NATO Agrees to defend Turkey if the issue arises....

[murphy55d]

Except for France. Just came over the AP wire.

 

[optoman]

Sweet!

Edit: Yep, its all over CNN now. Detail to follow. What is up with the French? Does anyone think they are hiding something that they did with Iraq and don't want the world to find out?

 

[SherEPunjab]

ahhh the sacrifices one makes to be considered a 'team player.'


Euro: "next stop, Istanbul!"

 

[her209]

looks like war is back on.

 

[conjur]

excite.com news link

 

[optoman]

After France was shut out of the room, two other holdouts - Germany and Belgium - dropped their objections to starting the planning for Turkey's defense immediately, NATO officials said.

Stupid French, really what the hell is up with them? I say they are hiding something.

 

[Heisenberg]

NATO, trying to end the stalemate, put the issue Sunday to its Defense Planning Committee, which excludes France. Paris left NATO's military command structure in the late 1960s and participates only in political, not military, consultations.

So France isn't even part of the military side of NATO anymore and they're trying to block a defensive move? :disgust:

 

[Czar]

I think the only condition NATO should have set for more defence for Turkey is that Turkey should take no part in provoking a possible attack.

 

[murphy55d]

Originally posted by: Heisenberg

NATO, trying to end the stalemate, put the issue Sunday to its Defense Planning Committee, which excludes France. Paris left NATO's military command structure in the late 1960s and participates only in political, not military, consultations.

So France isn't even part of the military side of NATO anymore and they're trying to block a defensive move? :disgust:

Luckily France doesn't have a vote that means anything in NATO, unlike their vote in the UN Security Council.

They disgust me.

 

[charrison]

Originally posted by: Czar
I think the only condition NATO should have set for more defence for Turkey is that Turkey should take no part in provoking a possible attack.

They asked for assistance in planning, that is all.

 

[conjur]

Originally posted by: murphy55d

Luckily France doesn't have a vote that means anything in NATO, unlike their vote in the UN Security Council.

They disgust me.

This said a lot.

 

[ElFenix]

ummm... aren't they treaty bound to defend turkey?

 

[Tominator]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
ummm... aren't they treaty bound to defend turkey?

Yes they are. This was the very first time a member of the UN has denied resources to defend another member. It also hurts the UN more than anything Bush and the US has done and I cannot understand why it is not headline news.

 

[Tripleshot]

Originally posted by: Tominator

Originally posted by: ElFenix
ummm... aren't they treaty bound to defend turkey?

Yes they are. This was the very first time a member of the UN has denied resources to defend another member. It also hurts the UN more than anything Bush and the US has done and I cannot understand why it is not headline news.

It is.

 

[sandorski]

Turkey isn't under attack, the reason that France objected to these measures was merely to slow down any possible action against Iraq. Nothing more.

 

[Chadder007]

Originally posted by: optoman
Sweet!

Edit: Yep, its all over CNN now. Detail to follow. What is up with the French? Does anyone think they are hiding something that they did with Iraq and don't want the world to find out?

Yeah, they buy Iraq's oil and trade with them.

 

[charrison]

Originally posted by: sandorski
Turkey isn't under attack, the reason that France objected to these measures was merely to slow down any possible action against Iraq. Nothing more.

That is the reason Turkey asked for planning support...

 

[exp]

After France was shut out of the room, two other holdouts - Germany and Belgium - dropped their objections to starting the planning for Turkey's defense immediately, NATO officials said.

Yikes, what a huge mistake by France. Their objection was futile (since there was never any doubt that Turkey would be defended one way or another) and pointless (since purely defensive assistance would hardly have represented a NATO commitment to war) from the very beginning.

It should have been patently obvious to them that obstructionist action in this case would have no consequence other than to weaken NATO and isolate France specifically from their former allies. Now I have to wonder whether the French (and Chirac personally) are allowing their resentment of the U.S. to color their judgment, because this was a very, very stupid move by any standard.

 

[Hammer]

i think france should be expelled from nato

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Why doesn't France want Turkey to be defended??

 

[iwearnosox]

Originally posted by: Jellomancer
Why doesn't France want Turkey to be defended??

Because they've currently got all their resources invested in chicken.

Thank you! Here all the night!

 

[HombrePequeno]

Originally posted by: iwearnosox

Originally posted by: Jellomancer
Why doesn't France want Turkey to be defended??

Because they've currently got all their resources invested in chicken.

Thank you! Here all the night!

That was horrible...




Horribly hilarious!

 

[Piano Man]

Actually, I talked to my professor who recently came over from Turkey, and according to him, he says that about 90% of the people in Turkey support France because they know that if NATO agrees to defend Turkey, that gives Bush-n-Blair one more reason to attack, an no one in Turkey supports that. Today, Turkey will decide if they will allow troops attack from their country. I hope not, but dirty bribes have always won in the past.

 

[exp]

about 90% of the people in Turkey support France because they know that if NATO agrees to defend Turkey, that gives Bush-n-Blair one more reason to attack, an no one in Turkey supports that.

That's because they're idiots (just like the American public).

If Turks paid more attention to the news they would realize that any American attack is going to proceed regardless of France's objections, and they would gladly accept defensive assistance to protect themselves. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that seems like the smart play in this situation.

Yet another example of why we're lucky the unwashed masses don't directly determine foreign policy...

 

[sandorski]

Originally posted by: exp

about 90% of the people in Turkey support France because they know that if NATO agrees to defend Turkey, that gives Bush-n-Blair one more reason to attack, an no one in Turkey supports that.

That's because they're idiots (just like the American public).

If Turks paid more attention to the news they would realize that any American attack is going to proceed regardless of France's objections, and they would gladly accept defensive assistance to protect themselves. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that seems like the smart play in this situation.

Yet another example of why we're lucky the unwashed masses don't directly determine foreign policy...

Lucky unwashed masses, when the determiners of foreign policy get the masses killed as a consequence. Civilians! The New Cannon Fodder!!