US embassy cable - 91ANKARA7433

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ANKARA 07433 
 
 
E.O. 12356:  DECL:OADR 
TAGS:  PREL, PTER, TU, IZ 
SUBJECT:  LEFTIST MAGAZINE CLAIMS PKK "WILL HIT THE U.S. ARMY" 
 
1.  (C)  WE SET OUT BELOW IN SOME DETAIL AN ARTICLE WHICH 
APPEARED IN THE LEFTIST WEEKLY "2000'E DOGRU" (TOWARDS THE YEAR 
2000) MAY 30.  WE DO SO NOT BECAUSE WE BELIEVE IT NECESSARILY 
IS ACCURATE (IT CONTAINS A NUMEBER OF OBVIOUS ERRORS, INCLUDING 
THE CLAIM THAT THE PKK ACTIVELY OPPOSED SADDAM), BUT BECAUSE IT 
IS REFLECTIVE OF ELITE, URBAN, LEFTIST THOUGHT IN TURKEY.  THE 
GIST OF THE ARTICLE IS THAT, ASSUMING IRAQI KURDISH LEADERS 
REACH A POLITICAL ACCOMODATION WITH BAGHDAD, THEN U.S. FORCES 
WILL BECOME LEGITIMATE TARGETS IF THEY DO NOT WITHDRAW.  THE 
ARTICLE WOULD APPEAR TO CONTAIN NO CURRENT THREAT. 
 
2.  (U)  BEGIN TEXT. 
 
THE PKK IS THOUGHT TO HAVE PLAYED AN ACTIVE ROLE IN THE KURDISH 
REBELLION IN NORTHERN IRAQ.  WHEN THE "CHAHS" REVOLTED AGAINST 
THE IRAQI REGIME, MANY PKK FIGHTERS WERE IN NORTHERN IRAQ. 
SINCE THE ARRIVAL OF U.S. FORCES IN THE AREA, PKK FORCES HAVE 
VANISHED.  "2000'E DOGRU" VISITED A PKK CAMP IN NOTHERN IRAQ TO 
TALK WITH LEADERS WHO TOOK PART IN THE UPRISING. 
 
WE FIRST ASKED "WHY HAVE (PKK FIGHTERS) NOT BEEN SEEN?"  THE 
REPLY WAS "IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE WE CLASH WITH THE 
U.S.  WE ARE GAZING AT EACH OTHER DOWN THE BARREL OF A GUN, AND 
WE MUST BE CAUTIOUS." 
 
WE REACHED THE CAMPSITE, CALLED 'BEHIND SEVEN MOUNTAINS,' AFTER 
A LONG DRIVE AND A TWO-AND-A-HALF HOUR WALK.  THE PKK MILITANTS 
ASKED US NOT TO MENTION THEIR NAMES UNNECESSARILY, CITING THE 
EXAMPLE OF LEADER ABDULLAH OZCALAN, WHO CRITICIZED EXAGGERATED 
USE OF HIS NAME IN SONGS AT THE 4TH PKK CONVENTION... 
 
PKK COMMANDER BOTAN DISCUSSED THE GROUP'S STAND IN THE 
REBELLION.  "AFTER 22 DAYS OF FIGHTING WE BEGAN RETREATING FOR 
PSYCHOLOGICAL REASONS.  SOME PESHMERGES WHO SAW THE GROWING 
PANIC ESCAPED AHEAD OF THE CIVILIANS.  WE TRIED TO STOP THEM. 
OUR WOMEN SHAMED SOME INTO STAYING, SAYING "WE WOMEN ARE GOING 
TO FIGHT.  AREN'T YOU ASHAMED TO RUN?"  WE FOUGHT SADDAM'S 
TROOPS UNTIL THE LAST MOMENT AND THEN ESCAPED. 
 
