I can't blame the Turks too much, but we have bigger problems than Turkey's terrorism problem to worry about. I don't want Turkey to complicate things right now and harm our war effort.
But Turkey is ready to roll:
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that Turkey would not be deterred by the possible diplomatic consequences if it decides to stage a cross-border offensive into Iraq against Kurdish rebels.
And what might give them the extra nudge to ignore our requests to hold back?
Analysts say Turkey could be less restrained about defying the United States because of a congressional committee's approval of a resolution labeling the mass killings of Armenians around the time of World War I as genocide.
"Democrats are harming the future of the United States and are encouraging anti-American sentiments," Erdogan said. Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives support the resolution.
For a party that has suddenly discovered the joys of foreign policy realism, this is a shockingly idealistic notion. Mind you, the Turks shouldn't be this sensitive about this issue. But they are. And these are critical times in the region. So we have to deal with it.
Oh wait, it isn't idealism, either. It's about Armenian-American voters who understandably feel very strongly about this issue.
For Congressinal leaders, it's Realpolitik in the most important war there is in their view--the war to control Congress itself.
