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| The Grand Turk | ||
| Syria: Turkey threatens to invoke Nato's self-defence article | ||
| 2012-04-13 | ||
Turkey has resurrected the prospect of western military intervention in the Syrian crisis, threatening to invoke NATO'S self-defence mechanisms over violations of its territory by Assad regime troops.
Invoking the treaty would allow Nato members to take military action against Syria legally without a UN security council resolution. Article 5 has only been invoked on one previous occasion -- in the action taken against Afghanistan after the September 11 attacks. "Options are plentiful," he said, referring to shooting incidents on the Turkish-Syrian border which sent bullets spraying into refugee camps on three consecutive days earlier this week and killed four Syrians. A Turkish official and interpreter were also injured. "Nato also has duties regarding Turkey's borders, according to the fifth article," he added. For Nato to take action after a relatively minor border incident would be unprecedented. But the threat to invoke the treaty's legal cover will alarm the Assad regime, which has so far been confident that there is little the West can do to harm it so long as China and Russia continue to exercise their veto.
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| Posted by:tipper |
| #8 Gabby. Thanks for the correction. Thing is, it isn't Connery we have to worry about. It's Putin. Not that something will blow up the first time a NATO soldier lands in Syria, or a NATO bomb hits Assad's outhouse. But the odds for inadvertent consequences multiplying each other are greater than in Libya--some Russian naval forces in the area, for example--and moving more toward the Balkans' level. Remember that Gen. Wesley Clark ordered a Brit officer to take an airfield back from the Russians who had gotten there first. The Brit declined to start WW III. Good on him. |
| Posted by: Richard Aubrey 2012-04-13 21:15 |
| #7 If I remember correctly, Turkey hemmed and hawed about moving the 4th ID across the country....before they bagged it. Hemming and hawing and stalling is what bureaucracies do best. Nato can take a tip from the Turks. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2012-04-13 20:29 |
| #6 Do you feel lucky, Assad? Well, do ya... punk? |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2012-04-13 19:17 |
| #5 The line from the movie is : "It will get out of control and we'll be lucky to live through it." Syria is not The Red October and Pencil Neck Foreceps Head is not Captain Sean You're-Lucky-I'm-In-Your-Damned-Movie Connery. FWIW: Turkey can HAVE Syria (again) and should play the NATO card if Syria expends another round of bullet in its direction. |
| Posted by: Gabby Cussworth 2012-04-13 18:54 |
| #4 Don't be too surprised when the Cavalry fails to ride over the ridge in the nick of time, ok guys? |
| Posted by: mojo 2012-04-13 14:04 |
| #3 I'm sure NATO could file the request in line just behind it's paperwork requesting Turkey to allow the 4th Division to transit to Iraq from 2003. We'll get right on it, with all due deliberation. |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2012-04-13 12:16 |
| #2 Sheesh. Just because of something I read recently with no connection to this, I think about the justice of insisting the murderers of Duke Ferdinand be turned over. So NATO does...what? This time, the Russians have an interest. And resources at hand. "This whole thing is going to get out of hand and we'll be lucky to live through it." |
| Posted by: Richard Aubrey 2012-04-13 11:13 |
| #1 Might have been a smart move on Turkey's part. |
| Posted by: Whiskey Mike 2012-04-13 10:34 |