PKK LEADERS DENIED REPORTS THE PKK RECENTLY OPENED FIRE AT A 
U.S. HELICOPTER AND LOST NINE OF ITS MILITANTS WHEN THE CRAFT 
RETURNED FIRE.  THEY ADDED, HOWEVER, "IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF 
TIME BEFORE WE CLASH WITH THE AMERICANS," AND SAID THEY HAD 
HEARD FROM THE KDP (KURDISH DEMOCRATIC PARTY) THAT AMERICANS 
FEAR POSSIBLE PKK ATTACKS. 
 
WE ASKED IF THE PKK COULD WIN A FIGHT WITH THE U.S.  THE 
LEADERS SAID "THE ISSUE IS NOT TO WIN OR LOSE.  WE EXIST TO 
STRUGGLE AGAINST IMPERIALISM AND COLONIALISM.  IF THE U.S. 
OCCUPATION CONTINUES, WE WILL STRUGGLE AGAINST IT.  IT WOULD BE 
OUR GREATEST ANTI-IMPERIALIST STRUGGLE.  KURDISTAN HAS THE 
POLITICAL POTENTIAL AND THE ORGANIZED MILITARY POWER TO 
OVERWHELM IMPERIALISM IN THE MIDDLE EAST.  WE INVITE ALL 
PARTIES WHO FAVOR REVOLUTION IN THE MIDDLE EAST TO FIGHT.  WE 
SUPPORT ANY INITIATIVE IN THIS RESPECT." 
 
THE PKK CLAIMS THE U.S. HAS SETTLED IN BOTH SOUTHERN AND 
NORTHERN KURDISTAN.  IT ADVOCATES TAKING UP THE STRUGGLE 
AGAINST IMPERILISM ON BOTH FRONTS BECAUSE U.S. OCCUPATION IS 
THE COMMON PROBLEM OF KURDS, TURKS, ARABS, AND IRANIANS.  A 
MIDDLE-EAST REVOLUTION COULD SOLVE THIS PROBLEM.  "WE WOULD 
LIKE TO CREATE A KURDISTAN THAT WOULD BE THE CENTER OF AN 
ANTI-IMPERIALIST WAR." 
 
THE U.S. TRIES TO MAKE PEOPLE (IN NORTHERN IRAQ) BELIEVE ITS 
MOTIVE IN COMING TO THE REGION IS THEIR RESCUE - AND THE KDP 
AND YNK SUPPORT THIS.  IN SOUTHERN KURDISTAN THE U.S. IS TRYING 
TO WIN POPULAR SUPPORT BY MEETING PEOPLE'S NEEDS, INCLUDING 
THEIR NEED FOR FOOD.  THE US, HOWEVER, WILL DESTROY PEOPLE IN 
THIS REGION JUST AS IT ONCE DID IN THE PHILIPPINES. 
 
THE U.S. ALREADY HAS THE PEOPLE OF SOUTHERN KURDISTAN IN ITS 
POLITICAL, MILITARY, AND CULTURAL GRIP.  IT LEASHES THEM LIKE 
DOGS, USING THE RUSE OF 'ASSISTANCE' TO BIND THEM. 
 
WE DO NOT WANT TO BE UNDER THE CONTROL OF SADDAM, THE TURKISH 
STATE, ANY OTHER REGIONAL POWER, OR THE U.S.  WHAT THE U.S. 
DOES AT PRESENT IS OCCUPY SOUTHERN KURDISTAN.  WE WOULD LIKE 
LEGAL GROUNDS TO HIT THE U.S.  IF THE SO-CALLED REPRESENTATIVES 
OF SOUTHERN KURDISTAN REACH AGREEMENT WITH THE IRAQI 
ADMINISTRATION, THE U.S. WILL HAVE NO REASON TO REMAIN IN 
KURDISTAN, AND WE WILL STRIKE. 
 
WE CONSIDER THE KDP THE ARMED GANG OF THE U.S. AND ITS ALLIES. 
A NEW MARXIST-LENINIST PARTY HAS FORMED IN SOUTHERN KURDISTAN. 
IT IS ATTRACTING MANY SUPPORTERS AND WE, THE PKK, WILL THROW 
OUR FULL STRENGTH BEHIND IT. 
 
END TEXT. 
 
 
 
ABRAMOWITZ