Diplomacy - The left has

Diplomacy - The left has been portraying Turkey's refusal to allow US troops to pass through to attack Northern Iraq as a failure of US - no, Bush Administration - diplomacy.

It seems there's an ulterior motive, courtesy our old friends, the French, says Mike Ledeen at the NYSun:

The Turkish government, which for the first time since the fall of the Ottoman Empire is based on an Islamic party, fully expected that Parliament would approve its proposal that America be given the use of Turkish air bases in the Iraqi war.The government was so confident that the party failed to demand internal discipline, and thus several deputies voted against the resolution.

But that does not account for the failure to approve the government’s proposal.

Primary blame for the defeat of the measure lies with the opposition — the secular, Kemalist parties that have governed the country since Ataturk.

Contrary to expectations, the opposition, responding to orders from party leaders, voted unanimously against the government’s position.

The leaders insisted on a disciplined "no" vote because of pressure — some would call it blackmail — from France and Germany.

The French and German governments informed the Turkish opposition parties that if they voted to help the Coalition war effort, Turkey would be locked out of Europe for a generation. As one Turkish leader put it, "there were no promises, only threats."

One can describe this behavior on the part of our erstwhile Old Europe allies only as a deliberate act of sabotage against America in time of war.

It's "Old Europe" fighting for it's piece of the pie. But it seems likely that this move will cost American lives.

Once we've dealt with terrorism, we have another war to fight. A diplomatic one of course - but I think it could eventually rival the Cold War.

Posted by Mitch at March 27, 2003 02:49 AM