Fearing Turkey’s incursion into Iraq might drag Iraqi Kurds into the fray, President Bush wants the hostilities to cease. And he wants them ended soon because Iraq’s northern Kurds have been as good an ally we have in fighting the insurgents in Iraq. Dragging them into a battle with Turkey undermines security in Iraq.
Trouble is the PKK is not just a highly troublesome separatist group (thousands dead since 1984). It is also labeled a terrorist group by Turkey and the United States. As a result, and not surprisingly, the Turkish government is defending its Iraqi operations.
Illustrating, once again, the dwindling influence (and lack of control) President Bush has over the mess he created in Iraq, Turkey’s Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul refused to give a timetable for a pull-out from Iraq, commenting, "Turkey will remain in northern Iraq as long as necessary." These comments came after President Bush said Turkey’s presence (and the fighting) should be “limited and … temporary in nature.”
And why shouldn’t Turkey ignore President Bush? They already know there are no costs associated with defying the president. After Turkey’s parliament passed a motion supporting intervention, President Bush warned “it is not in [Turkey’s] interest to send more troops.” Sufficiently cowed, the Turkish government promptly sent troops into Iraq.
So here we stand, with President Bush encouraging an ally in the War on Terror to back away from fighting a U.S. labeled terrorist group. Then our ally, after being encouraged to leave Iraq, all but tells us “We’ll think about it … when we’re ready.”
So much for that "War President" thing. Are the republicans embarrassed yet?
- Mark
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