US Forces Will Do 'Nothing' About Kurds

Despite Turkish calls for action, the top US military commander in northern Iraq said today that he intended to do "absolutely nothing" to counteract strikes against Turkey by Kurdish militants, the AP reports. The blunt assertion is consistent with the Bush administration's desire to keep US forces out of the conflict and see it resolved diplomatically.

Turkey shelled PKK positions again today but continued to refrain from a large-scale Iraqi invasion. Meanwhile, Turkish and Iraqi diplomats met to find a way to end the crisis, though no breakthroughs were reported. Maj. Gen. Benjamin Mixon said he has no plans to use US troops against the PKK rebels. Asked about their abilities, he said, "I have no idea. You'll have to ask somebody in the Turkish government." (More PKK stories.)