ANKARA (Reuters) - "U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Friday promised 'effective'' action against Kurdish rebels who have launched attacks on Turkey from northern Iraq, but she strongly urged Ankara itself to observe restraint. Speaking en route for Turkey, Rice called the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) a 'common enemy' but said its NATO ally should not undertake any action that could destabilize the situation in northern Iraq." 1 November 07.

To repeat Secretary Rice's exact words: "Turkey should not undertake any action that could destabilize the situation in northern Iraq.

What is Rice talking about? Up until Rice's recent comments, the only US prohibition on Turkish actions was on a full scale Turkish invasion intended to take and hold northern Iraqi territory for an extended period. Most observers interpreted US policy toward short term Turkish incursions (i.e. military raids, as in Turkish hot pursuit of the PKK), as one of tacit approval.

No more, according to Rice's new hard line policy against Turkey. In fact, the new US policy would rule out not only Turkish raids into northern Iraq but a Turkish economic embargo of northern Iraq. The new US policy could even be extended to prohibit harsh Turkish political rhetoric against Iraq.

Rice's humiliation of Turkey goes well beyond prohibiting Turkish reprisals against northern Iraq for PKK terrorist attacks from northern Iraq. Under Rice's new policy, Turkey would even be prohibited from withdrawing its logistics support from US forces on the grounds that to do so could destabilize the situation in northern Iraq!

Moreover, the new hard line US policy against Turkey carries for the first time the implication that US forces would be deployed along the northern Iraq-Turkish border to defend the PKK, all in the name of protecting northern Iraq from Turkish destabilization.

In truth, Secretary Rice has thrown down the gauntlet before Turkey. To go further, Rice is humiliating Turkey by demanding the acceptance of terms that would amount to Turkish capitulation to the PKK.

Now, Secretary Rice is certainly well versed in history, but she seems not to be aware that states only capitulate to their adversaries after they have been defeated on the battlefield. In contrast with past practice, Rice would award victory to the PKK today, long before the Turkish-PKK differences have been settled on the battlefield.

To put the issue in sharp relief, with her new policy Rice is informing PM Erdogan that Turkey is no longer a sovereign state with the right to establish its own policies on national security and foreign affairs.

Even worse than asking Turkey to yield sovereignty, Rice is asking Turkey to commit national suicide by denying Turkey the right to respond to PKK provocations. Under these harsh and restrictive US policies, PKK terrorism would prevail.

Why is Rice escalating against Turkey at this time? Rice is escalating because President Bush has made a decision not to meet a single one of Turkey's demands on restraining the PKK. In short, this is war!