The United States re-declared the Kurdish Workers’ Party to be a “terrorist organization” on November 2 and affirmed to Turkey that we “have a common enemy” in the group. Ankara has been rattling its saber and threatening to invade Iraq, where the group has found shelter, and Washington’s assurances have not been bolstered by talk of the Armenian genocide. US generals are undoubtedly grateful for Congress’ help on this and so many other matters.
Fighting continues to rage in Somalia as Ethiopian troops, in support of the UN-backed transitional government, fight Islamist insurgents. Ethiopia deployed troops to the country last year and thousands of people have been killed in the fighting since. MoveOn.org insists the spike in violence in Mogadishu is proof-positive that General Petraeus’ surge strategy has betrayed us.
A handful of Islamic militants are believed to have been killed in North Waziristan on November 2. The Pentagon denied US involvement and the Pakistanis claim they had nothing to do with it. While it is possible the alleged terrorists blew themselves up, it is more likely that a missile fired from an unmanned aerial vehicle ended their “inner struggle.”
Tens of thousands of Georgian citizens marched on the nation’s capital on November 2, calling for President Mikhail Saakashvili to step down for corrupt practices. The US has previously praised his anti-corruption efforts. CNN reporters streamed out onto the streets of Atlanta in search of these demonstrators, found none, and almost realized the world is a complicated place before they returned to bash Bush.
Corporal Andrzej Filipek was killed in action in Iraq on November 2. Last month insurgents also tried to assassinate the Polish ambassador. At least 22 Polish soldiers have now been killed in the war, bringing total non-US multinational coalition fatalities to over 300, representing twenty countries. We are not there alone, we never were, and we should never forget those who stood and sacrificed with us.