Darth Spencer says: Welcome to the dark side
"Ahmadinejad got something just as valuable: a chance to spin his own image, court popularity and bash the United States and Israel."
Courtesy our friend and ally, Turkey.
"Then, as he left the mosque, Ahmadinejad got out of his car to encourage a crowd of about 300 to chant, 'Death to Israel! Death to America!'"
Courtesy our friend and ally, Turkey.
Islamization of Turkey Update: "Turkey bows to the dark side: Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit is a sign that the West can no longer take Turkey for granted as a staunch ally against Iran," by Soner Cagaptay in the Los Angeles Times, August 19 (thanks to Banafsheh Zand-Bonazzi):
ISTANBUL, TURKEY -- Praying in Istanbul's Blue Mosque on Friday, I witnessed firsthand Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's international publicity coup.Ahmadinejad's visit produced little in terms of substantive policy; the signing of a multibillion-dollar natural gas pipeline deal was put off. But Ahmadinejad got something just as valuable: a chance to spin his own image, court popularity and bash the United States and Israel.
I've long been fond of the Blue Mosque because it is where, many years ago, I attended my first Friday prayers. Last Friday, though, I felt uncomfortable in the prayer hall, where I found myself in front of God but next to Ahmadinejad, who turned the ritual into a political show.
Departing from established practice of having visiting Muslim heads of state pray in a smaller mosque in Istanbul, the government allowed Ahmadinejad to pray in the Blue Mosque, Turkey's symbol of tolerant Ottoman Islam. With permission from Turkish authorities, he also allowed Iranian television to videotape him during the entire prayer, in violation of Islamic tradition, which requires quiet and intimate communion between God and the faithful. There was so much commotion around Ahmadinejad that the imam had to chide the congregants. Then, as he left the mosque, Ahmadinejad got out of his car to encourage a crowd of about 300 to chant, "Death to Israel! Death to America!"
Even without this behavior, any visit from a leader representing an authoritarian, anti-Western autocracy would have created controversy in Turkey just a few years ago. Not today. The ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, government not only opened the Blue Mosque to Ahmadinejad but accommodated his refusal to pay respects at the mausoleum of Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern, secular Turkey -- a major violation of protocol for an official visit.
[...]
Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan asked the Turkish public to ignore the snub and instead "focus on the big picture." It is the "big picture," though, that is most disconcerting. By extending an invitation to Ahmadinejad, the first such move by any NATO or European Union member country, Turkey has broken ranks with the West. The West can no longer take Turkey for granted as a staunch ally against Tehran.
Only a day to two prior to our invasion of Iraq, Turkey withdrew it’s agreement to allow us to stage troops out of Turkey. This did not allow enough time for our division that was in Turkey to re-deploy into a useful position for the initial phase of the war. Can’t tell me that they did not know this. This act was a material assist for our enemy, and placed our troops at additional risk. It will be a long time before I forgive and forget this.
The ruling Justice and Development Party, or AKP, government not only opened the Blue Mosque to Ahmadinejad but accommodated his refusal to pay respects at the mausoleum of Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern, secular Turkey -- a major violation of protocol for an official visit.
And who says Shia and Sunni can't get along? Here we have another instance where both show us openly and unabashedly that they have the same goal. Should anyone believe that Ahmadinejad's exhortations to the crowd were unplanned and didn't have at least a degree of approval from the AKP?
The Kemalists don't run Turkey anymore and the people don't want them, or else Erdogan's party would not be in power. The Army considers itself the guardian of Turkey's secular identity? Well, where is it?
Absence of evidence should be taken by all Westerners as evidence of absence. A pro-Western majority cannot be counted upon. There's no way of knowing it even exists unless and until it makes its voice heard.
One thing to worry about: will this friendship with Iran mean the Turks are willing to provide Iran classified information regarding NATO and American military capability? You don't have to be a member of the armed forces to be a spy or a traitor. Turkey's much ballyhooed alliance with the West may turn out to have been a dalliance instead.
