October 9, 2003	Thursday	Sha’aban 12, 1424

BAGHDAD, Oct 8: Iraqis voiced anger on Wednesday over Turkey’s decision to send troops to their war-wracked country, as thousands of Shias, including militiamen, demonstrated outside the US headquarters in Baghdad.

The US military announced its troops detained 112 Iraqis, including a general with reported ties to deposed president Saddam Hussein.

US forces ousted Saddam six months ago Thursday, but attacks against coalition forces have since continued.

A yet-to-be-determined number of Turkish forces are to join the 155,000-strong US-led coalition troops in Iraq, after parliament in Ankara gave the green light for the deployment despite objections by Iraqi officials.

Members of Iraq’s Governing Council said they were unanimous in opposing the deployment, reflecting a growing rift between the interim body and the US-led forces that the council up.

“Sending these troops would delay our regaining sovereignty,” council member Nasseer Chaderchi said, warning that the deployment could affect relations between the two neighbors.

In the past, the Turks, with their own sizeable Kurdish minority, have nurtured aspirations to northern Iraq.

“Of course it is not the aim of Turkey to come to Iraq as an occupying force. We want to be here as a friendly stabilizing, contributing factor,” Turkish Ambassador Osman Paksut said in Baghdad.—AFP