Meijing, there is one reason & one reason only those Turkish troops are massing at Turkey’s southern border. According to Turkish diplomats, they are preparing a defense against possible incursion by “Iraqi” troops. What they are really saying is they are afraid of possible incursion by KURDISH troops from northern Iraq, since Kurds there are actively aiding the Coalition, the US supports Kurdish activities there, and I would presume that there is a fear on the part of Turkey that given their obstruction of active support to the Coalition for such an extended period of time, the US might turn a blind eye to Kurdish incursions. Turks have a long history of hatred & oppression of ethnic Kurds, so this to them must seem a very real threat.
Therefore a Turkish advance into northern Iraq would be an EXTREMELY BAD thing for the Coalition.
@cystic:
Useless as i believe the methods and messages of the protesters are, i do not make the connection between telling a gov’t to not wage war against another country, and wishing for nothing to be done, or having a responsibility to help following the conflict. This is why i questioned your remarks
I think it should be obvious by now that should we be unwilling to wage war on Saddam Hussein’s regime, that would be tantamount to admitting we can/will do nothing about his brutality & possible banned weapons development. That is because every small concession Iraq has made toward disarming since the Gulf War has been under the threat or after the execution of attacks on its territory. In other words, violence is all Hussein responds to!
I’m sure that many anti-war protesters will certainly assist in aiding the Iraqi people through Red Cross & other humanitarian organizations. That I don’t think is the issue. The issue is whether the people of Iraq are better served by having Hussein ousted via military means–hopefully as swift & conscientious as recent events have suggested it could be–or by further endless embargoes & sanctions that do nothing but strengthen the regime. I think the answer is obvious…
Now the REAL issue vis-a-vis the protests is really the question of GW Bush PERSONALLY: that is his tenuous claim to the Presidency (when the majority of Americans did not vote for him & the shady means by which he won); his “Dirty Harry-style” foreign policy; and the visceral, irrational & pathological hatred many liberals have for him. The latter is extremely reminiscent of the right-wing hatred of Bill Clinton. I opposed that, & I oppose the current movement against Bush.
What I REALLY oppose however is the LIE that these people are only concerned about the welfare of the Iraqi people. Since clearly the war is being conducted in the most humane, precise way possible; that American troops are probably risking themselves more because of their efforts to protect civilians; that Iraq will clearly be better off after Saddam is ousted & a more representative government–one where Shiites & Kurds, who are helping us & who clearly want the regime gone, have a say–is established; that UN economic sanctions after the war will be lifted and badly needed–and delayed–humanitarian supplies including food & medicine will be provided; take all this into account & you see that realistically speaking, the protests are not about the welfare of the people of Iraq at all…
They are about the narrow political interests of the extreme left.
How do I know? I am a Democrat who lives in Northern California & all of my friends (including my girlfriend, bless her heart) are in total opposition to the war. Most of the communities around me are expressing their deep dislike of the current situation as well. Believe me, I have had an opportunity to listen to the views of the left-wingers around me, many of whom have been involved & even arrested in the course of the SF protests. My analysis has been that these people oppose GEORGE W. BUSH & HIS GOVERNMENT ALONE; that due to the internal weakness of the Democratic Party that they feel their voices have not been heard & won’t be thru normal channels; and that they oppose GW’s ultra-hawkish foreign policy. That they CARE about the Iraqi people is true–that they are realistic about it & believe that peace is really the best thing for them: that is a SHAM. The Iraqi people have simply become the pawn by which the ultra-left hope to accomplish the narrow agenda of eliminating GW Bush. In a sick way, many on the ultra-left WANT to see more US & Iraqi casualties in order so that “more people will see the wrongness of GW Bush’s actions”.
Keep in mind these people are my FRIENDS and the war has created a terrible divide between us.
Ozone27