At The Time Of Writing, France, Belgium and Germany have declared their intent to stand aside from the United States-led coalition against Iraq. However the matter may be resolved, the intensity of the dispute underscores a growing separation between Germany-France on one hand and the United States-Britain on the other. The immediate cause of disagreement involves sending NATO forces to Turkey, a fellow member of NATO.
Problem centered on Turkey
The United States was already having problems with Turkish cooperation in the build-up against Iraq. Turkey sits immediately to the north of Iraq and controls the headwaters of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, two important water sources for Iraq. As well, a military attack could conveniently be launched from within Turkey from where strategic Iraqi targets are within easy striking distance. As a result, the United States’ military command requested of Turkey permission to station some 80,000 troops near the country’s 400-kilometer border with Iraq. Much to the frustration of United States’ officials, Turkey has been sending back mixed signals. While the United States was waiting for an answer, Turkey’s Foreign Minister, Yasar Yakis, hosted the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Iran and Syria at a summit in Turkey to discuss ways to avert a war with Iraq.
On February 6, 2003, the United States received a partial answer. In a parliamentary vote as reported in the Toronto Star: “Turkey allowed the United States to begin upgrading military bases and ports in Turkey.” A final vote will take place on February 18, 2003, to determine whether or not Turkey will allow the troops to use the bases.
Turkey, which is in the midst of a financial crisis, saw its economy shrink by 9.4 percent in the past twelve months. It should be noted that this country is a reluctant participant against Iraq because, prior to the 1991 Persian Gulf War, Iraq was Turkey’s second-largest trading partner, after Germany. Since then, that trade has dried up almost completely, with Turkey estimating it has lost some $40 billion in trade.
The Toronto Star reported, “Recent surveys here found close to 90 per cent of Turks did not support allowing the U.S. to use Turkish bases in a war against Iraq.”
On February 10, 2003, the stakes were raised when France, Germany and Belgium blocked a plan to boost Turkish defenses in case of a United States-led war on Iraq. The three NATO rebels, trying to slow the rush to war, say moves to defend Turkey would signal that a conflict had begun.
Turkey promptly invoked NATO’s founding treaty to seek consultations for the defense of its territory. The ante was then increased as the new supreme commander for American forces in Europe, General James L. Jones, declared the United States is “considering a plan to scale back the presence of American troops in Germany in favor of lighter, more mobile units that could jump from country to country on a moment’s notice, according to congressional officials who were briefed on the proposal” (from the New York Times).
Saudi Arabia
The New York Times reported on February 8: “Saudi Arabia’s leaders have made far-reaching decisions to prepare for an era of military disengagement from the United States, to enact what Saudi officials call the first significant democratic reforms at home, and to rein in the conservative clergy who have shared power in the kingdom… But these princes say Crown Prince Abdullah will ask President Bush to withdraw all American armed forces from the kingdom as soon as the campaign to disarm Iraq has concluded.”
Saudi officials said the departure of American soldiers would set the stage for an announcement that Saudis — but probably not women, at least initially — would begin electing representatives to provincial assemblies and then to a national assembly.
The prince added, “After the last shot is fired in Iraq, it will be a good time to say that we have won, and that we both agree there is no longer any need for American forces.” But he said that “the real politics of this is to win the hearts and minds of a majority of the people” in Saudi Arabia, adding, “That is the way to really fight terrorism and the bad guys.”
Circumstances are very fluid at the moment, and we look to see how alignments will eventually arrange themselves as the coming of the Lord draws near.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One