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Politics : DON'T START THE WAR -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: stockman_scott who wrote (9704)	2/18/2003 5:12:54 AM
From: PartyTime	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 25898

Was gonna go to bed, till I found this: >>>A Turkish newspaper Monday quoted U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz as saying that if parliament did not shortly approve the troop deployment, U.S. warships heading toward Turkey might change their route southward toward the Gulf.<<< Does anyone realize Bush now has the 101st Airborne, its soldiers and equipment destined for Turkey? Now they might have to change course southward? I don't think the 101st Airborne should be treated like that old garbage barge that sailed around and couldn't find the right port? What an insult to America's best soldiers! Bring our troops home for everyone's safety. Clearly, Bush is too dumb to fight this war! His whole war effort is caving as he continues to alienate the world in his bent for war. Italy and Britian top officials are now on record saying it's hard to go to war without the support of the people. The difference here, I guess, is that Bush used--yes, used--Powell to help turn American public opinion around as he began sagging in the polls. That's what Powell's UN speech was all about. Powell was presenting to America for the GOP-sided pollsters, not the UN Security Council members in whose chambers the presentation was made. The next day, Bush and Powell stood tall together together at a news conference, rehashing the same weak intelligence. Next day after that the Terrorist Alert gets heightened to orange, the nation dips in fear, everyone out buying duct tape. "Hmmm. Must be a real crisis, we'd better support the president!" Sure enough, Bush's poll numbers stopped declining. You see, it's easier for Bush, using FoxNews and AM Radio talk show hosts to manipulate America's public opinion, than it is for Blair or Italy's foreign minister. And now Turkey won't play. Why? Well, 80 percent of the Turkish people don't want Bush's war either. Hey, George ... give it up, will ya? washingtonpost.com A Turkey Delays Vote to Let In U.S. Troops Turkey's government is facing a diplomatic standoff with the United States after delaying a vote to allow thousands of U.S. soldiers on its soil. Parliament had been expected to vote Tuesday on whether to allow combat troops to set up bases in Turkey. But Prime Minister Abdullah Gul said Monday that the vote would be delayed. "We are not going to the parliament tomorrow (Tuesday)," Gul told reporters in Brussels Monday, backtracking on earlier pledges by officials for a Feb. 18 vote. "We have some concerns on economic and political issues." Gul did not say when parliament would take up the vote. Some reports have said that a vote could come on Thursday. However, Dengir Mir Mehmet Firat, a top official in Gul's party said Monday it would be "difficult" for the proposal to come to parliament this week, the Anatolia news agency reported. "If by the end of this week they don't do it, we are talking about a massive crisis with Washington, massive damage to the relationship," said Bulent Aliriza, director of the Turkey Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. Turkey's stance would keep the United States fron opening a northern front against Iraq, which American officials said would shorten a war. Turkey also risks alienating its closest ally, which it depends on for political and economic support. President Bush met with Turkish Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis in Washington last week and stressed that he urgently needed a decision. But backing the United States would pit Turkey's new government against its electorate, which polls show is more than 80 percent opposed to war. Turkey fears a war against Iraq may lead Kurdish leaders in the de facto autonomous zone in northern Iraq to seek independence from Baghdad and encourage separatist aspirations among Turkey's Kurdish minority. One of the main sticking points in U.S.-Turkish negotiations is the economic aid package that would compensate Turkey for any losses incurred in an Iraq war, diplomats said. There also are disagreements on military issues such as the command structure in case of a joint Turkish-U.S. operation in northern Iraq. Relations between the two NATO allies was warm before the dispute over Iraq, with the United States lobbying for this predominantly Muslim nation to be accepted in the European Union. Washington's support was also considered key in helping Turkey to obtain billions in loans from international lenders as it struggled to recover from a crippling recession. The government's decision to postpone the vote came after millions participated in demonstrations throughout Europe over the weekend to protest a U.S.-led war in Iraq. Some analysts say Turkey hoped to avoid the appearance that Turkey was pushing forward with a war despite the protests. "The Turkish government would be more relieved to put it off as long as possible," said Sami Kohen, a columnist for Milliyet newspaper. But "it is either this week or never," he said. A Turkish newspaper Monday quoted U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz as saying that if parliament did not shortly approve the troop deployment, U.S. warships heading toward Turkey might change their route southward toward the Gulf. "The Americans are more than disappointed and angry," Kohen said. "If it is not settled this week the United States will go forward with its B-plan ... and go forward without Turkey." © 2003 The Associated Press