DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN

Reuters, 3/3/03:

A top U.S. military official said on Monday a possible war in Iraq would be successful even without a northern front after the Turkish parliament blocked U.S. troops from deploying in Turkey....

The deployment would have been accompanied by a multibillion dollar U.S. aid package under a deal negotiated by the United States and the government of Prime Minister Abdullah Gul....

Ynetnews.com today:

Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said Sunday that his country refused a request from the United States to attack Iran from its Air Force base in Incirlik, despite the U.S. offer of a nuclear reactor, according to a report in Al Biyan....

*****

Oh, and speaking of Turkey:

The Turkish armed forces have launched their first military operation along the Iraqi border where Turkish troops have concentrated for days.

The Northern Iraqi cities of Amedi and Zaho, sheltering Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) militants, were hit with mortar attacks in "Operation Crescent." ...

Along with the transfer of commandos, heavy construction equipment is also being brought to the border for use during a possible cross-border operation.

The Iranian military extended their operation 10 kilometers to maintain security along the border....

And:

Baghdad yesterday accused Iranian forces of entering Iraqi territory and shelling Turkish-Kurdish PKK guerrilla positions, with the Kurds accusing Tehran of working with Ankara to attack their movement.

"Iranian forces hit a border area called Haj Umran and then entered five kilometres (three miles) into Iraqi territory and hit the area of Lollan with heavy artillery with 180 shells targeting PKK positions," an Iraqi defence ministry statement said.

The shelling was the second military attack on the Kurdish guerrillas by Iranian forces in ten days. The previous attack on April 20 left two guerrillas dead and another ten wounded....

Yikes.