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BAGHDAD -- Iraqi leaders complained Monday that Turkey had not coordinated with Baghdad before sending dozens of warplanes to bomb Kurdish rebel targets in northern Iraq the day before. U.S. officials confirmed that they had prior knowledge of the attack.
In Washington, a Pentagon official said the U.S. military had "deconflicted the airspace" in Iraq for the strikes -- that is, the United States made sure that Turkey would have clear use of the skies to enable the bombings.
Another Pentagon official said the U.S. military had been sharing intelligence with Turkey but that he did not know exactly what information was given to aid with the air strikes or when it might have been given.
A U.S. Embassy official in Ankara said the United States knew about the attack.
"It was a Turkish operation, it was a Turkish decision. We were informed," the official said.
As many as 50 fighter jets were involved in the airstrikes Sunday, Turkish media reported. It was the biggest attack against the rebels from the Kurdistan Workers' Party in years. Turkey had recently attacked the area with ground-based artillery and helicopters, and there have been some reports of airstrikes.
The Iraqi parliament condemned the bombing, calling it an "outrageous" violation of Iraq's sovereignty, which killed innocent civilians.
Turkish Strike Made With U.S. Knowledge
18 December 2007
The Associated Press
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