US Didn't Protest Turkish Incursion Into Iraq

As fierce fighting continues in northern Iraq, American officials have confirmed they were aware that Turkey planned to strike at Kurdish guerrillas inside the border—and didn't raise objections, the Wall Street Journal reports. The US did, however, urge Turkey to limit the length and scope of the incursion. "They understood why Turkey was doing this," said Turkey's ambassador to the US.

A State Department official described the Kurd rebels as a "common enemy" of Turkey, Iraq, and the US, but the Iraqi government has strongly protested the Turkish incursion, now in its fifth day. The Turkish military says the offensive has killed 153 rebels at a cost of 17 Turkish soldiers. Kurd officials said their casualties were much lower, and the Turks' were far higher. (More Turkey stories.)