sapphire!

Thanks for correcting me.

Originally posted by I See You
I guess they havn't got the brains to realize that we nor any other gov't are gonna give in to their demands. In what way do we need show or tell them this? They will behead innocents and it will get them nowhere.

[edit on 26-6-2004 by I See You]

You have to remember that there is a government that did back down and I think that is what encouraged these extremist to bother every countries nerve by kidnapping their fellow countrymen and threaten to behead them. Spain is that wussy government for backing down and now it seems like these beheading acts are being amplified because of them backing down. There could be a big backlash in what these extremist are doing, they could piss off a bunch of countries and then in return these countries would come and send thousands of their troops to Iraq or any other Arab country to filter out these extremist. I hope that does come to fruition because that would really piss of those extremist (because they dont want any outsiders in their country).

These cowards don't go after armed soldiers necause they ARE cowards. They will go after civilians because they can't defend themselves. They know the governments aren't gonna give in and they don't care. This is becoming a watershed effect and it will continue I'm afraid.

But yet they'll kidnap and kill security contractors sent over there by the US. To me, this sounds like a cheap ploy to stop us from doing anything over there. All that I think needs to heppen is that everyone in Iraq needs a gun. That way, when they're confronted by armed people, they can fight back.

Also, something has been bothering me. Some of these people were taken from their cars. Is it me, or does it seem odd that no one has tried flooring the gas pedal and splittin? I mean, I'd sure as HELL be willing to try my luck speedin away as I would be tryin my luck with those psychos. Oh well, just goes to show ya that not all people think alike.

Here's some basic Turkish history...

Present-day Turkey was created in 1923 from the Turkish remnants of the Ottoman Empire. Soon thereafter, the country instituted secular laws to replace traditional religious fiats. In 1945 Turkey joined the UN, and in 1952 it became a member of NATO. Turkey intervened militarily on Cyprus in 1974 to protect Turkish Cypriots and prevent a Greek takeover of the island; the northern 37 percent of the island remains under Turkish Cypriot control. Relations between the Turkey and Greece have improved greatly over the past few years. In 1984, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a Marxist-Leninist, separatist group, initiated an insurgency in southeast Turkey, often using terrorist tactics to try to attain its goal of an independent Kurdistan.

Also...Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)

Originally posted by gman55
Here's some basic Turkish history...

Present-day Turkey was created in 1923 from the Turkish remnants of the Ottoman Empire. Soon thereafter, the country instituted secular laws to replace traditional religious fiats. In 1945 Turkey joined the UN, and in 1952 it became a member of NATO. Turkey intervened militarily on Cyprus in 1974 to protect Turkish Cypriots and prevent a Greek takeover of the island; the northern 37 percent of the island remains under Turkish Cypriot control. Relations between the Turkey and Greece have improved greatly over the past few years. In 1984, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a Marxist-Leninist, separatist group, initiated an insurgency in southeast Turkey, often using terrorist tactics to try to attain its goal of an independent Kurdistan.

Also...Muslim 99.8% (mostly Sunni), other 0.2% (mostly Christians and Jews)

I still think the Greeks should fight to take back, liberate, Turkish-Occupied Ionia, Thrace, Pontus, Cyprus, and of course, Constantinople.

[edit on 27-6-2004 by Eastern_Diamondback]

[edit on 27-6-2004 by Eastern_Diamondback]