Today's 6 month old news flash on the AM show

[alexia]

This AM one of the morning shows mentioned that the US acknowledges that they already have ground troops in Iraq in the NE corner where the Kurds are.

What a news flash! The link below appeared last August. I've been reading the online Asia Times ever since last summer when I first discovered it. As far as I can determine, this is not a fringe journal, but a mainstream publication in Asia, more or less an Asian Economist or Business News type journal meant to inform the business community.

This is a link to the article I read last August.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/War_and_Terror.html

[phatch]

I thought we had advisors/observers on the ground in the Kurdish territory for years now. These would be different from actual combat troops, but only because they know more. And, I believe that the terms of Saddam's surrender allows troops in the Kurdish territory for protecting the Kurds. It's interesting this is news now, as you say.

Phil

[Jock]

One of the talking heads on Good Morning America yesterday acknowleged that there are US Special Forces in the Kurdish region of Iraq. They are there to solicit/coordinate help from the Kurds in the event of a war. The talking head indicated that if we ever get reports that these troops are venturing into Iraq proper, then war is imminent.
None of this is particularly shocking or even surprising to me. I used to work with a fellow who was an ex Army Ranger. Without giving too many details, he told me that almost daily US troops are engaged in a skirmish somewhere. Unless it is tagged on to a major operation (such as Afghanistan) we never hear about it. The right or wrong of it can be debated for ever more but the reality is what it is.

Jock

[alexia]

Jock, I agree that it's no surprise that there are US forces inside Iraq already. What I found astounding was that I first learned about it in Asia Times almost 6 months ago and it is only now trickling into the America media. I usually check the NYTimes and Washington Post daily, use the Drudge Report to find stray items in mags and papers I don't actually check per se - and I saw it nowhere else.

Perhaps someone else here heard about it last August in the American press. If so, correct me, please.