-----Original Message-----
Subject: Chinese warplanes make Mid East debut in Turkey and Iran
Dear Friends,
As predicted, right after Obama's Cairo speech, Chinese military involvement with Turkey and Iran, is yet another outcome given Obama's reckless foreign policy, putting emphasis on ideological commitments to his mentors rather than real-politics, as in the case of wishing to shatter Israel's security foundations by establishing a non-viable Palestinian state, in addition to the Palestinian Kingdom of Jordan, neglecting the fact America is losing its deterrence, because predators sensed there is no president in the White House.
Foreign affairs conduct, is just a copycat of Obama's reckless conduct vis-à-vis internal affairs, as in the case of 'health insurance'. Would Obama have waited until US economy stabilizes and only then go for such ideological commitment, following his mother's death at an early age, there could have been an objective discussion about the necessity and feasibility of such major reform.
Putting the carriage in front of the horses though, brought about the dire condition US economy faces presently, suffering from disproportional government expenditures, which could have been postponed to better times.
The problem with Obama seems to be his perception of himself as a one term president, ensuing harsh and sometimes reckless decision-making procedures, which brought about an unprecedented friction between US rival parties, on the one hand and breaking all codes of presidential conducts, on the other hand, or as the saying goes: "Haste makes waste".
Zeev
Chinese warplanes make Mid East debut in Turkey and Iran
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report October 12, 2010, 3:33 PM (GMT+02:00)
The arrival of a new Middle East player startled Washington and Jerusalem: debkafile's military sources disclose that when Turkish Prime Minister Tayyep Erdogan met Syrian president Bashar Assad in Damascus Monday, Oct. 11, they talked less about the Kurdish question and more about the role China is willing to play in the military-intelligence alliance binding Syria, Iran and Turkey.
Erdogan took the credit for China's unfolding involvement in the alliance in the role of big-power backer. Two recent events illustrate Beijing's intent:
1. From Sept. 20 to Oct. 6, the Turkish Air Force conducted its regular annual Anatolian Eagle exercise, this time without US and Israeli participation. Israel was not invited and America opted out. However, their place was taken by Chinese Sukhoi Su-27 and Mig-29 warplanes making their first appearance in Turkish skies.
Our military sources report that the Chinese warplanes began touching down at the big Konya air base in central Turkey in mid-September for their debut performance in the Middle East and Europe.
Konya has served NATO and the United States for decades as one of their most important air bases.
2. Our sources add that the Chinese planes refueled only once on their journey to Turkey in… Iran. When they touched down at the Gayem al-Mohammad air base in central Iran, their crews were made welcome by the Iranian air force commander Gen. Ahmad Migani.
It was the first time Chinese fighter-bombers are known to have visited the Islamic Republic.
The Gayem al-Mohammed facility, located near the town of Birjand in South Khorasan, is situated directly opposite the big American base of East Afghanistan near the Afghan-Iranian border town of Herat.
The Turkish prime minister painted the military alliance binding Tehran, Ankara and Damascus in rosy colors for Assad's benefit as more central to the region and more powerful than Israel's armed forces after overcoming the IDF's military edge.
So, a key United States ally has heard Obama's speech at Cairo. They're now seeing the US as weak. As a result, they're turning to China and Iran as domestic "partners" in their security.
Too bad they've got their sense of events and timing completely wrong.
Even the Israeli press isn't supporting this version of events. They've reported on the Anatolian Eagle eagle exercises here.
It turns out - last year, the Anatolian Eagle exercises were cancelled. Turkey refused to allow the Israelis to participate. In retaliation, the United States and many NATO partners refused to participate as well.
So, now Turkey sees itself without Western partners. And now we're supposed to be surprised when they're tightening their defense relationships with the East.
Turkish relationships with both East and West are historically complex. Any student of the rise of Turkey from the ruins of the Ottoman Empire, Ataturk's reforms (tepidly embraced by much of the Turkish population), popular resentment of the corruption of the Military (which had been embraced by the West), and endless dithering regarding Turkey's status in the European Union are all factors leading to some resentment within the Turkish population, and (unfortunately) it's democratically elected government. I can't cover all of these in one blog article.
But, we can be certain that two things are not factors in Turkey's growing embrace of the East. Our "tepid" support of Israel, or Obama's overtures to Eastern governments willing to work with us. And, considering that Turkey has nationalized health care, I doubt that they've even considered the new healthcare bill as an economic burden.
