More than half of the cargo that goes into Iraq and Afghanistan goes through this base in Turkey. And 95 percent of the Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protective vehicles go through this base. And Turkey will be so mad if this resolution passes that they may deny U.S. forces access to the base. Yet, it is more important to pass this resolution than to keep our troops as safe as possible in Iraq and Afghanistan by providing them the best staging point for operations all over the Middle East and alienate a critical ally in the region?
I've been extremely disappointed in the weak-kneed, downright spineless efforts by the House to bring about an end to the war in Iraq or to accomplish damn near any other objective, foreign or domestic, that its newly Democrat leadership has set out to do. Bringing forth non-binding resolutions to maybe do this or that if the president inexplicably agrees with them are exercises in futility that just accentuate the waste of space (and tax-payer dollars) that the House of Representatives has become.
However, they have de-evolved from mere wussies to stark-raving idiots with this resolution labeling the killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks during World War I as genocide. Don't get me wrong, I've read up on the subject, and there were undoubtedly major atrocities committed. And I feel bad for the ancestors of the Armenians that were killed nearly a century ago. Worse than for the ancestors of the African Americans this country enslaved for 300 years? No. Worse than for the ancestors of the Native Americans this country slaughtered by the tens (if not hundreds) of thousands in the 18th century? No.
Now, my question is if the House is going to anoint itself historical judgment police for the world by passing a pointless resolution about ancient history that does nothing but seriously piss off one of our precious few Muslim allies, why don't they apply the same criteria to our own history? I'm not aware of any House resolutions condemning slavery or Native American genocide. Perhaps there have been some in the past I'm not aware of, as the House has a rather notorious reputation for irrelevant legislation, so if that is the case I take back the slavery and Native American thing. But I don't recall anything like that.
However, that's not even what I'm mad about.
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http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/10/16/us.base.turkey/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Pentagon is preparing to set up new supply routes for troops in Iraq if Turkey cuts off U.S. access to the strategic Incirlik Air Base, military officials said Tuesday.
Incirlik Air Base, in southern Turkey near Syria, is a major resupply center for U.S. operations in Iraq and elsewhere in the Mideast and Asia.
Lt. Gen. Carter Ham, the director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Pentagon planners are looking at "a broad range of options" to keep food, fuel and ammunition flowing to U.S. troops in Iraq if Turkey blocks Incirlik.
"We're confident that we'll find ways to do that," Ham told reporters at the Pentagon. "There's likely to be some increased cost and some other implications for that, and obviously we'd prefer to maintain the access that we have."
The Turks are threatening to cut off access to Incirlik if the U.S. House of Representatives adopts a resolution labeling as genocide the killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks during World War I.
Turkey, a longtime U.S. ally and NATO partner, is incensed by the resolution. Ankara acknowledges the killings of Armenians during World War I but vehemently objects to saying the Armenians were victims of genocide.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee last week adopted the nonbinding resolution. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she will bring the measure to a vote of the full House sometime next month. But the Bush administration has urged Congress to drop the issue, and some leading Democrats have urged Pelosi not to bring the resolution to the floor.
Democratic Rep. Ike Skelton, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, announced his opposition last week.
And Democratic Reps. Alcee Hastings of Florida and John Tanner of Tennessee, both members of the U.S. House delegation to NATO, urged Pelosi to reconsider in a letter released Tuesday.
"More than half of the cargo flown into Iraq and Afghanistan comes through Incirlik Air Base, and this base would be a key component of any plans for redeployment of our troops in the future," they wrote.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates echoed those concerns last week.
"About 70 percent of all air cargo going into Iraq goes through Turkey. ... About a third of the fuel that they consume goes through Turkey or comes from Turkey," he said.
Gates also said that 95 percent of the Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protective vehicles, or MRAPs, being deployed in Iraq are flown through Turkey. The vehicles are built to withstand roadside bombs.
The U.S. military issued a "warning order" a few days ago to ensure that alternative air crews, planes, fuel and routes are lined up if Turkey stops or restricts U.S. access to Incirlik, a source said.
Jordan and Kuwait are among the countries where the United States is seeking alternatives.
The Bush administration urged Congress to drop the genocide measure.
Besides loss of base access, the United States and Iraq fear a genocide resolution would make a Turkish military incursion against Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq more likely. Turkish action could further complicate Iraqi stability, U.S. officials said.
Incirlik offers 10,000- and 9,000-foot runways and 57 hardened aircraft shelters, according Globalsecurity.org, a source of background information about military issues.
Globalsecurity said Incirlik has become a hub for cargo shipments into Iraq, taking over for Rhein-Main Air Base in Germany because it is closer to Iraq, reducing the strain on troops and aircraft.
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So let me get this straight: More than half of the cargo that goes into Iraq and Afghanistan goes through this base in Turkey. And 95 percent of the Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protective vehicles go through this base. And Turkey will be so mad if this resolution passes that they may deny U.S. forces access to the base. Yet, it is more important to pass this resolution than to keep our troops as safe as possible in Iraq and Afghanistan by providing them the best staging point for operations all over the Middle East and alienate a critical ally in the region?
WHAT IN THE HELL ARE THESE PEOPLE SMOKING? AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, PLEASE SEND ME SOME.
Is this the Democrat strategy for getting out of Iraq? Depriving our troops vital bases of operation and, potentially, putting their lives at greater risk? And that is different from cutting funding for the Iraq war how? Seems a great deal worse, given that a good portion of the equipment is earmarked for Afghanistan. Not to mention that, given the situation, pissing off Turkey doesn't seem like a particularly good idea right now. In fact, given they're so touchy about the Armenian subject, and that they're such an important ally in a nasty neighborhood, I can't imagine a House resolution like this would EVER be a good idea.
From what I understand, the Armenian-American lobby has been putting a lot of pressure on House members to pass this resolution. Okay, I understand the power of lobbies. But I do have to ask: WHO IN THE HELL IS THE ARMENIAN-AMERICAN LOBBY? Granted, they provide us with delicious lavish, basturma, dolma, and sudjukh. But is getting to eat sudjukh only once a decade rather than once every five years worth jeopardizing our relationship with Turkey?
I can't blame the House for Putin schmoozing with President Scrabble of Iran. This missile defense thing for Europe is an incredibly stupid idea that everybody in the world (other than us) is worried about. But it seems we're flying blind at this point — and that includes both sides of the aisle.