With a U.S. Nod, Turkey Says It Won't Send Force to Iraq [new york times]

[truthisfreedom]

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/08/international/middleeast/08TURK.html?ex=1068872400&en=9220027f16fc2877&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE


With a U.S. Nod, Turkey Says It Won't Send Force to Iraq


By DAVID E. SANGER

Published: November 8, 2003

ASHINGTON, Nov. 7 — With the quiet blessings of the White House, Turkey said Friday that it was withdrawing its offer to deploy troops to help stabilize Iraq. The decision ended a lengthy and almost entirely futile effort by the Bush administration to solicit large numbers of foreign troops to bolster the American presence.

With the announcement, the administration's effort, presented by the president in early September, appears to be close to a complete failure. India and Pakistan both have declined, at least for the time being. South Korea has said it may be willing, but is concerned about reducing its own troop levels at a moment of heightened tension with North Korea. Japan has approved sending some troops for noncombat missions, but has yet to deploy them.

There are 24,000 non-American troops in Iraq, but almost half of them are British, and few countries have agreed in recent months to join the effort.

Turkey's decision was conveyed to the administration in a telephone call Thursday evening between Secretary of State Colin L. Powell and the Turkish foreign minister, Abdullah Gul. It appears that in the conversation, Mr. Powell gave Mr. Gul an easy way out, perhaps reflecting second thoughts within the administration about the advisability of asking for Turkey's help. "The secretary said that given the situation, given the sensitivities involved, maybe it's not the time," Richard A. Boucher, the State Department spokesman, said on Friday.

<snip>

[truthisfreedom]

1. this is a good thing.

Turks are not welcome in the North, and didn't want to be deployed in the south. it puts further pressure on bushco to negotiate realistically with Europe and to get our kids out of there, and reduces the potential for even more infighting.

[TahitiNut]

2. duplicate

See http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=205506

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TahitiNut - DU moderator