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| Iraq |
| Money gobbling Turks - whose goose will be cooked? |
| 2003-02-19 |
| ANKARA — Yet another Turkish delay of a request by Washington for the deployment of up to 40,000 American troops in Turkey. Turkey's parliament has not received a government request for U.S. troop deployment, Middle East Newsline reported. Officials said the government of Prime Minister Abdullah Gul will not ask for a parliamentary vote until negotiations over a U.S. compensation package with Turkey are completed. "The United States has thousands of troops on ships waiting outside of Turkish ports," a Western diplomatic source said. "This situation is quickly coming to a head. It's a matter of hours and days." The latest delay has infuriated the Bush administration. "If parliament doesn't pass the proposal, we will review our relations and they could suffer enormous damage," the Ankara-based Hurriyet daily quoted a U.S. official in Washington as saying. "We wouldn't forget such a thing." Never EVER, EVER! On Tuesday, the Gul government relayed to U.S. ambassador Robert Pearson a new proposal for a compensation package for Turkey. Ankara was said to have asked for up to $25 billion in economic and military aid to compensate for losses incurring from a war against Iraq. The Sabah daily reported that the Turkish request would include $10 billion in grants. Why does this remind me of shopping excursions in Mexico? Washington is expected to respond to the latest Turkish proposal by early Thursday. "The other side must meet our demands, and if they do, then we shall see," said Recep Tayyip Erdogan, head of the ruling Justice and Development Party and regarded as the leading civilian authority in Turkey. "After this is finalized, the authorization will come to parliament. I'm about to walk....see, I'm moving toward the door.... Turkish President Ahmet Sezer said his country could not allow the deployment of foreign troops without a UN decision. He cited Turkey's constitution, which restricts the entry of foreign troops. Hope we have a good back up plan. I think we've been screwed, though not as screwed as they will be if they don't come around. Maybe those Kurds would like their own country after all. |
| Posted by:Becky |
| #9 The current government in Ankara really wants no part of this war, which is inconvenient in the short run but makes it easier to do right by the Kurds. Without the latter element we might as well forget about trying to reform Iraq; the place can't remain a Sunni Muslim overlordship. It does make one wonder if Old Europe has made Ankara a deal that's too good to be true. The landing of equipment strikes me as a fluke. |
| Posted by: Hiryu 2003-02-20 07:32:48 |
| #8 I've done my part to support Turkey. Any of you reading the labels in your clothes? |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-02-19 21:13:19 |
| #7 hmmm.. Iskenderun to Iraq through Syria....wonder where those "Analysts were baffled by the timing" redeployed 4,000 Syrian troops from Batrun Lebanon will end up. Ya don't think.....boy, that would be a shocker. |
| Posted by: becky 2003-02-19 20:13:26 |
| #6 Iskenderun? Quickest route from Iskenderun to Iraq is through Northern Syria. Pay attention Assad |
| Posted by: john 2003-02-19 18:49:23 |
| #5 heh, heh, I guess we could also wonder if it really is a diversion! Maybe those ships are full of cardboard tanks and the things we just promised to give to Turkey to protect itself. Iraq would have to spread itself thin...just in case! Oh...the intrigue! |
| Posted by: becky 2003-02-19 18:19:31 |
| #4 Watch the hands, not the mouth: The U.S.-flagged ship Tellus Wednesday, February 19, offloaded 522 military vehicles among other military equipments, in the Mediterranean port of Iskenderun, southern Turkey without permission from the Turkish government. She's there, she's offloading, you think she didn't have permission? This may be the biggest diversion since D-day. |
| Posted by: Steve 2003-02-19 15:43:59 |
| #3 OK...get yer salt shakers. Debka says we're ready for this. Smaller contigent of troops to be airlifted into N. Iraq, with other troops linking up coming in from Jordan. I'm not aware of any sizeable deployment in Jordan though. We're the best friend they got. If they muck this up... sod 'em. |
| Posted by: Rex Mundi 2003-02-19 15:33:12 |
| #2 Why don't we just back an independent Kurdistan? They sure in Hell deserve--they're running a democracy right now. What the US should be doing is backing democracy at every turn. It's the moral truth. Why don't we just go for it. Democracy for all. The world will be a better place. Enough of this shit making deal with corrupt regimes. It's over. Democracy, Democracy, Democracy. |
| Posted by: Rodger Dodger 2003-02-19 15:28:45 |
| #1 Darn..title was supposed to be Money gobbling Turkies! |
| Posted by: becky 2003-02-19 15:14:56 |