The Turks, the Kurds, and echoes through Iraqi politics

(USAToday) "Turkey's foreign minister asserted his country's right to act against Kurdish guerrillas in northern Iraq on Monday..."

(Same Article) "In southeastern Turkey, a lone Kurdish rebel rammed a vehicle into a military outpost and threw a hand grenade in a daylight attack that killed three soldiers and injured eight others, local authorities said."

(Reuters) "Turkey will deliver a report to the United Nations this week spelling out its concerns about militant Kurdish separatists in Iraq and reaffirming its legal right to take action against them, an official said on Monday."

Now to Iraq: (ATimes) One of Asia Time's really long deep analysis pieces on the Iraqi political reaction to the Turkish threat. Maliki is embracing the Kurds to hold together his government, but by offering Kirkuk, he is losing the Sunnis.

Allawi is attempting to to use this space to pull the Sunnis into his new coalition to challenge Maliki. Also,

For the past three months in particular, Allawi has been active in drumming up anti-Maliki sentiment in Iraq, talking with former enemies such as Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army, in hope of bringing down the increasingly unpopular prime minister.

Allawi, and those around him, believe that Maliki has been presented with an ultimatum from the US to end sectarian violence, disarm the militias, conclude rapprochement with the Sunnis, and bring security to the country. This is meant to happen this month, or the US will withdraw the unconditional support it has given Maliki since he was elected to office in May 2006, although his constitutional mandate lasts until 2010.

(If true, I would certainly expect that to be a soft deadline.)

(Iraqslogger) All of this would help explain why the Kurds have suddenly started attacking Allawi's list.

Talabani and Barazani released a statement accusing the new coalition of being designed by “foreign intelligence services.” The statement expressed dismay that the Islamic Party and 'Allawi’s list decided to ally themselves with “notorious traitors of the Kurdish people, orphans of the butcher Saddam, and chauvinistic elements who are opposed to the rights and aspirations of the Iraqi people with its two main nationalities, Arab and Kurdish.....

Several days ago, Iraqi papers reported that Maliki visited Kurdistan, held a joint press conference with Barazani and announced his support for the Kurdish position on the issue of Kirkuk, asking for the application of the 140th constitutional article, which Kurds believe will lead to Kirkuk being officially annexed to Kurdistan. Maliki also supported the Kurdish parties against the latest threats by Turkey, affirming that the government opposes any Turkish incursions into Kurdistan.”

Make of all this what you will, but it appears the Turkish threat has acted to force a "picking of sides" which will echo forward in Iraqi politics, hastening the challenge to Maliki's government.