Dick Cheney’s Turkey Talk

Rick Perry apparently won the award at last night’s GOP Reality Show for most belligerent, ill-considered comment, calling to kick Turkey out of NATO because it had ties to Islamic terrorists.

And while it doesn’t have the same utter lack of caution, I’ve always wondered why this passage from Dick Cheney’s autobiographical novel never attracted more attention:

I think we failed to understand the magnitude of the shift that was taking place in Turkey. The significance of an Islamic government taking power in one of America’s most important NATO allies was in a sense obscured because of all the other challenges we faced. Today, Turkey appears to be in the middle of a dangerous transition from a key NATO ally to an Islamist-governed nation developing close ties with countries like Iran and Syria at the expense of its relations with the United States and Israel. (379)

Sure, PapaDick didn’t call them terrorists–not explicitly. But when I read this I thought the subtext was just as shocking as what Rick Perry said last night.

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14 replies
  1. Turk says:

    Then explain:

    – Turkey trying to oust Assad since the Syrian uprising.
    – Turkey installing a radarshield against Iran.

    wow they are really cozing up with the axis of evil.

  2. PeasantParty says:

    Those damned Stalinist NeoCon, War Profiteers; always looking for another country to usurp and occupy!

    More corporate policy making for profits.

  3. PeasantParty says:

    @Turk: Maybe he could give us all the details if we waterboarded him. Ya know, that is the only thing in his mind that will get to the truth.

  4. Bob Schacht says:

    The Neo-cons still think of terrorism as a cloak for hiding their Great War against Islam– the modern equivalent of the Crusades. They are thinking of Turkey in the same language of the NDAA and AUMF, which authorizes us to indefinitely detain anyone offering aid or comfort to terrorists or even friends of terrorists.

    Bob in AZ

  5. rugger9 says:

    It does bring into focus just how mindless they are about Muslims.

    Turkey has been secular since the Sultan was ousted in the 1910s, and that concept was solidified by Kemal Ataturk. They have been bad players [Armenia], but since they have joined NATO they have even gotten along with the Greeks, and that’s saying something. They also made a serious effort to join the Eurozone during Darth’s presidency, provided logistics for OIF, been a key bulwark against the Russian [directly and via the Montreux Convention limiting naval access], so his claim in the book fails on multiple levels because of the continuing efforts by Turkey to think regionally.

    What I think this really might be about is that Turkey is trying to supply Gaza, and has a continuing bone to pick over the Israeli attack on the aid flotilla last year. Turkey might be playing the NATO card, as they have earned that right, and the AIPAC neocon cabal needs to find a way to spike that claim. Screams of “terrorism” resonate well with the flying monkeys and Foxbots, and they’re too stupid to know their history.

  6. rugger9 says:

    Halliburton has ties to Islamic terrorists as well as conducting business with Iran in violation of the law [via shell companies, of course].

  7. rosalind says:

    (ot: for L.A. folk, next Wed. 1/25 Jason Leopold will be in conversation with Glen L. Carle about his book “The Interrogator” and his time in the CIA. event info here.)

  8. earlofhuntingdon says:

    Does the world have more to fear from a politician that asserts its allegiance to the faith of a camel driver or to one who asserts its belief in the godhood of a Mediterranean peasant village Jew? I suggest that violent extremism is not limited to a single race, color or creed.

  9. Gitcheegumee says:

    Every time Turkey and Cheney are mentioned together,I think of the Caspian Sea,and Cheney’s secret energy plan.

    i also think of Pepe Escobar’s Pipelanistan series of articles-“The Great Game Revisited” from 3 years ago. Prescient

    Asia Times Online :: China News, China Business News, Taiwanwww.atimes.com/atimes/China/KG26Ad02.html

    Jul 26, 2009 – NEW GREAT GAME REVISITED, Part 2. Iran, China and the New Silk Road By Pepe Escobar Part 1: Iran and Russia, scorpions in a bottle …

    Asia Times Online :: Middle East News, Iraq, Iran current affairs
    http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/KG25Ak03.html

    Jul 25, 2009 – NEW GREAT GAME REVISITED, Part 1. Iran and Russia, scorpions in a bottle. By Pepe Escobar HONG KONG – Things get curiouser and …

  10. Gitcheegumee says:

    @rugger9:

    Speaking of Halliburton(who is headquartered in Dubai),did you by chance see this?

    Saudi Arabia, China Ink Nuke Cooperation Deal

    RTT News‎ – 1 day ago

    (RTTNews) – The world’s biggest oil exporter, Saudi Arabia has signed an agreement with China for cooperation in the development and use of atomic energy …
    1347 related articles————–

    China, Saudi ink energy deals during Wen visit

    Economic Times‎ – 1711 related articles

    (According to the article,the deal was inked on Sunday.)

  11. matt carmody says:

    Might do folks some good to really know our history with Turkey by reading Sibel Edmonds deposition at Brad Blog and her reports that during her time working for the FBI, there was a Turkish spy ring extant within her section and her superiors blew her off. She went to the senate with her allegations and was subsequently fired by the fibbies and silenced under the state secrets act.
    Her allegations were later corroborated after an FBI investigation but she’s still being silenced.
    And by the way, Dennis Hastert was tied into the spy ring.

  12. rugger9 says:

    @Gitcheegumee: #11
    It tells us who is going to win at the end.

    And, I’m not surprised that the PRC is stepping in. Sinopec is their state monopoly, and they have issues as well.

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