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To: muawiyah
That is a historically ignorant comment. The USA has fought two wars against Turkey, one against the Barbary pirates in Tripoli (an Ottoman Turkish protectorate) and in World War One. The French, (like it or not) hold the title of America's oldest allies. We fought the British twice, too. The Brits burned Washington, D.C. to the ground.

P.S.: The Marine song celebrates the voctory over the Turk, ...to the shores of Tripoli

16 posted on 11/08/2002 4:53:31 PM PST by Destro
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To: Destro
Yeah, that one baffled me, too.
18 posted on 11/08/2002 5:04:48 PM PST by Phillip Augustus
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To: Destro
The Barbaray Pirates were substantially independent of the authority of the Port, and the combat with Tripoli really wasn't all that big a deal. In the end Jefferson paid off the Tripolitanians to keep them out of the hair of Amerian ships going to and from Turkey (among other places).

WWI did find the US and Turkey on opposite sides. This was not so much the fault of the Turks as it was Woorow Wilson. We should have early on come to some sort of accommodation with the Germans to protect our neutrality. Instead Wilson allowed the UK to load wargoods on passenger ships in New York harbor.

We have subsequently patched things up with the Turks.

22 posted on 11/08/2002 5:10:27 PM PST by muawiyah
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To: Destro
The French, (like it or not) hold the title of America's oldest allies. As judged by the standard you proposed --- the absence of warfaer between the two.

The French who left NATO at the height of the Cold War and who refused an overfly by our planes in the attack on Lybia are hardly an ally and have not been one for a long, long time. The Turks, however, have been there for us at practicly every turn for decades.

25 posted on 11/08/2002 5:16:38 PM PST by TopQuark
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To: Destro
YEP!

...hence the name I post under.


53 posted on 11/09/2002 4:03:57 PM PST by mamelukesabre
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