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To: BlueDragon

I used the word "betray" advisedly. The Generals did not just refuse to let us through. First they held out for a large aid payment. Then they pretended that someone in parliament had acted unexpectedly. Then they dragged things out, while the whole division sat on ships offshore. Then after the war started, they finally said "no." As a result that whole division had to come all the way around to the gulf and was more than a week getting to the fighting.

They could have just refused from the start. Or they could have secretly advised Bush that they couldn't afford to do it. Instead, they made things just as bad as they could by their behavior. My personal theory is that Chirac got to them and bribed them with an offer to get them into the EU if they helped him out. No way to know that, of course, but their behavior couldn't have been more damaging.


58 posted on 05/16/2005 6:14:49 PM PDT by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: Cicero
Ok, I stand somewhat corrected.
At the time, it did seem painfully obvious to me that Turkey would not allow it---their gamesmanship, stringing us along, I overlooked. Perhaps since I didn't in the slightest believe that the 4th would be allowed to land, regardless of the rosy optimism the (U.S) Administration seemed to hold for the plan.

Wether it was a concerted effort on the Turk's part, or more a relection of some real disagreement (which Turk political lever-pullers worked at, to attempt to take advantage of), I can only speculate. Perhaps what you offered here, is accurate. In regards to this entire deal--the fairly long-term troubles the Turk's had been dealing with, in regards to those whom had been agitating for a portion of Turkey, to be a Northeast quadrant of "Kurdistan", loomed...

'Nothing really sweet & simple, about the whole bloody complicated mess.

59 posted on 05/16/2005 8:13:50 PM PDT by BlueDragon
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