NATO

[MarijuanaClock]

Pressident Bush called on NATO to move troops to "defend" Turkey. France, Germany and Belgium said no. I'm glad someone said did. NATO is there for defense of its' member nations. NATO is not there to provoke war with Iraq.

NATO is still commited to Turkey's defense, if Turkey is attacked. However, Iraq will not not attack Turkey unless it is attacked, and that will only happen if America makes a play for the oil.

At anyrate Pressident Bush will have to find another pupet!(Other then Tony Blair that is.)

[karasz]

The main purpose of this is Turkey is scared of their Kurdish population.

About 26 million Kurds live in Southeast Turkey, northern Iraq and northwest Iran... they are currently the largest group of people without their own country...

Sadly after the US attacks Iraq the Kurds still wont have their own country.

[Ted-Easton]

Canada should invade Turkey.
It'd be the perfect move.
Canada lays low for 150 years, then suddenly shows up on the other side of the world saying, "This is ours now."

[MarijuanaClock]

At 2/12/03 07:16 AM, Ted_Easton wrote: Canada should invade Turkey.
It'd be the perfect move.
Canada lays low for 150 years, then suddenly shows up on the other side of the world saying, "This is ours now."

Hahahahaha!

[DrNatchKilder]

At 2/11/03 10:04 PM, MarijuanaClock wrote: At anyrate Pressident Bush will have to find another pupet!(Other then Tony Blair that is.)

Oh well, he has found one. Our estimated president of Spain Jose Maria Aznar. He is a puppet and only does what Bush wants, no more. We think that our friend aznar has fallen in love with bush, as more than the 90% are against the war.

[utopio]

im afraid :( i know someone that atached another country withou the nations league (nato antecedent) he was hitler, must bush be the new hitler, blair the new mussolini and aznar the new franco? i hope no. but...
were is the democracy when the president don´t representate the country opinion? were is the security when your neighbours are atached without mercy cause of his natural recurses? is this the new face of the colonialism? i hope no
is this only a nigthmare? i hope yes

[Raptorman]

At 2/11/03 10:04 PM, MarijuanaClock wrote: Pressident Bush called on NATO to move troops to "defend" Turkey. France, Germany and Belgium said no. I'm glad someone said did. NATO is there for defense of its' member nations. NATO is not there to provoke war with Iraq.

Turkey was the nation that called for activation of the "Mutual Defense" clause of title 4 of the NATO pact. For NATO to act officially, it requires a unanimous vote. The vote was 3 against, (Germany, France, Belgium), 16 for (the rest of the frikin' continent). The attempt by the Franco-German alliance to present any kind of unified front has once again been thwarted by all the other countries insisting on being heard also.

The evidence presented to the UN was so damming, 10 Eastern European countries, 5 of whom are scheduled to join NATO next year, that they would "stand together to face the threat of terrorists and dictators". Even France (never a steadfast ally) is now hedging its bets by sending the Charles de Gaulle carrier group to the region leaving Germany in the uncomfortable position of being the only power in Europe to take a firm stand against action in Iraq.

Europe knows that while they pride themselves on "friendly persuasion" and "civilian power", they need to have American will and muscle to back it up. Witness the events in Kosovo and Bosnia for examples of this. America has a strong hold on world affairs but this new Rome needs to learn the lessons of the old one, to lead is to heed.

[Slizor]

Turkey was the nation that called for activation of the "Mutual Defense" clause of title 4 of the NATO pact. For NATO to act officially, it requires a unanimous vote. The vote was 3 against, (Germany, France, Belgium), 16 for (the rest of the frikin' continent). The attempt by the Franco-German alliance to present any kind of unified front has once again been thwarted by all the other countries insisting on being heard also.

How were they thwarted? They got what they want and sent ripples through the world and the media.

The evidence presented to the UN was so damming, 10 Eastern European countries, 5 of whom are scheduled to join NATO next year, that they would "stand together to face the threat of terrorists and dictators". Even France (never a steadfast ally) is now hedging its bets by sending the Charles de Gaulle carrier group to the region leaving Germany in the uncomfortable position of being the only power in Europe to take a firm stand against action in Iraq.

That's one interpretation...A different, but equally plausable explaination is that the French want to show their power and will not be ignored, so have decided to take a stand and if they fail will join in on an attack.

[Dig-the-Man]

NATO is useless if cannot defend her allies.

That's the whole point of NATO and alliances of the same sort... deterrence from other nations using force. That's the essence of NATO, and if it cannot a) deter or b) defend it's allies than it is useless and should be scrapped OR just kick out France and Germany.