All eyes are on Iraq these days, but conventional wisdom holds it's just the first step of the Bush administration's larger push to gain hegemony over the international oil and gas industry. Two factors could stand in the way of the U.S. grand plan though: Central Asia and Europe. A microcosm of this battle is quietly being fought now in Turkey, and in many ways the outcome could determine the future of the entire region.
Turkey enjoys a uniquely strategic geographical position, smack at the crossroads of Asia, Africa and Europe; more importantly for the Bush administration, Turkey borders Iraq. Speaking in Ankara recently, U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said, "Obviously if we are going to have significant ground forces in the north (of Iraq), this is the country they have to come through. There is no other option." And it's clear the U.S. aims for more than simply carrying out air-strikes from Turkish bases, as it did during the 1991 Gulf War. This time, the Pentagon wants to dig in deeper, using Turkey as a staging area for ground attacks into Iraq, and potentially beyond.
Turkey's central role in an attack on Iraq goes a long way in explaining the massive U.S. military build-up currently taking place in southern Turkey. http://216.26.163.62/2002/ss_turkey_12_15.html
Turkey enjoys a uniquely strategic geographical position, smack at the crossroads of Asia, Africa and Europe; more importantly for the Bush administration, Turkey borders Iraq. Speaking in Ankara recently, U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz said, "Obviously if we are going to have significant ground forces in the north (of Iraq), this is the country they have to come through. There is no other option." And it's clear the U.S. aims for more than simply carrying out air-strikes from Turkish bases, as it did during the 1991 Gulf War. This time, the Pentagon wants to dig in deeper, using Turkey as a staging area for ground attacks into Iraq, and potentially beyond.
Turkey's central role in an attack on Iraq goes a long way in explaining the massive U.S. military build-up currently taking place in southern Turkey. http://216.26.163.62/2002/ss_turkey_12_15.html