Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Turks: Guilty of Genocide in WWI?
Notice that the White House does not defend Turkey's actions nor deny it is genocide. They know it was. Many Turks feel the same way, but Armenian-Turk hatred runs really deep. And the PKK is taunting the Turks. But the real concern for the White House and supporters of Iraq is the effect this could have on the current US course in Iraq. As Sir Sullivan might say, the money quote:
Gates said that 70 percent of U.S. air cargo headed for Iraq goes through Turkey, as does about a third of the fuel used by the U.S. military in Iraq. “Access to air fields and to the roads and so on in Turkey would very much be put at risk if this resolution passes and Turkey reacts as strongly as we believe they will,” Gates said. He also said that 95 percent of the newly purchased Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles are flying through Turkey to get to Iraq.
So will this encourage those anti-war Representatives and Senators? If they have any sense they will back off - anyone who can be even slightly portrayed as screwing troops in the field is dead on election day. It's one thing to be against the war and want to pull out soon, it's another to try to force it while hiding behind a resolution that would indirectly harm troops in the field. Don't get me wrong -the Turks slaughtered many thousands of Armenians, the Turks have good reason to want to invade Kurdistan (N. Iraq). It is just the wrong time to be taking this stance. Why now, 90 years later? No good reason to support this now. Like wetting your jeans when it's freezing out - feels good and warm for the first minute, but the mess and discomfort to come make it a fools move.
So will this encourage those anti-war Representatives and Senators? If they have any sense they will back off - anyone who can be even slightly portrayed as screwing troops in the field is dead on election day. It's one thing to be against the war and want to pull out soon, it's another to try to force it while hiding behind a resolution that would indirectly harm troops in the field. Don't get me wrong -the Turks slaughtered many thousands of Armenians, the Turks have good reason to want to invade Kurdistan (N. Iraq). It is just the wrong time to be taking this stance. Why now, 90 years later? No good reason to support this now. Like wetting your jeans when it's freezing out - feels good and warm for the first minute, but the mess and discomfort to come make it a fools move.
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