Do you hear war drums?
Silently, onboard a small ferry, the Turkish ambassador to Syria, the archive of the embassy and (excluding the “emergency team” who would continue in Damascus) the entire diplomatic staff arrived in Mersin yesterday, heralding the start of a new period in Turkish-Syrian relations and probably in the civil war continuing in our southern neighbor. Many people, perhaps, would not see it as such but I believe that with Turkish Ambassador Ömer Onhon out of Damascus, the probability of the modern day Lucky Lukeindulging in an aggressive adventure which might trigger its own destruction has come closer.
What’s needed now? A bombardment of some Turkish towns? Or, perhaps an increase in separatist terrorist attacks? Probably a dramatic increase in the number of refugees would be enough to trigger a Turkish intervention as well. But Americans are saying Turkey should stay away from such actions… For now…
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) of Turkey has been rather unhappy with foreign and domestic comments ridiculing its “Syria policy” as an American diktat. Repeatedly, the prime minister as well as his external affairs vizier and pundits in the media, have been stressing that rather than American diktats, Turkey’s Syria policy was guided with Turkey’s own interests, national sensitivities and, indeed, rather than being guided by the international community, it has been trying to persuade everyone to embrace Turkey’s approach. The “chicken or egg” issue is indeed a long and unresolved discussion.
Turkey is upset – as upset as Washington, London or the Paris of Monsieur Nicolas Sarkozy. In this new age of election-year “American disengagement,” it has become fashionable to push forward one or two die-hard allies and have the deadly American might come in as support for the allies rather than be the traditional leading and guiding element of “intervention for the preservation of peace and global order.” Remember what happened in Libya! Was it the Americans or the French and the British who started the carpet-bombing of Libya days after China and Russia were fooled at the Security Council? The French and the British moved in, and the Americans came in as supporting actors in the Libya theater. Was it a comedy or a tragedy? It will take some time to understand, but at least the vandal of Tripoli was ousted.
The situation in Syria is even more confusing. Put aside what should be the name of the play to be staged at the Damascus theater, there is total confusion among the international game setters regarding what, indeed, they want to see in Syria. Obviously the sufferings of the Syrian people have been a great concern. Dozens are losing their lives in violence produced by the rebels armed and encouraged by some passionate-democrat neighboring sheiks and global peace-loving cowboys and a dictator who demonstrated in all clarity his advanced skill in undertaking mercilessly whatever is required to cling on to power.
The “peace-loving” and “benevolent” West led by Washington would, of course, undertake whatever is required to save the Syrians as it has saved other peoples of the region. No one should believe in those claims that the West has been oil-greedy and everything going around is nothing but an effort to consolidate the grip of West on the oil and gas-rich neighborhood. The West has been in the area to save the peoples, not oil or gas.
Why it is more active in oil- and gas-rich areas or on transit routes and less enthusiastic in other areas is, of course, a discussion made by some jerks, that’s all.
What’s that noise in my ears? War drums?