President Obama came to office determined to better understand and to listen – especially to Muslim countries previously “neglected” by previous administrations. Now it seems in more ways than one that in the Middle East, the Administration is engaging Turkey using policies and procedures from the Carter-Bush years. Would we ever think to hear such a harsh rebuke from the US telling Turkey to renounce its Anti-Israel stance and charge that Israel was behind recent attacks of Turkish forces by the Kurdish faction in Iraq, the PKK:
Erdogan promised to consider issuing this disavowal but had not done so before his departure[for the G-20]Summit in Toronto] even though high-placed sources in Washington say it would have improved his prospects of seeing the US president and helped ease the frictions between Ankara and Jerusalem. Instead, he was treated to a cold shower from a high-placed US official over Ankara’s turn towards Tehran and its allies and campaign against Israel, instead of the certain prospect of a meeting with US President Barack Obama in Toronto.
Following his tour of the Kurdish-Iraqi front lines Sunday, June 20, the General Staff announced on Friday, June 25, that it will “professionalize the operational military forces serving at the borders in parallel with the process of professionalizing six commando brigades to counter terrorism.”
During that tour, Turkish military leaders warned their prime minister that by snidely accusing Israel – “We all know who is behind PKK attacks” – he is helping the rebel Kurdish Workers Party’s (PKK) cause and encouraging them to redouble their attacks on Turkish troops from their havens in the Qandil Mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan.The US also expressed displeasure at Turkey’s Erdogan for supporting Iran in the issue of the sanctions.
The US] stressed that no intelligence data bore out this accusation and, by dragging Israel into the conflict, Erdogan encouraged the Iraqi Kurdistan president Masoud Barzani to strengthen his military and intelligence ties with Israel and the PKK at the expense of relations with Turkey, when his main objective should be to persuade Barzani to stop giving them sanctuary. [DebkaFile]
This is not a conciliatory move on the part of the Administration to encourage an atmosphere in which Obama and his “legions” cold be able to “better listen.”
To-date, this US tactic has not brought Erdogan to heel but has sent Turkey hurtling toward greater levels of bonding with Iran. Obama cannot hope to reassert US leadership in the Middle East and elsewhere unless it honors its own “change you can believe in” policies.
ON MY WATCH - the writings of SamHenry 
DarcsFalcon
June 28, 2010
I think his handling of anything is ill conceived. He has no clue what he’s doing.
Sheesh, not only would I never trust him with my children, I don’t even trust him with his own either!
samhenry
June 28, 2010
Michelle doesn’t trust him either. That’s why it takes her and her mother to cover all hours and days LOL.