Gul raises PKK issue; Holbrooke heralds the end of neglect

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Turkey's Gul in Iraq on PKK

Turkish President Abdullah Gul arrived in Baghdad on Monday, marking the first visit to Iraq by a Turkish head of state in more than three decades.

Gul arrived Monday to meet with top officials, including Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, among others.

Gul is expected to discuss strategies with Iraqi and U.S. officials to force the separatist guerrilla movement Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, to lay down their weapons, the Voices of Iraq news agency reports.

The United States and several other nations consider the PKK and its affiliates a terrorist organization because of their militant activity in northern Iraq and other Kurdish areas.

Turkey is looking to strengthen its ties in neighboring Iraq amid praises from the United States for its role in the war-torn country. Talabani, for his part, said leaders in northern Iraq are expected to hold a major Kurdish conference to demand the PKK abandon militancy, the BBC reports.

Ankara last year renewed measures that give permission to the Turkish military to cross the Iraqi border in pursuit of PKK militants.

Gul will meet also with Nechirvan Barzani, prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq, but the meeting is not expected to include issues pertaining to disputes between the KRG and Baghdad.

The last visit to Iraq by a Turkish head of state was by Fahri Koruturk in 1976.

Odierno sees Iraqi solutions to Iraqi problems

Parliamentary elections in 2009 and the drawdown of U.S. forces will cultivate Iraqi solutions to Iraqi problems, the top U.S. commander in Iraq said.

Gen. Ray Odierno, who took over as the top commander of U.S. forces in Iraq from surge architect Gen. David Petraeus, told the U.S. military's Stars and Stripes newspaper the coming elections will bring "legitimate and potentially more capable leaders" to power who can take Iraq in a forward direction.

"If Iraqis are able to transfer power peacefully through this process, then I believe they are on the path to sustainable stability, using the political process rather than violence to achieve their objectives," he said.

The ability of Iraq to take advantage of the improved security situation to find peaceful resolutions to a variety of issues has brought new challenges to the forefront, notably conflicts between the Kurdistan Regional Government and Baghdad over Kurdish ambitions.

Kurdish officials earlier this year had warned a premature departure of U.S. troops from Iraq may create an environment where regional disputes erupt into conflict.

"I do not believe that either side wants war, and we are working hard to ensure that some incident does not spark violence," Odierno said.

Turkey may host U.S. troop withdrawal

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country would host an American withdrawal from Iraq if asked to do so by U.S. officials.

Erdogan said U.S. officials have not asked for permission to pull American troops out of Iraq through Turkish territory, but he would be receptive to the idea if necessary discussions are held with Ankara, CNN International reports.

"If weapons and ammunition are going to come out, it has to be clear where they are going to be heading," Erdogan said. "If we are informed about where this military equipment would be going precisely, then we can make a proper evaluation."

Turkish media had reported in February that the ruling Justice and Development Party would not object to such measures, though the issue would require approval from the Turkish Parliament.

Kursat Atilgan, a retired general with the Turkish Nationalist Movement Party, has said a northern route would be advantageous for American forces, given friendly relations with the regional government in Iraqi Kurdistan.

"Hence, they (U.S. forces) have to withdraw from Iraq's north, because, except for the autonomous Kurdish administration in Iraq, the United States has many foes in the country," he told Today's Zaman in February.

Ankara's decision in 2003 to forbid U.S. forces from using Turkish soil for an Iraqi invasion angered U.S. officials, though those relations have warmed since then.

Turkey is expected to host U.S. President Barack Obama April 6-7.

Era of neglect is over, Holbrooke says

The now-pending American strategy for Afghanistan is an intimate policy focused on security and infrastructure, the top U.S. envoy to the region said.

U.S. President Barack Obama is expected to unveil his administration's strategy for a revitalized effort in Afghanistan, which Washington officials acknowledge has largely failed as the previous administration put its focus on Iraq.

"Neglect is what happened in the past," said Richard Holbrooke. "That era is over."

Holbrooke, the U.S. special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan, told the BBC that the Obama administration has placed the Afghan effort at the top of its agenda as the U.S.-led effort in Iraq transitions from combat to reconstruction.

Obama has announced 17,000 U.S. troops will head to Afghanistan later this year in what is described as a strategy that employs the lessons learned from the grassroots effort in Iraq that was part of the counterinsurgency effort there known as the surge.

That effort has been criticized by some policy analysts who say Afghanistan is not Iraq, though Holbrooke said the new effort at securing the country following nearly a decade of conflict is a national priority.

"I can guarantee you that this administration will do everything it can to succeed in one of the most difficult situations in the world," he said.

Afghan presidential race takes shape

Afghan President Hamid Karzai faces a daunting challenge in the August elections from contenders ranging from former warlords to top military strategists.

Karzai, who is facing dwindling support from Washington and Afghans alike, may face as many as 50 challengers in the August contest, including many members of his own Pashtun tribe.

Karzai lost a bid to hold elections after his term ends May 21, leaving the political landscape in Kabul uncertain between then and the August vote. But beyond that, who will challenge Karzai lingers over the general political scene, the Chicago Tribune reports.

Former warlord and now Nangarhar provincial Gov. Gul Agha Shirzai may be a major contender given his broad support among the Afghan population. His tribal ties and local leadership may make him a potential upset for Karzai's re-election bid.

Meanwhile, a former interior minister and instructor at the National Defense University in Washington, Ali Ahmad Jalali, could be a possible contender for his anti-corruption efforts, though some may be wary of his ties to Washington.

For his part, Anwar ul-Haq Ahadi, a former finance minister who holds a doctorate in political science from Northwestern University, leads a large Pashtun nationalist party that can influence some of the major Taliban supporters operating in the volatile eastern and southern provinces.

With the United States and its European allies looking to reinvigorate Afghan strategy, which may include the appointment of a new chief executive in Kabul, Karzai could face an uphill battle in the August elections.

Afghan democratic parties need support

New democratic political parties in Afghanistan need the will and immediate support to rebuild the political environment there, an analysis suggested.

An analysis by the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit said that while political parties are viewed with a certain level of skepticism, an environment that encourages democratic participation is vital if Afghanistan is expected to hold legitimate national elections in 2010.

Afghanistan embarked on a democratic system following the fall of the Taliban regime. New parties emerging in the wake of decades of civil conflict -- and the absence of a central government -- are keen to take part in the new government.

The AREU report, however, said these parties need state support and an independent overseer if they are expected to participate in the democratic process.

The report noted that political parties are controversial in Afghanistan due to their ties to ethnic, tribal or military groups and are therefore not viewed as part of the governing process.

The AREU argued the government in Kabul needs to foster a cooperative relationship with these parties in order to legitimize them, while encouraging the democratic groups to take their own initiative in preparation for elections in 2010.

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(dgraeber@upi.com)