Unable to secure defeat fast enough, house Democrats decide to vote on a resolution to condemn Turkey for genocide from a hundred years ago. Turkey is also our ally, a key ally in the war on terror. Key is an understatement. Turkey is supporting the war effort by allowing transit to Afghanistan and Iraq through Turkey allowing a re-supply line to northern Iraq and west.
About 70 percent of U.S. air cargo headed for Iraq goes through Turkey as does about one-third of the fuel used by the U.S. military there. U.S. bases also get water and other supplies carried in overland by Turkish truckers who cross into Iraq’s northern Kurdish region. In addition, C-17 cargo planes fly military supplies to U.S. soldiers in remote areas of Iraq from Incirlik, avoiding the use of Iraqi roads vulnerable to bomb attacks. U.S. officials say the arrangement helps reduce American casualties.
Now, why do this now? Now that the surge seems to be working, now as we are seeing opposing Iraqi factions beginning to work together and get along? Could that be why it is NOW?
Meanwhile, Turkey has recalled their Ambassador to the U.S., Ambassador Nabi Sensoy. Last year France’s national assembly voted to condemn the Armenian deaths and Turkey responded by canceling contracts with the French military. These Democrats have learned from history, and in this case, wish to repeat it. It will surely put a stick in the spokes of supporting our troops in Iraq and the war effort. Oh that’s right. They support the troops.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) says . . .
Why do it now? Because there’s never a good time and all of us in the Democratic leadership have supported it.
President Bush says . . .
Its passage would do great harm to our relations with a key ally in NATO and in the global war on terror.
Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul was right on . . .
Unfortunately, some politicians in the United States have once again sacrificed important matters to petty domestic politics despite all calls to common sense. This unacceptable decision by the committee, like its predecessors, has no validity or respectability for the Turkish nation.
Is this their idea of how wartime allies should be treated? With them in the White House, it is questionable if we would ever have a wartime ally again, should we need one, or several, or many.
AP: White House raps lawmakers on Armenia
Ambassador Sensoy’s ‘Exit Interview by John Gizzi