"The West can no longer take Turkey for granted as a staunch ally against Tehran."
Was Turkey ever a staunch ally? Or were they cooperating just enough to get considered for the EU?
So, this begs the following questions:
1) What muslim countries can be counted on as staunch allies to the US?
2) After all the expenditure of US blood and dollars, how long will it take before the propped up government in Iraq goes the way of Turkey?
I have this recurring fantasy where a woman, buried up to her middle is about to be stoned and as the mullah gives the order to let fly the rocks, everyone turns on the mullahs and police and stone them to death, instead. And now I have this fantasy where Ahmadinejad is chanting, Death to America! Death to Israel, and one person, then another and then another begin to chant Death to Ahmadinejad, and he, girly man that he is, runs for his life amid a hail storm of stones.
Oh well. A girl can dream, can't she?
Hmm.
No.
Robert looks so incredibly menacing...gives one an entirely different perspective of our fearless leader.
Gee, if Ahmadinejad's visit to Turkey shows that we can't count on Turkey, what must we conclude from his visit to Iraq back in March?
Our family in Lebanon (Maronites) still speak of the "iron fisted rule of the Ottomans...".
Nice photoshop, now we know what Robert's Halloween costume will be!
Remember the Armenians...........the Turks don't.
Imamadman should be wearing that Darth Vader get-up, add a pitchfork and a straightjacket.
Guess we don't need to ask what Imamadman prayed for during his 'televised' visit to the mosque: Death to Israel, Death to America. The devil never tires of evil prayers like that, but God certainly won't heed his request; and I can't think of a more fitting place than a mosque to make a total mockery out of religion & God.
Was Turkey ever a staunch ally? Or were they cooperating just enough to get considered for the EU?
Posted by: tjhawk
They were a staunch ally in the early days of the Cold War and probably for all the time they were ruled by the military. Maybe they figure the alliance with the US is not as vital as it once was.
The desire to be considered for EU membership made them pull away from the US, as in Iraq.
Their aboutface on the eve of the war was seen as a gesture to Europe, which opposed the invasion.
http://www.stratfor.com/analysis/turkey_re_evaluating_u_s_alliance
With that sort of anti-Israel/Anti-American/Anti-west rhetoric I guess it can't be too long before our craven rulers give Turkey entrance to the EU.
The west needs to stop appeasing and start standing up for itself, before it's too late.
On the bright side, the tiny state of Israel is prepared to bomb Iran's nuclear facilities if it creates nuclear weapons. Why is it that a tiny state surrounded by hate filled fascists can stand up to these people but we can't?
If Spencer is Darth Vader, who is the Emperor/Darth Sidious?
DaveMate,
Turkey's entrance into the EU is going to be a moot issue within a few decades anyway; the EU is on the fast track to becoming Eurabia. The demographic assualt on Europe continues unabated. The last number I saw was 27 million muslims in Europe and growing ... like, as Mark Steyn puts it, ... mosquitos.
As to your second point:
"On the bright side, the tiny state of Israel is prepared to bomb Iran's nuclear facilities if it creates nuclear weapons. Why is it that a tiny state surrounded by hate filled fascists can stand up to these people but we can't?"
That point is definitely well taken, and imminent ... check this out:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1219913194872&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Some five years ago I heard Daniel Pipes give a speech in Philadelphia. In the course of his presentation he gave a very specific example of how secularized the Turkish military was. He noted that were a brother of a Turkish officer (N.B., not the officer himself) to make the pilgrimage to Mecca, the Turkish officer would be dimissed from the military. I would like to think this is still the case but I have my doubts that it is.
Annakinejad Skywanker should be in that black suit. That would have been more appropriate. Maybe Erdogan is Senator Palplatrine?
Turkey has broken ranks with the West...
And that is surprising? It's a Muslim country and, as the Qur'an says, Muslims owe their loyalty only to other Muslims.
Turkey has never been part of the West, and never will be - even if it joins the EU.
Another proof that Muslims and Islam cannot be trusted. Deception is just another way to spell Islam