Nov 14 2006
Turkey Nervous About Democrats
I find it interesting that the Turks see the Democrats in a very similar light as I do – the true source of instability in the ME. Read this op-ed and ponder why Turkey might find the naivette of the Democrats to border on the dangerous. This person is supporting Democrat rosey scenarios:
They might want to put the breaks on democratization in the Middle East and partially return to former stable politics and spread reforms out over a broader period of time. Most Democrats see diplomatic engagement with Syria and Iran as more suitable to American interests. They want to rejuvenate the peace process in the Middle East. All of these are compatible with Ankara’s view.
Clearly, this person sees democracy as frightening and prefers the bloody dictators with shadowy ties to terrorists over more bold moves. But in a war, “bold” wins while “cautious” is exterminated. Everyone wishes 9-11 never happened – but only the left seem hell bent on pretending it never happened.
From the op-ed:
And the common strategic vision between the two countries could be seriously damaged.
Would this be the same strategic vision that contributed to the Turks last-minute decision not to allow us to establish a northern front by bringing the 1st ID (IRRC) in through Turkey at the beginning of the war? A political move, BTW, that directly contributed to the insurgency taking hold in the areas north of Baghdad. As the old saying goes — “with friends like that……”
Everyone wishes 9-11 never happened – but only the left seem hell bent on pretending it never happened.
There are lots of things I find frightening and downright dangerous about the Dems holding the Congressional reigns of power, but this is right at the top of the list because this mindset is going to get a whole lot of people killed.
AJ,
You are on to something.
Clearly, Turkey has its own problems, including with history. And Turkey may fear a partitioning of Iraq. I’m not very assured with the old-cons and Dems pushing for deals with terrorist nations that prop them up.
Macker
If iraq is partitioned the Kurds with want to join with the Turkish Kurds and form their own Kurdistan. Turkey woul lose a lot of territory that way.
Colin Powell was the emissary sent to bargain with Turkey about the northern front before the invasion. He was against the war emplicitly. He doubtless did not try very hard to talk Turkey into letting us in that way. I hesitate to say he talked them out of it but this is likely. He seems to have undermined Bush in several directions. It is very unusual for a general to be such a peacenik.
Turkey is going semi-Islamicist. Turkey will not coddle US foreign
policy’s tilt to Israel and its broad meddling on the way there.
The Turks are correct. The dems want to regress back to August 2001 and have a foreign policy of that time. Never mind it never worked. And when the dems were in power before nothing substantial was ever done about much of anything including foreign policy or the growing Islamic threat. The dems only want power. They don’t want to actually do anything except give jobs and money to their cronies.