How France blocked U.S. in Ankara

New York Sun ^ | 26 March 2003 | Michael Ledeen

[Tamaqua]

How France Blocked U.S. In Ankara

MICHAEL LEDEEN

Everybody knows that Turkey did not permit America to stage operations from Turkish bases, but hardly anybody realizes that, contrary to the conventional wisdom, the vote was not an Islamic protest against the American-led coalition,but an act of anti-American intimidation by France and Germany.

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 is even worse than the behavior of France in the Security Council — first joining with us to give Iraq a "really, really, last chance" and then preventing us from acting as if the language of Resolution 1441 meant what it said.

It is of a piece with the exertions of French diplomats to "convince"African countries to vote against us in the U.N.

I think that when the events of the past few months are sorted out, we will find that French actions constitute the diplomatic equivalent of chemical and biological warfare.

Monsieur Chirac has stopped at nothing to try to prevent the defeat of Saddam Hussein, no matter how many American lives it cost.

And, more often than not, the Germans tagged along for the ride.

It is hard to imagine that such actions were solely the result of greed, whether personal or national.

To take such action, Mr. Chirac must have conceived of a French future not only independent of the United States, but in open opposition to us.

To be sure, he does not speak of France alone, or of the Franco/German entente, but rather of "Europe."

But he sees Europe as an extension of French power, not as a federal union in which all states will be free to pull their weight and pursue their sometimes diverging interests.

Thus, his rude insults to the Central European countries who joined with Spain, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands and the others who support our efforts to liberate Iraq.

If they want to be part of Europe, he said, they should just shut up.

This is all part of the tectonic shifts taking place all over the world.

President Bush the Elder intuited the emergence of a new world order once the Soviet empire fell,but it is only now that we can begin to see the profundity of the changes and the magnitude of the challenges we will face in the immediate future.

To blame a transformation of such magnitude on the diplomatic style of this administration, as so many of President George W. Bush’s critics do, is to personalize, and thereby trivialize a world-historical event.

We’d better understand it, and fast.

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

The good thing about any decision to invade France is we can count on a swift surrender.

[Shermy]

To blame a transformation of such magnitude on the diplomatic style of this administration, as so many of President George W. Bush’s critics do, is to personalize, and thereby trivialize a world-historical event.

Educating the "opinion makers" that not all diplomatic "failures" are due to our faults is a hard sell. For one, they refuse to analyze, in most part, the motives behind Chirac's manouevre's, prefereing to believe his moralistic pose.

If the Turk pols believed the French, they are way too naive to keep their postions.

[Destro]

The Turks have been threatened with removeal from the EU candidate process if they move into Iraq so it is highly doubtfull that there is some sort of scheme.

This article is typical irrational Trotskyite origined Neo-Con ravings of secret plots and sub-plots to explain away their failures. The Sun article also leaves a formula in play that lets Turkey off, since Turkey is a vital lynch pin to Neo-Con Middle East designs (Israel-Secular Islam regimes-Caucuses and the 'Stans).

[Diogenesis]

The French have chosen to be lower than slugs and scorpions.

[Paleo Conservative]

'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." '

We already knew about the French perfidy.

Sending Dominique to Africa was an act of hostility toward the US, since France was not happy with staying on the sidelines. France was actively lobbying everyone against the US.

Time to sink their toy aircraft carrier.

[longtermmemmory]

How many american soldier's lives were lost because of france. Chirac has blood on his hands.

[dennisw]

Sounds about right to me. France and Germany reach new lows. Perfidious scumbags!

[Destro]

I post a direct article from Turkey, you post Neo-Con agit-prop from the 25 cent New York Sun fishwrap. See my #23 for motivation on this article-an unsourced article too.

[qwert]

This could be Good News... Think of it this way, the US cannot use Turkey Bases (Bad for US NOW) Later Turkey joins the EU.... millions and millions of Turkish Muslins go to France and Germany (Remember when you join the EU you can travel and live ANYWHERE in the EU) 10 years from now the Muslins elect their MAN in Germany and France the French poodle and the German schnawzer come under Sharia LAW..... Their men are FORCED to become Muslin there women are circumsized.... The samll minority pleads for US help... We say no....not until we check with Has Blix and the UN......hehehehehe we win...

[longtermmemmory]

I agree, the knee jerk race to dismiss this article is suspect. If anything everyone could easily be right. The french may have provided the excuse for something they were predisposed to do.

I say we make the euro move valuble for scape metal than as a currency.

[walden]

That article doesn't contradict this one-- that one says nothing at all about the Parliamentary voting. It could very easily be the case that both factors were at work.

[graycamel]

Don't you do anything but post the same silly pix??????

[walden]

You are extremely vehement, and knowledgable although mis-guided about U.S. political factions-- for a Scot. What's the deal? I can promise you I have NO such knowledge of the factions of your political world.

[error99]

Ricky Ricardo?

[eleni121]

Here are Turk Muslim troops looting the ruins of Christian stores. Since when have the Turkish military been disciplined? In fact, the Islamic Turkish military has always had free rein in raping torturing and commiting pogroms against innocent and defenseless Christians and non turks.

[a_Turk]

Dear qwert,

Turkey is not ruled by the outdated and obsolete sharia, there are no forced conversions in Turkey, BTW it's illegal, and women in Turkey are not circumcized..

Sincerely,

a_Turk.

[a_Turk]

>> You are extremely vehement, and knowledgable although mis-guided about U.S. political factions-- for a Scot.

He's no Scot, he's the descendant of a Greek who left Turkey in a population exchange. He absolutely hates all things Turk, and has lost his cool with me on a number of times in this and previous banned FR incarnations..

[a_Turk]

>> Here are Turk Muslim troops looting the ruins of Christian stores.

Nonsence.. The troops were stationed there after country wide riots in response to massacres on Cyprus.

>> In fact, the Islamic Turkish military has always had free rein in raping torturing and commiting pogroms

You called us mongoloid eunuchs before.. How does one of those rape?

You're so mean to me eleni ;))

[the_doc]

Yeah, that's precisely why I said it's irrational to pronounce the article as bunk. The preponderance of evidence (credible reporting) does point to considerable French meddling in Turkey.

Notice that this definitely fits the bigger picture of what the French have been willing to do to oppose us. FReepers need to face what is going on with France.

(The article at the top of the thread is actually old news to me, BTW. Even before the war started, I heard that the French were lobbying pretty heavily for the Turks to screw us.)

[MJY1288]

I'm not defending the French, fact is I loathe them, France may have put some pressure on Turkey, But there is no doubt where Turkey stood on the Kurd situation long before the debate in the U.N. and how that organization has always been FUBAR