THIS DOESN'T LOOK GOOD ...

By way of Daily Kos’ Lukery.

Imagine the following scenario … The Bush administration looks the other way after determining Turkey sold nuclear technology to Iran, North Korea, and Libya. We're then told that Turkey’s nuclear middle man, AQ Kahn, had an associate meet with Osama bin Laden to discuss an al Qaida nuclear device. Incredibly enough, the transfer of nuclear technology to Turkey continues after 9/11.

My friends, guess what? Apparently these scenarios not only happened, but the technology we sent to Turkey was sent with the assistance of a high level official in Bush’s State Department. Here’s the story in the UK’s Times ONLINE.

Here’s the problem (as if the above isn’t troubling enough). It appears the Bush administration wants to make the activities of the official(s) who facilitated the transfer of nuclear technology to Turkey after 2001 RETROACTIVELY legal. To sell this, in a press release President Bush is citing a 2000 agreement signed by President Clinton to sell nuclear technology to Pakistan. And here’s the rub: Citing Clinton’s “agreement” with Pakistan is really designed to camouflage that AQ Kahn sold nuclear technology to our enemies and that we continued to provide technology after we learned of this.

Not to worry, says President Bush. Be happy. He’s confident that “the pertinent issues have been sufficiently resolved” by a review process. I have a couple of problems here.

First, the review process clearing Pakistan has been “classified.” Second, if we’re pushing nuclear transparency around the world why do we need the review process to be classified - especially if we’re assisting Turkey’s planned “civil nuclear sector”? Third, isn’t Turkey experiencing a bit of political turmoil at this time? Is this the appropriate time to be rewarding Turkey’s behavior, and their record? Finally, this actually looks like someone’s “Get Out of Jail Free” card. If so, whose?

OK, I have another problem with this. President Bush starts off his justification for pushing this agreement by writing “In my judgment ...” Look, with his track record, when Bush tries to inspire confidence by referencing his “judgment” we should all be worried.

- Mark