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The Grand Turk
U.S. to send troops, Patriot missiles to Turkey
2012-12-14
Foreign policy by The Smartest Man in the Room. Y'know, Jimmy Carter would never have done that when he was president...
The United States gave the go-ahead Friday to deploy Patriot anti-ballistic missiles to Turkey along with enough troops to operate them as the heavily embattled government in neighboring Syria again vehemently denied firing ballistic missiles at rebels.

The United States has accused Damascus of launching Scud-type artillery from the capital at rebels in the country's north. One Washington official said missiles came close to the border of Turkey, a NATO member and staunch U.S. ally.

Syria's government called the accusations "untrue rumors" Friday, according to state news agency SANA. Damascus accused Turkey and its partners of instigating rumors to make the government look bad internationally.

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta signed the order while en route to Turkey to send two Patriot missile batteries and 400 U.S. troops to operate them. The surface-to-air interceptors will help in "dealing with threats that come out of Syria," Panetta said after landing at Incirlik Air Base, a U.S. Air Force installation about 80 miles from Syria's border.

Panetta was unconcerned about possible reactions from Damascus to the Patriot deployment. "We can't spend a lot of time worrying about whether that pisses off Syria," he said, adamant that helping Turkey was the priority.

Panetta did say he was worried what Bashar al-Assad's government may do if it feels it is near collapse.
Posted by:tipper

#12  Unless you can prove that Turkey really is sitting in the damn refrigerator, minding their own business, all the treaty really serves to do is to outsource our foreign policy to the really really stupid.

It doesn't change the facts that the treaty still exists and that a member nation can request assistance if it has been attacked or can prove that there's a threat. I'm not defending the decision - it's questionable. But I wouldn't call it "stupid".
Posted by: Pappy   2012-12-14 22:30  

#11  "outsource our foreign policy to the really really stupid"

That ain't outsourcing, Thing - that our own Administration. >:-(
Posted by: Barbara   2012-12-14 21:26  

#10  Unless you can prove that Turkey really is sitting in the damn refrigerator, minding their own business, all the treaty really serves to do is to outsource our foreign policy to the really really stupid.
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain   2012-12-14 21:24  

#9  Ok. End the freaking treaty.
Posted by: Kelly   2012-12-14 19:48  

#8  Both stoopid

It's called 'NATO'. Try to wrap your tiny minds around that. The same treaty clauses that allow the UK to call for assistance also allows the Turks to do so.

If you don't like it, demand that the treaty be ended.
Posted by: Pappy   2012-12-14 19:42  

#7  Obumble is no better boosh

Both stoopid

That is why the shit has hit the fan over the last decade
Posted by: Albert 1916 or 06   2012-12-14 17:26  

#6  Well, at least it's not Gook weapons to Mugabe, does that happen? Fuckin half-wits.....
Posted by: Solomon Protector of the Texans5923   2012-12-14 16:04  

#5  We're not 'stuck on stupid'. 'Stupid' is whizzing by as we dig ourselves deeper than stupid at a furious pace.
If we were stuck on stupid we would at least stop getting 'stupider'....
Posted by: CrazyFool   2012-12-14 11:31  

#4  Presumably, the troops are to operate the missiles. At least we're not handing them the system and saying "Have fun! Sell them to whoever you want!"
Posted by: Muggsy Mussolini1226   2012-12-14 11:22  

#3  #1 I can't help but wonder if we're stuck on stupid You can put your wonder aside.
Posted by: JohnQC   2012-12-14 10:56  

#2  With Obumble as pres, Yup.
Posted by: Redneck Jim   2012-12-14 10:26  

#1  I can't help but wonder if we're stuck on stupid for the next four years.
Posted by: Thing From Snowy Mountain   2012-12-14 10:23