Iraq Scraps Missiles, Turkey Rejects U.S. Troops

Reuters ^ | March 1, 2003 | Nadim Ladki

[Scott from the Left Coast]

Bush has a whole big fat plate full of problems.

He desperately needs to get out of "talk" mode and take action. Whether he or the military is ready or not.

He's on the knife's edge. Relevance or irrelevance runs both directions.

[Amerigomag]

Iraq started destroying its banned al-Samoud missiles on Saturday under the gaze of U.N. inspectors

Good old Reuters.

They didn't even wait for the second paragraph to slip in the lie.

[Momaw Nadon]

Attack on Iraq Betting Pool

[kjam22]

I would say the chance to "strike while the iron is hot" ended a few months ago. There will be a negotiated agreement of some sort. Saddam ain't going nowhere. Bush is looking for a way to spin this as a win without firing a shot and bring everybody home to their loved ones.

[Rebelbase]

So whats the word on going it alone without the Turks?

[tomahawk]

"In Ankara, Turkish leader Tayyip Erdogan said parliament's decision not to let U.S. troops use Turkish bases and ports was a 'completely democratic result,' suggesting he would accept it. The ruling party will meet on Sunday, but Erdogan gave no clue to his intentions."

Mr. Erdogan: Your nation's economy and military power, hence Turkey's status in the world and the welfare of its people, are about to go off the cliff. You better think about this really hard the next couple days.

[Scott from the Left Coast]

If that's the outcome, it's Hillary in '04. If Bush backs away at all, he's toasted politically. The economy sure as hell isn't going to save his bacon. That, and America will no longer be a superpower. Your only a superpower if you have the will to use your power.

I think Bush is committed to ending Saddam (he has no choice but to be), it's just that he's let this go on so long now that it's going to be much tougher, with many more problems (like these) than it could have been if he didn't talk so tough and act so little in the ridiculously long road up to this point.

[tomahawk]

The Turks have humiliated us. The price they will pay is incalculable.

[kaylar]

I agree. And what's worse, it will be an admission that the USA and the Constitution and those we elect are all fully subordinate to the UN. And furthermore, it will be a signal to our enemies the Europeans to demand that we ratify the ICC and Kyoto.

[Free the USA]

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/bump-list

[Renegade]

We have the logistics to carry this war without Turkey . Hit them hard from the air and the South, and drive ALL the refugees right over the Northern border for Turkey to take care of .
Let's get this thing over with . I think a BLITZ of Email to the White House is in order .

[Scott from the Left Coast]

The ramifications of backdown or compromise now are incalculable -- throughout the world (think of all the hot spots that act up if the U.S. is viewed as being forced to back away). Bush cannot do that and survive.

But he has lost the diplomatic war, his only recourse is to turn his back on it and change the facts on the ground -- no matter how unpopular that is around the world. He cannot win diplomatically, the cards have all been stacked against him in that realm, from the beginning.

It is simply unthinkable that he wouldn't now act immediately, concrete action, to alter the situation. He cannot withstand continued setbacks in this realm without changing the equation.

To continue on this diplomatic path would be to admit that France is strong enough to stop the U.S. And worse, at the end of that path is France as the pre-eminent world power! He simply can't and (I believe) won't allow that result.

[Huck]

And what's worse, it will be an admission that the USA and the Constitution and those we elect are all fully subordinate to the UN.

That's not true. We chose this course. It wasn't required of us.

[Caipirabob]

and drive ALL the refugees right over the Northern border for Turkey to take care of...

I mean, hey, we tried to help them prepare, they just didn't cooporate...

[tomahawk]

I agree with your very good posts.

[kaylar]

That's how it will be perceived by many, maybe most, around the world : That the USA requires the permission of the UN before it can act, even in defense of the lives of its citizens.

[Jeff Chandler]

...drive ALL the refugees right over the Northern border for Turkey to take care of .

I like the way you think.

[kaylar]

Agree wholeheartedly. We can only speculate as to what quiet threats are being made, though it certainly appears that dumping the dollar for the euro is one of them. Even if that hurts the oil-producing countries in the short run, I believe they would do so as the hatred for the US now trumps rational economic decisions .