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U.S. Takes Back Turkey Aid Package
The Washington Post ^
| Saturday, March 15, 2003
| JENNIFER LOVEN
Posted on 03/15/2003 2:02:45 PM PST by ACHerbst
Edited on 03/15/2003 7:28:07 PM PST by Admin Moderator.
[history]
As U.S. hopes dwindled of going through Turkey for an attack on Iraq, the Bush administration took back its offer to give $15 billion in aid to Turkey in exchange for military cooperation, officials said Saturday. U.S. commanders have been eager to use the NATO ally to open a northern front in any invasion of Iraq. Staging in Turkey would allow more U.S. troops and heavier equipment to push toward Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit. The two countries had negotiated a package of U.S. grants and loans aimed at boosting Turkey's ailing economy, which is expected to suffer even more if there is war. Earlier this month, Turkey's parliament - mindful of polls showing a vast majority of the public opposed war - rejected a government motion to authorize the deployment of 62,000 American troops on Turkish soil. Turkey has since delayed a final decision, and the new prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said Saturday a second vote was at least another week off. Now, the $15 billion is off the table, said two senior U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity. Nonetheless, Pentagon officials said Saturday there are no immediate plans to move any more U.S. military forces or equipment away from Turkey...
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
TOPICS: Business/Economy; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bush; iraq; nonallyturkey; turkey; war
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1
posted on
03/15/2003 2:02:46 PM PST
by
ACHerbst
To: ACHerbst
Good, they can go back to the turd world, where they belong!!
2
posted on
03/15/2003 2:04:46 PM PST
by
Coroner
To: ACHerbst
That'll teach them to haggle over bribe money.
3
posted on
03/15/2003 2:06:19 PM PST
by
evolved_rage
(Davis is a POS!!!)
To: ACHerbst
please, please learn to use paragraph breaks.
To: ACHerbst
THANK YOU GWB!
5
posted on
03/15/2003 2:10:25 PM PST
by
illumini
To: ACHerbst
Its about damn time! Sounds like we haven't taken it all away yet. We need to pull ALL our troops and stop ALL aid dollars to Turkey!
6
posted on
03/15/2003 2:11:02 PM PST
by
teletech
(Can we bomb Saddam, NOW!?)
To: ACHerbst
Don't worry, Turkey, there's always the EU. I'm sure Chirac and Schroeder will welcome ya'll to their socialist ghetto.
7
posted on
03/15/2003 2:14:30 PM PST
by
Bonaparte
To: ACHerbst
Ooops, Turkey missed the "Iraqi Independence Express"!! Won't be recognized in the rebuilding process. Whoo, Whoo!
8
posted on
03/15/2003 2:17:02 PM PST
by
AMNZ
To: ACHerbst
Somehow I don't see Bush allowing the Jurk's continued repression of the Kurds. The horrors endured by this ethnic faction was never mentioned during the so-called "peace rally" held in Washington, D.C. today. Seems that when it comes to real-world problem solving it's always up to conservatives to clean up the mess so the Leftists can continue living in their fantasies of some Communist utopia. Oops, I meant Turks.
9
posted on
03/15/2003 2:24:52 PM PST
by
NewRomeTacitus
(The Iraqi torture of children to coerce their parents is reason enough for me.)
To: ACHerbst
Pass the turkey and hold the gravy...;)
10
posted on
03/15/2003 2:37:50 PM PST
by
veronica
To: ACHerbst
Sorry, gang, you had your chance and you blew it. Y'all must be feeling really, really cocky to kiss $15 billion goodbye.
11
posted on
03/15/2003 2:55:02 PM PST
by
Capriole
(Foi vainquera)
To: ACHerbst
Looks like turkey has effectively sh!t in its nest.
12
posted on
03/15/2003 3:02:41 PM PST
by
dc-zoo
To: ACHerbst
That's 12 Billion saved, where's my tax cut ?
13
posted on
03/15/2003 3:04:50 PM PST
by
ChadGore
(Next time there's a war in Europe, the loser has to keep France.)
To: ACHerbst
Good. Better leave some of the force offshore. Before it's over we may have to attack turkey from the north.
14
posted on
03/15/2003 3:05:29 PM PST
by
paul51
To: 2timothy3.16
Sorry about that!
15
posted on
03/15/2003 3:33:52 PM PST
by
ACHerbst
To: ACHerbst
I wouldn't be surprised if their government falls because of this. Their economy is already in shambles, and they needed that money bigtime. C'est la vie!
To: teletech
Let's not get too down on Turkey. Turkey has to live next to Iraq, and they are concerned about what we're going to do in their neighborhood. After the last gulf war, over a million refugees flooded into Turkey from Iraq, costing Turkey billions to deal with them. Turkey is not out of line to ask for money to deal with the problems that may come from our assault on Iraq.
Most likely, in my opinion, Turkey refused access to our troops because Turkey intends to grab northern Iraq when we move in from the south. We won't be able to stop them in time if our troops are not in Turkey. They will do this to quell the Kurds who have caused the Turks innumerable problems in the past, to take back Turkish territory seized by Britain after WWI, and to grab oil wells. The Turks have not denied that they may go into Iraq themselves.
Turkey has been a reliable ally since the Korean conflict, and I can tell you from having been in Turkey that the Turks are fundamentally friendly to America. The Turks aren't slapping us in the face, they are simply covering their butts and making sure that a hostile Kurdish nation doesn't appear and start agitating to break off southeastern Turkey.
Additionally, we don't need Turkey's airspace or land to beat the tar out of the ragheads in Iraq. This coming war will take about one or two days at the most, with most of the work figuring out what to do with all the prisoners.
Pragmatist
17
posted on
03/15/2003 3:42:13 PM PST
by
Pragmatist
(Japan should get more credit for supporting our position 100%)
To: ACHerbst
That's gonna leave a mark on the Turkish stock market come Monday.
18
posted on
03/15/2003 3:42:29 PM PST
by
Centurion2000
(Take charge of your destiny, or someone else will)
To: ACHerbst
Please, insert paragraph tags in your posts..
19
posted on
03/15/2003 3:46:13 PM PST
by
Jhoffa_
(Yes, there is sexual tension between Sammy & Frodo.)
To: Pragmatist
Most likely, in my opinion, Turkey refused access to our troops because Turkey intends to grab northern Iraq when we move in from the south. We won't be able to stop them in time if our troops are not in Turkey. Not a problem to be polite to the Turks.... but if they think that we're gonna let some johnny-come-latelys grab 100 billion dollars worth of territory without a fight they are smoking FAR too strong a hookah pipe in Ankara.
20
posted on
03/15/2003 3:48:34 PM PST
by
Centurion2000
(Take charge of your destiny, or someone else will)
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